Reference

Every command supports -h/--help. Global flags (before or after the subcommand): --silent, --debug. Exit codes: 0 success · 1 user error · 2 runtime error · 3 partial success (batch).

Create & inspect

Command	Description
`make <file>`	One-shot: `new` → `compile` → auto-cast → `render`. Flags: `--format`, `--acx`, `--bitrate`, `--lang`, `--cover`, `-j N`, `--watch`, `-o`.
`new <file\|folder>`	Create a project from EPUB/PDF/DOCX/TXT/MD or a folder of chapter files. Flags: `--lang`, `--booknlp`, `--chapter-delimiter <regex>`, `--force-text`, `-o`.
`from-stdin`	Create a project from piped text (`--title`).
`load <project>`	Load and summarize an existing `.audiobooker` project.
`info` · `status`	Project details · render/cache status (`--json`).
`chapters` · `chapters rename\|reorder`	List / rename / reorder chapters.
`speakers` · `speakers --suggest-aliases`	List speakers · propose epithet/honorific aliases (`--apply`).
`voices`	List the engine’s voices (`--gender`, `--search`, `--engine`).
`diagnose`	Check Python, dependencies, voice engine, FFmpeg, ffprobe.

Casting

Command	Description
`cast <char> <voice>`	Assign a voice (`--emotion`, `--speed`).
`cast --interactive`	Guided per-uncast-speaker casting.
`cast-suggest` · `cast-apply --auto`	Ranked suggestions · auto-apply the top pick.
`cast-fill`	Bulk-assign by gender/role: `--gender`, `--voices a,b,c`, `--narrator`, `--minor-voice`, `--minor-threshold`.
`audition <char>`	A/B ranked candidate voices for one character (`-n`, `--render`, `--line`, `--json`).
`cast-preset save\|list\|apply\|delete`	Named, reusable cast presets (across a series).
`cast-export` · `cast-import`	Move a cast table to/from a file (`--format json\|csv`).

Compile, review & emotion

Command	Description
`compile`	Detect dialogue, attribute speakers, infer emotion. `--booknlp`, `--emotion-preset`.
`report`	Compile quality: unknown-attribution rate, top weak lines, emotion mix (`--json`).
`review-export` · `review-import <file>`	Human-editable review round-trip.
`emotions`	List/override emotions; `emotions presets`; `emotions mood-span`.
`pronunciation add\|remove\|list\|import\|export`	Pronunciation overrides + lexicon files (CSV/JSON, phoneme passthrough).

Render & output

Command	Description
`render`	Render the audiobook. Flags: `--format m4b\|mp3\|opus\|flac`, `--acx`, `--split`, `--bitrate`, `--engine`, `--cover`, `--narrator/--genre/--series`, `-j N`, `--from-chapter N`, `--no-resume`, `--allow-partial`, `--clean-cache`, `--watch`, `--chapters`, `-o`.
`sample`	A mastered retail sample clip (`--from-chapter`, `--start-seconds`, `--duration`, `--acx`).
`master-check <file>`	Measure a file vs ACX loudness/peak/noise-floor limits (`--json`).
`export-chapters`	Chapter cue sheet: `--format ffmetadata\|cue\|json`.
`podcast`	Per-chapter render + iTunes RSS feed (`--base-url`, `-o`).
`preview`	Short voice-QA clip in the cast voices (`--chapter`, `--seconds`).
`batch <files…>`	Batch-process books or a `--manifest <toml\|json>` (per-book metadata/cast).
`cache info\|clean\|clean-failed`	Manage the render cache.
`completion bash\|zsh\|fish`	Print a shell-completion script.

Engines & configuration

--engine NAME (render/batch/preview/make/voices) selects a TTS backend resolved from --engine > AUDIOBOOKER_ENGINE > config > the built-in voice-soundboard. Plugins register via the audiobooker.tts_engines entry-point group.
Config file — .audiobookerrc (TOML) or [tool.audiobooker] in pyproject.toml, merged under explicit CLI flags. Common keys: output_format, output_profile, lang, jobs, booknlp_mode, emotion_mode, chapter_pause_ms.

Python API

from audiobooker import AudiobookProject

project = AudiobookProject.from_epub("book.epub")   # from_docx / from_pdf / from_folder / from_string
project.compile()
project.render("book.m4b", output_profile="acx")

See the Usage page for the full API walkthrough, and Architecture for how the pieces fit together.