IVR Node: Play Audio

The Play audio node (PlayAudio) is the most basic building block of an IVR: it plays a message to the caller, then moves on to the next node. Text is converted to speech automatically (TTS), or you can upload your own audio file.

Requirements

• A calling channel with its IVR Editor (Channels → your channel → Call flow).
• If you use text (TTS), the system generates and caches the audio the first time — no upload needed.

Configuration

• Text: the message converted to speech. Supports variable interpolation (${contact.name}, etc.).
• Voice (override for this node): optional; leave it on "Use workflow voice" to inherit the IVR's general voice.
• Custom audio URL (optional): if filled in, that file plays instead of generating TTS.
• Caller can interrupt with a digit (barge-in): when on, the caller can skip the audio by pressing any key.

Example

A Play audio node with the text "Thanks for calling Omnifox, we'll be right with you" and barge-in enabled, so repeat callers who already know the menu can press a key to move faster.

Tips

• Turn on barge-in for long or repetitive messages (greetings, hold music intros) so frequent callers don't feel stuck.
• Custom audio is handy for messages recorded by a real person, like a message from leadership.

Troubleshooting

If the caller hears silence instead of the message, TTS generation likely failed (empty text, or the voice provider was briefly down); the system automatically retries generation on the next sweep. If you're using custom audio, double-check the URL is reachable.