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Text to speech tools can read back all forms of written text to you. Customize the experience by choosing your narration voice. Learn more.

Text to speech technology has been improving by the day, and more and more people are exploring different apps and possibilities. TTS is designed to boost the accessibility of various devices, and it can be more than helpful for people with reading disabilities. 

But TTS tools can offer so much more. They are an excellent way to add narration to videos, which is why many YouTubers and content creators use them. 

What is text to speech narration?

Text to speech tools are designed to generate speech so they can be read aloud to you. You can use them to turn any type of text into an audio file, and they are pretty helpful in improving the accessibility of the device. 

As you are all aware, narration is a method of telling a story through commentary. And with text to speech tools, you can make your own narration for your videos (or anything else). That is especially important for content creators since it offers many different options for them to work with. 

If English is not your native language, you can still write a script, paste it into the app, and use the AI voice for the narration of your video. 

How to choose the right voice for your project

To ensure you dish out high-quality videos with natural-sounding text, you will need to find an appropriate voice for the narration. Now, this will depend on your personal preference, the type of videos, and the effect you are trying to achieve. 

So, you will need to pick one of many available AI voices that will suit your style. If you decide to use a text to speech software like Speechify, the entire process of choosing natural sounding voices will be simpler. For once, having a natural-sounding speech you can use will work well for narration. 

You can go with different accents, genders, and even ages for your video. If you want the voice of an older British gentleman, Speechify has it! The app also offers celebrity voices like Gwyneth Paltrow, which will take the entire experience to a whole new level. 

Types of text to speech narration software

Naturally, your options will mostly depend on the type of app you choose. And each will have different features and voices you can use. Going for one of the best APIs on the market is always a smart idea, and you will get a great product that will sound amazing. 

Since narration is the main topic here, having a high-quality and natural AI voice is essential. It will improve the video and make it more enjoyable for the audience. And it is one of many reasons you should go for one of the top text-to-speech tools. 

Speechify

Speechify is one of the best, if not the best, text-to-speech apps. It offers a unique experience with incredible voices. As mentioned earlier, Speechify gives you plenty of different functionalities, and you can easily navigate the app thanks to the intuitive UI. 

The app is also usable on any type of device, and you can install it on both your smartphone and PC. If you make an account on Speechify, the app will give you the option to sync profiles and continue where you left off, regardless of the device you are using. 

The quality of the app is one of the main advantages, and the realistic-sounding voices will make your narration flawless. Speechify offers not only English but also Portuguese, Spanish, German, Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Hindi, Arabic, Japanese, and many others. 

Speechify is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and even as a Chrome extension. That means you can use this app on various web pages, digital text files, and even physical documents. 

Finally, users can customize the speech output and even export it as .wav or mp3 files. And these are just a few of many reasons why so many users see Speechify as the best text-to-speech tool you can find today. 

WellSaid Labs

WellSaid Labs is a company based in Seattle, and it offers an app that’s worth checking out. The app can help you create a voiceover in real-time, and there are several pricing plans you can try out. 

It also offers plenty of different voices, all of which sound great. Using the mobile app will allow users to customize voices and explore various options while making content. 

Another interesting option is that WellSaid Labs offer on-demand voices, and you can contact them for more details. Keep in mind that creating a custom voice can be a bit pricey. Furthermore, the app doesn’t allow you to download files in a lossless format. 

NaturalReader

For many users, NaturalReader is a go-to text-to-speech tool. It offers plenty of different settings and adjustments, you can use it online, and the quality is good. It supports Microsoft Windows and Mac, and you can even get a NaturalReader widget. 

And if you are wondering whether the app is a good choice for YouTube videos, the answer is yes. In fact, many content creators use this tool whenever they want to add narration to their videos. 

Of course, that means that you might lose points on the originality, and the voices can often sound too stiff and robotic. NaturalReader is still a great option, but if you want to stay fresh and create unique videos, you might want to see other available apps. 

ReadSpeaker

ReadSpeaker is another option you can check out, and the app is relatively easy to use, which will help content creators make an audio file from the written text in just a couple of steps. 

The quality of AI voices is fantastic. The app supports several different languages, it is accessible through the cloud, and the price will be based on the amount of time you spend using it. 

One of the main downsides of ReadSpeaker is that it can be too limiting. It doesn’t offer Mac support, and subscription options are rather limited. If you are curious about how ReadSpeaker voices sound, you can always test the demo on the website. 

FAQ

What is text to speech?

Text to speech is a type of software designed to improve accessibility and help people turn text into audio. These voice generators can be quite helpful for adding narration to videos or just creating your own audio files.

They are often easy to use, and the quality of text to speech voices can be incredible. If you are looking for a free text to speech tool to try out, Speechify offers a version just for you. The app is available on any device, and the quality is exceptional. 

Does text to speech use real voices?

No. TTS tools use samples of real human voices analyzed during the process. After that, the app can use recordings to synthesize speech using a combination of artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning, and other technologies. 

When you start the app, you will hear the voice, but that voice is fully synthesized, and it isn’t a recording of a voice actor. Thanks to complex algorithms, the AI behind these apps is able to piece syllables together and even use correct pronunciation.  

What are the advantages of text to speech?

TTS apps improve accessibility. They can help people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia and even assist visually impaired users. Those who cannot read or struggle doing so will find text to speech apps to be more than helpful. 

These can save time and make the entire experience enjoyable. Of course, many people use speech synthesis to create narrations and podcasts, and they can also help with e-learning. 

Tyler Weitzman

Tyler Weitzman

Tyler Weitzman is the Co-Founder, Head of Artificial Intelligence & President at Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews. Weitzman is a graduate of Stanford University, where he received a BS in mathematics and a MS in Computer Science in the Artificial Intelligence track. He has been selected by Inc. Magazine as a Top 50 Entrepreneur, and he has been featured in Business Insider, TechCrunch, LifeHacker, CBS, among other publications. Weitzman’s Masters degree research focused on artificial intelligence and text-to-speech, where his final paper was titled: “CloneBot: Personalized Dialogue-Response Predictions.”