Is it possible to get a text to speech free download? Discover the answer to that question and learn about a few apps that could serve your TTS needs.
Text to speech free download
Text to speech (TTS) software utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create natural-sounding voices that can read any text out loud. Though it’s often advertised as accessibility software, TTS has many uses. For example, some use TTS to generate a high-quality voice that allows them to listen to articles while they work. Others may use TTS to create voiceovers, which they extract as audio files for their multimedia projects.
However, there is often one obstacle to using text to speech apps, and that is cost. For many TTS apps, you have to pay a subscription fee if you want access to the AI voices.
Thankfully, there are still several text to speech tools that allow you to generate speech online without paying a penny. This article looks at some of the best text to speech apps you can use for free.
Why use text to speech?
There are many reasons you might consider using text to speech:
People with dyslexia and similar learning disabilities often find that TTS apps make it easier for them to read. A good TTS reader ensures such people can thrive in both traditional and e-learning environments.
Text to speech offers access to a wide array of human voices, including male and female voices. This access is excellent for people who need voice over work but don’t want to pay a professional voice artist. YouTube video creators are a good example of people who would use TTS for voice overs.
A text to speech reader can enhance your literacy skills by reading online text that you struggle to read yourself. It helps with pronunciation and can even help you learn other languages faster.
You can make reading a shared experience with text to speech. Some apps even allow you to download MP3 files, which you can play with other people.
Finally, TTS apps can also help you improve your multitasking while doing household tasks, commuting, or studying by allowing you to hear text while doing other activities.
Free TTS downloads
Now that you know some possible use cases for text to speech, you need to know where to get some free apps. The following options all allow you to convert text into speech, even in languages other than English.
NaturalReader
The NaturalReader app is a powerful text to speech software that offers access to various voices. It also offers optical character recognition (OCR) technology. OCR allows you to scan physical books as well as text files, meaning you can use it to read any text aloud.
The app comes in both paid and free options.
With a subscription, you can use NaturalReader to read web pages and create audio files, which you can convert to mp3 format. It also has commercial functionality, such as using it to create voice overs for interactive voice response (IVR) telephone systems.
Thankfully, a free version of NaturalReader exists and is ideal for anybody who wants to test text to speech without paying money. This free version allows you to choose between several languages, including English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It’s also simple to use as you drag and drop text into the reader to have it play the text aloud.
Read Aloud
Supporting over 40 languages, Read Aloud is one of the more versatile text to speech readers. It can read several file formats, including PDF, ePub, Amazon Kindle, and Google Docs. Plus, it quickly reads text from websites.
Read Aloud stands out because it integrates with several cloud-based TTS services to provide more voices. These include Amazon Polly, Google Wavenet, and Microsoft. However, you may have to spend money on in-app purchases to access these additional voices.
Assuming you choose not to spend money, Read Aloud is still an excellent option for accessing the basics of text to speech. Sadly, it doesn’t have a text-to-MP3 feature.
Balabolka
Available for Microsoft Windows, Balabolka supports PDF, HTML, and DOC file formats. Users can record and download audio files in the MP3 and WAV formats. It also has a free reader that allows you to copy and paste text into the app. Plus, the app has a bookmarking feature that’s useful for working your way through large documents.
It’s this last feature that makes Balabolka a great choice for students. The ability to bookmark important passages ensures you can always return to the information you require when you need it. This can help when taking notes or if you want to highlight a specific area of your notes to read aloud when studying.
Speechify
Speechify comes in premium and basic varieties, the latter giving you free text to speech software with which to experiment. Furthermore, the website hosts a free online TTS function, and you can download the premium version of the app to use for free for three days.
Speechify is compatible with many platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Google Chrome. It features a huge range of voices, with the premium version even having AI-generated celebrity voices that sound like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. Even if celeb voices aren’t your thing, Speechify offers dozens more in many languages, including Polish, Spanish, and German. You can even customize the voices to meet your listening preferences.
Try Speechify for free today
If you want to start experimenting with text to speech today, there are few better places to begin than Speechify. Heading to the platform’s website allows you to try its TTS reader immediately, giving you a taste for what it has to offer.
If you want to explore more of the app’s features, such as optical character recognition and audio file downloading, give the free trial a try. Accessible for three days, this free trail of the premium version lets you dig deeper into Speechify’s premium services, which includes access to over 14 languages and the ability to adjust playback speeds.
FAQ
What is speech synthesis?
Speech synthesis is the term used to describe the process of using a computer to create a simulation of a human voice. Many text to speech apps use speech synthesis to create natural-sounding voices.
Can I download audio files from text to speech programs?
It depends on which TTS software you use. Some, such as Speechify, allow you to create audio files using the text you place into them. Others only read the text aloud without providing a recording.
What does “text to speech” mean?
Text to speech stands for any technology that allows you to convert text into a human-sounding voice. Other names for the technology include text to voice and screen reading software.
