Download the add-on .zip file from your Blender Market account profile. In Blender, navigate to .
Navigate to your downloads folder and select the downloaded add-on .zip file. Do not unzip it. Click . Step 3: Enable the Add-on
Go to the RLSP tab and press the Check rhubarb version button. If it fails, you may need to manually download the Rhubarb command‑line tool and specify its path in the add‑on preferences. auto lip sync blender install
: If the add-on console shows a missing module error, look for a "Install Dependencies" button inside the add-on's preferences panel and click it. Step 5: Prepare Your Character Rig
But the biggest hurdle for most users isn't using the tool—it's the installation. Blender’s folder structure, dependency management (like Python packages), and version compatibility often trip up even intermediate users. Download the add-on
| Error Message | Likely Cause | The Fix | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | "No module named 'phonetics'" | Missing Python dependencies | Manually install pip install phonetics into Blender’s Python. | | "Rhubarb returned code 1" | Audio format is unsupported | Convert your audio to 16-bit PCM WAV at 44.1kHz using Audacity. | | "Permission denied" (Mac/Linux) | Rhubarb lacks execute rights | Open terminal, type chmod +x /path/to/rhubarb | | "Shape key 'AH' not found" | Naming mismatch | Rename your mouth shape keys exactly as the add-on expects (e.g., "phoneme_AH"). | | "FFmpeg not found" | FFmpeg not in PATH | Either add FFmpeg to System PATH or place ffmpeg.exe in the same folder as your Blend file. | | "Add-on not showing in list" | Blender version mismatch | The ZIP might be for Blender 2.93. Download the latest version of the add-on. |
Search for "Rhubarb" in the search bar and check the box to enable it. Step 3: Configure the Rhubarb Engine Do not unzip it
Use the file browser within the add-on panel to select your .wav or .mp3 file.
Installing modern lip-sync extensions is straightforward, though some versions require external dependencies like FFmpeg.
Achieving perfect character animation requires synchronizing mouth movements with spoken audio. Doing this manually frame-by-frame is incredibly time-consuming. Fortunately, Blender supports powerful automation add-ons that generate realistic mouth animations directly from voice files.