Real-Time Lipsync for Web: Build AI Chatbots & Games with Wawa-Lipsync (Free & Open-Source!)

Overview

In this tutorial, we’ll implement real-time lipsync in the browser using a new open-source library I built: wawa-lipsync. It works with React Three Fiber and Three.js, and you can use it for animating talking characters in AI chatbots, 3D games, or virtual assistants—without relying on server-side processing or expensive APIs.

Why Real-Time Lipsync Matters for Web 3D

Lipsync makes digital characters feel more human.

But most lipsync solutions are either:

Too slow (like Rhubarb, which requires several seconds of processing),
Too expensive (like Azure TTS with viseme data),
Or not built for the browser.

That’s why I created wawa-lipsync: a browser-native, real-time solution that listens to any audio source and outputs lipsync data instantly. Whether you’re building a talking avatar, an AI assistant, or a web game with voiced characters, this tool helps you sync visuals and sound fluidly—no servers needed.

Insights and Skills

By the end of this project, you'll sharpen your skills in:

Real-time audio processing using the Web Audio API
Viseme detection for animating mouth shapes based on phonemes
Integrating audio with 3D avatars in React Three Fiber
Creating responsive AI chatbots or characters with a more human feel
Understanding the basics of audio frequency analysis

Tech Stack

Experience the project in action

Live Demo

#lipsync #js #opensource

Need help with this tutorial? Join our Discord community!