Hi everyone 
I’m happy to share my first public Alexa skill: Voice Box 
It plays your own audio files on your Alexa devices – recorded messages, text-to-speech files in any language, or short music clips and chimes. Perfect for SmartThings automations like:
“The laundry is done”
A custom doorbell chime
“Water leak detected in the kitchen!”
“Dinner is ready”
A short jingle when someone arrives home
No more My Pod with loads of ads between your messages!
Free
No ads
No account linking, no sign-up
Works from Alexa Routines – so it can be triggered from SmartThings (virtual switches, sensors) or SharpTools
Getting started (about 5 minutes)
1⃣ Enable the skill
Alexa app → More → Skills & Games → search Voice Box → Enable
(US store link: Amazon.com: Voice Box : Alexa Skills )
2⃣ Get your code
Say: “Alexa, ask Voice Box for my code”
Alexa tells you a 6-digit code (it’s also shown in the Alexa app under More → Activity).
3⃣ Open the upload page
Voice Box (phone or PC) → enter the code → Connect
4⃣ Upload your audio
Choose an MP3, M4A or WAV file. The message name is filled in from the file name (English letters/numbers – change it if you like) → Upload. You can press 
on the page to check it.
5⃣ Play it!
“Alexa, ask Voice Box to play laundry”
Using it from a Routine (SmartThings trigger)
Alexa app → Routines → 
- When: a SmartThings device (e.g. a virtual switch, contact or leak sensor) or a schedule
- Add action → Customized → type:
ask voice box to play laundry - From: the Echo / Alexa device that should play it
- Save
No recording? Use a free text-to-speech site
Type your text, pick a voice, download the MP3 and upload it to Voice Box
FreeReadText – natural voices in many languages, no sign-up (10,000 characters/month free): https://freereadtext.com- Luvvoice – 200+ voices, 70+ languages, no sign-up: https://luvvoice.com
- ttsMP3 – many voices, about 1,000 characters/day free: https://ttsmp3.com
Limits & details
Max play length: 4 minutes per file (Alexa’s limit for skill audio)
Max stored file size: 3 MB. Files are converted in your browser to Alexa’s audio format (48 kbps MP3), so a 4-minute file ends up around 1.5 MB. Practically, any normal audio file up to 4 minutes works.- Music works too. Short music clips, chimes and jingles are fine. Because Alexa requires 48 kbps for skill audio, music sounds like good radio quality rather than hi-fi.
Up to 20 messages per user
Device language: English (US, GB, CA, AU or IN). The audio itself can be in any language.
Disabled and re-enabled the skill? Ask for a new code and click “Got a new code from Alexa? Re-link” at the bottom of the upload page – your messages move over automatically.
Privacy: files are private to your Alexa account; nothing is shared or sold. Voice Box - Privacy
Feedback, ideas and bug reports are very welcome – just reply here 
If you find it useful: 
https://buymeacoffee.com/dotan_shai
Thanks, and enjoy!
Shai
