What is text to speech software?
Text-to-speech software, often referred to as TTS, converts written text into spoken words. Initially designed to help people with visual impairments or learning disabilities, TTS tools have evolved into multi-faceted solutions over time.
Nowadays, text to speech software is accessible to all and widely used for a diverse range of creative goals, including audiobook narration, voiceovers, and entertainment.
The growing popularity of TTS software lies in its versatility. These tools come with various customizable settings, from voice selection and narration style to speed and tone. You can use them to read books and PDFs, narrate presentations, or generate professional-sounding voiceovers for videos.
In recent years, predominantly thanks to AI, TTS tools have become increasingly human-like, moving far beyond the robotic voices we remember from the 2000s and early 2010s.
As text to speech tools have advanced and improved, their range of applications has also widened over the years.
Below are some of the most widespread applications of modern text to speech tools:
Converting written material into speech: From e-books to PDFs and website content, TTS tools make reading more accessible. Individuals looking to rest their eyes, multitask, or even improve concentration can choose to have any text read to them instead.
Voiceover artistry: Instead of finding the perfect voiceover artist, media companies and production teams can use TTS to generate custom, authentic-sounding voiceovers. Some professional voiceover artists also use TTS by allowing their voices to be cloned for passive income.
Audiobook narration: With advanced TTS tools becoming widely accessible, creating audiobooks has never been easier. Writers and publishers can quickly generate high-quality, realistic audio versions of their work without finding a narrator or setting up a recording studio.
Digital content production: TTS is essential in content creation. Platforms like Canva are fantastic for creating visuals, but the right voiceover can take a video or presentation to the next level. Combining Canva’s visual tools with advanced TTS software like ElevenLabs makes producing professional-looking videos with compelling narration easy, even for users with no technical background.
ElevenLabs: text to speech meets powerful AI