AI technology has come a long way. Some of the tasks we thought were impossible can be done today in a matter of minutes with the help of AI. Not only are AI capabilities improving, but technology is becoming widely available. Anyone can afford powerful AI solutions and use them without any issues.
In the past, AI technology was extremely expensive and required technical knowledge, but this is no longer true. These technologies are useful to small or independent professionals like producers, content creators, videographers, freelancers, influencers, etc.
Today, we’ll talk about one of those new technologies - text-to-speech. This technology allows us to type text in a program and turn it into a realistic human voice. Here’s everything you need to know about human-like text-to-speech technology.
In this article
What Does a Human-Like Text-To-Speech Voice Sound Like?
When we say human-like, we mean it. There were many attempts at programs delivering human voices through text-to-speech, and even though some of them were good, they didn’t sound natural. However, modern solutions can deliver all the nuances of human speech through elements like:
- Pronunciation and articulation: human-like text-to-speech articulates and pronounces sentences and words clearly. All of the phrases and syllables are emphasized properly to get that natural sound.
- Natural pacing: pacing was one of the main issues of text-to-speech technology, but modern solutions aren’t too slow or rushed. They realistically mimic the natural speech cadence.
- Expressive tone: in the past, text-to-speech voices were blunt and monotone. This issue has been resolved with expressive tones like sadness, enthusiasm, happiness, etc. This gives them a more natural and relatable sound.
- Natural transitions: all of the words and sentences flow smoothly, and there are no glitches, weird pauses, or disconnected tones.
- Proper intonation: modern speech-to-text voices have a changing pitch that rises and falls naturally, like in a human conversation, making them more believable and compelling.
How Text-to-Speech Produces a Human Voice
Human voice text-to-speech utilizes a variety of technologies to produce realistic results. Here’s how all of this works:
1️⃣Text Analysis
The program's first step is analyzing the user input, including text, words, punctuation, and sentences. It utilizes linguistic rules, context, and grammar to understand how the text should sound, where to add pauses, and how to emphasize words.
2️⃣Converting Text to Phonemes
The second step is converting the text into the smallest bits of language sound, known as phonemes. This process involves understanding the pronunciation of all words based on their context and spelling.
3️⃣Generating Prosody
Prosody is the pattern of intonation and stress within spoken language. It includes natural flow, intonation, stress, rhythm, etc. Text-to-speech tools model prosody by creating pitch variation, emphasis, pauses, rhythm, and speed.
4️⃣Synthesizing Speech
Several speech synthesis methods are used for TTS. The waveform concatenation method combines pre-recorded speech segments to create continuous speech. The parametric synthesis methods use mathematical models for generating speech from vocal tract shape and pitch. Finally, most modern TTS tools use neural AI speech synthesis that relies on deep learning to generate voices.
How to Pick the Right Text-To-Speech That Sounds Human-Like
There are many text-to-speech tools today that produce realistic voices. However, not all of them are that good, and you need to evaluate their usability, quality, and naturalness before selecting. Here are some of the things to consider:
Natural Voice and Quality
Create multiple prompts to check natural speech patterns like emphasis, pitch, and tone. See if the tool can produce realistic results with multiple prompts. Listen to the sound for emotion to see how the tool handles expressive tone. Pay attention to any awkward breaks and see if multiple voices are available.
Flexibility and Customization Options
The tool you use should let you adjust the pitch, speed, and tone of the created voice. This gives you more control over the final output. Look for technology that works in multiple languages and accents for more flexibility. Some of them even support different moods and styles.
Number of Features
The number of features is an important factor. For example, you could have more voice options, a broader emotional range, customizations, transitions, editing options, etc. However, it’s not only about the number of features but also their quality and whether they’re usable in real scenarios.
Ease of Use
Naturally, you want to get a tool you can use to its fullest potential. The first thing is the interface. It should be simple and easy to navigate. If you’re using TTS for work, you want to ensure it can integrate with different platforms and give you various export options.
Pricing
There are paid and free text-to-speech tools with a human voice. Some of the free versions are really great but generally, you will get more with a paid version. You can’t expect to get the best possible technology for free.
Best Human-Voice Text-To-Speech Tools
Here are some of the top human-voice text-to-speech tools to consider:
Filmora
Filmora is primarily a video editing tool that’s super easy to use. It allows beginners and semi-professionals to create amazing video content. This software is equipped with amazing AI tools, including Text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
Users can type in their prompts or use AI within the software to generate text and voice. It offers over 45 voices and tones for users to choose from. However, it also allows you to insert any voice and clone it to be used in your videos. It supports over 33 languages, and you can customize your audio with various effects and edits.
Speechify
Speechify is very versatile and convenient. It can read different texts, including emails, articles, books, online pages, etc. However, this platform's main focus is reading text, and it’s focused on this use. You can listen to the text while doing other things, and countless shortcuts and integrations make using it a breeze.
Google Cloud Text-to-Speech AI
Google’s text-to-speech platform uses advanced WaveNet technology that delivers realistic voices. It’s equipped with over 220 types of voices in 40 languages. Users can customize volume, speaking rate, pitch, etc. It’s a highly customizable solution that is constantly improving with new AI solutions.
Lovo.ai
Lovo.ai is primarily designed for video voiceovers, audiobooks, and podcasts. It offers over 180 human-like voices in 33 languages. Users can also create custom voices using voice cloning. It’s a user-friendly solution with versatile options and does a great job of giving human-like results.
Natural Reader
Natural Reader offers natural voices designed for commercial and personal use. It has a simple text-to-speech interface that offers 20 languages. It works both online and offline and delivers great results. It can be used for reading documents or creating voiceovers.
Benefits of Using Text-To-Speech Tools With a Human Voice
There are many benefits to using text-to-speech tools with human-like voices. They can be used for different purposes, including reading, learning, multitasking, voiceovers, video editing, post-production, etc. Here are some of the key benefits:
Improved Accessibility
Text-to-speech technology allows users to access content they normally couldn’t. For example, people with reading difficulties, learning disabilities, and visual impairments can convert text into speech with natural sound for better understanding.
Boosted Engagement
Adding realistic voices to content makes it more engaging. Audio is more engaging, pleasant, and relatable, improving the listening experience. Content creators can make more engaging and unique material for their audiences.
Time Efficiency
TTS can save time in many different ways. For example, recording voiceovers requires equipment, software, editing, etc. With TTS, video editors can simply write the text needed and quickly fine-tune it within the program. On the other hand, people who listen to content can consume and remember it more quickly than reading.
Scalability
For users who have projects with large volumes of content, TTS allows them to handle text and voice needs efficiently and quickly. Instead of spending time recording voices or paying someone else to do this, they can rely on text-to-speech without losing any quality.
Conclusion
If you want to generate realistic human-like voices, text-to-speech technology is the right way. It can be applied in so many different industries and offers numerous benefits. Take the time to find the right TTS tool to handle your needs.
Luckily, most available options offer free versions or free trials that let you test their capabilities before committing.
