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What is miku.gg?
Miku.gg is an open-source chatbot platform for running your own bots. According to its documentation, you can download the source code and run a chatbot yourself, or try the live demo. It is free to use and open source, and it is designed to work with any OpenAI-like API, with current support for Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI (ooba), and Tabby.
What it can do
- Give bots emotion images and voice through TTS. Supported TTS options include Azure TTS, NovelAI, and ElevenLabs, while emotion analysis runs locally with SBERT embeddings.
- Let you create your own bots or edit existing ones.
- Provide a bot directory for sharing, downloading, or trying bots without running anything locally.
Who it suits
This is aimed at people who want control over the model backend and are comfortable running software themselves, or at least trying a hosted demo. If you already use an OpenAI-compatible local or remote API, miku.gg is mainly a front end and bot-management layer rather than a model provider. The trade-off is that self-hosting means you handle setup, updates, and any TTS or API costs yourself; the live demo is the lower-effort way to see whether the interface and bot format fit your needs.
A practical next step is to open the live demo and try one bot from the directory. If the interaction style works for you, then download the source and connect it to your preferred OpenAI-like API.
How do I install and run miku.gg on my own server?
Install miku.gg by downloading the source code and running it as a self-hosted web service, then pointing it at an OpenAI-compatible API. The documentation describes it as open source and free to use, with a live demo available if you want to evaluate it before committing to a server. It is in beta, so expect rough edges and changes between versions.
What you need before starting
- A server or local machine capable of running Node-based web apps and a small embedding model. Emotion analysis uses local SBERT embeddings, so some CPU or GPU headroom helps.
- A chat backend that exposes an OpenAI-like API. The documentation names Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI (ooba), and Tabby as currently supported options.
- Optional voice and image services: Azure TTS, NovelAI, or ElevenLabs for speech, plus image assets if you want emotion visuals.
- Basic command-line comfort: cloning a repository, installing dependencies, and setting environment variables.
Typical setup flow
- Get the source code from the project's repository and install its dependencies.
- Configure the API endpoint and key for your chosen backend (Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI, or Tabby).
- Add TTS credentials if you want voice output, and place emotion images for your bots.
- Start the app and open it in a browser on your server or via a reverse proxy.
- Create a bot or import one from the bot directory, then test a conversation.
Practical decisions
| Choice | Good for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Local backend (TextGen WebUI, Aphrodite, Tabby) | Privacy, no per-message API costs, full control | You manage GPU/CPU load and model updates |
| Hosted OpenAI-like API | Faster setup, less hardware | Ongoing cost and data leaving your server |
| Local SBERT emotion analysis | Works offline, no extra API calls | Adds memory and startup time |
| Cloud TTS (Azure, ElevenLabs, NovelAI) | Natural voices with little setup | Latency, cost, and sending text to a third party |
A concrete scenario
A small community runs a character bot for its Discord or web chat. They host miku.gg on a single GPU box, connect it to TextGen WebUI for replies, use local SBERT for emotion detection, and add ElevenLabs only for a few flagship bots. The bot directory lets members share character files without each person running their own instance.
For official setup steps and configuration details, start with miku.gg documentation. If you want to compare hosting approaches or check the live demo first, the same documentation links to it from the Overview page.
Which OpenAI-compatible API providers can I connect to miku.gg?
You can connect miku.gg to any API that follows the OpenAI-style interface, and the documentation specifically names three backends: Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI (ooba), and Tabby. Because support is described as "any OpenAI-like APIs," the practical filter is compatibility with the OpenAI chat/completions request format rather than the brand of the server.
What this means in practice
- Aphrodite and Tabby are self-hosted inference servers, so you point miku.gg at the base URL of your own running instance.
- TextGen WebUI (ooba) also exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, letting you use a local model behind miku.gg's chat layer.
- A hosted provider such as OpenAI fits the same "OpenAI-like" pattern if its endpoint and model naming are accepted — but the page evidence only commits to the three named backends, so treat other providers as untested until you confirm.
How to choose
| Situation | Reasonable starting point |
|---|---|
| You want local inference and full control | Aphrodite, Tabby or TextGen WebUI on your own hardware |
| You want a hosted model without running a server | An OpenAI-compatible hosted API, verified against the format |
| You mainly want to try bots, not run infrastructure | The live demo or the bot directory first |
Next step
Decide whether you are hosting the model yourself or calling a hosted endpoint. If self-hosting, install one of the three named servers, note its base URL and API key field, and enter those in miku.gg's connection settings. If you plan to use a different provider, test a single short conversation before building bots around it, since only the named backends are documented as supported.
How do I add emotion images and text-to-speech voices to my miku.gg bots?
Emotion images and TTS are configured per bot. Miku.gg drives emotion by analyzing the bot's reply text with local SBERT embeddings, then mapping the result to an image; voice is generated through a TTS provider. Both are features of the platform itself, so you enable them in your bot's settings rather than writing custom code.
Emotion images
- Make sure the bot has an emotion image set — either the default set that ships with the platform or your own images, one per emotion you want to support.
- Map each emotion label to its image file (for example, happy →
happy.png). - Leave emotion analysis on. Because it runs on local SBERT embeddings, the text never has to leave your machine to be classified.
- Test with short, clearly emotional lines first ("I'm so happy to see you!") to confirm the right image fires before trying subtle dialogue.
Text-to-speech
- Pick a supported provider: Azure TTS, NovelAI or ElevenLabs.
- Enter the credentials or API key that provider requires, and choose a voice.
- Assign the voice to the bot, then trigger a reply and listen.
Choosing a provider
| Provider | Practical fit |
|---|---|
| Azure TTS | Broad voice catalogue and stable, predictable output; a good default for long-running bots |
| ElevenLabs | Strong expressive quality; the usual choice when character performance matters most |
| NovelAI | Convenient if you already use NovelAI for other work and want one account to cover both |
Practical notes
- Keep emotion images consistent in size and framing, or the chat window will visibly jump between expressions.
- Emotion analysis is a guess, not a guarantee. If a bot keeps landing on the wrong expression, either simplify its dialogue style or supply your own image for the emotion it keeps hitting.
- TTS adds latency to every reply. If conversations feel sluggish, test with TTS off to confirm it is the cause before switching providers.
- Bots can be shared through the directory, so check whether your image and TTS settings travel with the bot or need to be re-entered by whoever downloads it.
A sensible first step: open the bot you want to change, add a single emotion image and one TTS provider, and run one test message before expanding to a full emotion set. The official documentation at miku.gg documentation covers the current provider list and setup steps.
How can I create a custom bot or edit an existing one in miku.gg?
Miku.gg lets you create a new bot or edit an existing one from inside the platform, and because it is open source you can also change the underlying code if the built-in customization is not enough. The practical path depends on how much control you need.
Creating or editing a bot
- Start from the bot directory. You can browse shared bots, try them, and download one as a starting point rather than writing everything from scratch. This is the fastest route if you want a working personality to tweak.
- Create your own bot. The documentation lists customizable bots as a core feature: you can create your own or edit existing ones. Expect to define the bot's character and settings, then connect it to a model backend.
- Give it a voice and face. Bots can show emotion through images and speak through TTS. Emotion analysis runs on local SBERT embeddings, and TTS options include Azure TTS, NovelAI and ElevenLabs, so an emotional image set plus a TTS provider is what turns a text bot into a character.
- Choose your model backend. Miku.gg works with OpenAI-like APIs; the documentation names Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI (ooba) and Tabby as current options. If you already run one of these locally, you can point the bot at it.
Two ways to run it
| Approach | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Live demo | Trying bots and the directory quickly | Less control over hosting and models |
| Download the source and self-host | Full control, custom models, private data | You handle setup, updates and infrastructure |
A concrete scenario
Suppose you want a companion bot that reacts with facial expressions and speaks in a chosen voice. Create the bot, attach an emotion image set, point emotion analysis at the local SBERT embeddings, connect a TTS provider, and select your OpenAI-like backend. Then test it in the demo before committing to a self-hosted install.
Where to start
Read the Overview and Features pages at miku.gg documentation, then open the live demo to try the bot directory. If you intend to edit bot behavior beyond the built-in options, download the source code first so your changes are not lost.
What can I do with the miku.gg bot directory?
The bot directory on miku.gg is a sharing hub for chatbots: you can browse bots other people have made, try them out, download them, and share your own — all without running the platform locally. It sits alongside the self-hosted option, so it works as a low-friction way to see what the platform does before committing to installing anything.
Practical uses
- Trying before installing: You want to see how emotion images, TTS voices, and character behavior feel in practice. The directory lets you interact with existing bots in the live demo rather than setting up the open-source stack first.
- Getting a ready-made character: You need a bot for a specific persona or purpose and would rather start from someone else's work than build one from scratch.
- Sharing your own: Once you have created or edited a bot, the directory is the place to publish it so others can try or download it.
- Collecting bots for local use: You can download bots from the directory and run them in your own self-hosted instance, which matters if you want your conversations to stay on your own hardware.
How it fits with the rest of the platform
| Approach | What you get | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Bot directory | Try, share, and download bots with no local setup | Depends on what others have published; less control over hosting |
| Self-hosted (source code) | Full control, your own API backends and data | You handle installation, configuration, and any API costs |
Because the platform is compatible with OpenAI-like APIs such as Aphrodite, TextGen WebUI, and Tabby, a downloaded bot is mainly a character definition — the model behind it is whatever backend you point your instance at. Emotion analysis runs on local SBERT embeddings, and voice output supports Azure TTS, NovelAI, and ElevenLabs, so a bot you pick up in the directory may behave differently once you attach your own models and keys.
A sensible next step
If you are evaluating the platform, open the directory, try two or three bots with different personalities, and note which ones hold a coherent conversation. Then download one and run it against your preferred backend — that tells you quickly whether the character quality or the model setup is the limiting factor. If you would rather compare against other self-hosted chat front ends, GitHub hosts the source repositories for most of them.
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