Individuals with visual impairments prefer text-to-speech services to reach the written content. TTS technology provides accessibility for these individuals. The users listen to the content instead of reading it.
Some of the most preferred text-to-speech software are Google Text-To-Speech, Microsoft Azure Text to Speech, Amazon Polly, AppleVoice, ReadSpeaker, and Speaktor.
Speaktor converts the text into voice. Users automatically convert text to speech with Speaktor’s artificial intelligence text reader.
Here is a step-by-step guideline to convert text to voice by using Speaktor.
- Sign up to Speaktor: Go to Speaktor website and create an account.
- Go to Dashboard: Open the Speaktor website. Open the created account. Sign in with the same email address.
- Upload the File: Choose and upload the text file into Speaktor.
- Convert Text to Speech: Start the conversion process.
- Listen to the Text: Play and listen to the converted text aloud.
- Download the Audio File: Download the converted file into the device.
1. Sign up to Speaktor
Go to the Speaktor website. Continue with a Google or Facebook account or sign up with an email address. Check the pricing options. There are 2 different options for individuals.
The pricing options are Lite and Premium. Lite pricing is $59.95 annually and Premium pricing is $149.95 annually. Users have the option to subscribe monthly instead of annually. Monthly pricing is $9.99 for Lite and $24.99 for Premium.
2. Go to Dashboard
Open the Speaktor website. Open the Speaktor account by using a Google or Facebook account.. Sign in with the same email address. There is a “Text Reader” section on the dashboard.
3. Upload the File
Click on the “Text Reader.” Users have 3 options. These are “Drop File,” “Type or Paste” a text, or “Paste a Web Link.”
Users are able to drop their files in the variable formats including pdf, word, txt, etc. Users type or paste in the box and then submit. Users also paste a web link and then click “Upload.”
4. Convert Text to Speech
Wait until the conversion process is at the end after uploading the file. The time of process depends on the length of the textual content. Speaktor uses text-to-speech technology to convert text into voice. Speaktor has different voice options for users to choose.
5. Listen to the Text
Click on the “Play” button to see the final product. Speaktor reads the text file for users. Check if there are any mistakes. Be sure that there are no misspellings and typos in the textual content to get fully correct audio of the file.
6. Download the Audio File
Download the audio file into the device. Users download the audio file in MP3 format. Save the MP3 audio file to access it from the device instead of the website. Users also are able to download the transcript.
What is Text-to-Audio Conversion?
Text-to-audio conversion, also known as text-to-speech conversion, is the process of transforming written content into audio content. The process involves the conversion of text-based information into spoken words. Users listen to the content instead of reading it.
The written content is in the form of documents, articles, web pages, e-books, emails, or any other textual information. Text-to-speech technology identifies the textual content’s structure, syntax, and semantics. Text-to-audio conversion determines how the text sounds in terms of tone, emphasis, and pronunciation.
How Does Text-to-Audio Technology Work?
Text-to-audio technology works by converting written or textual content into audio or speech. Specialized software or algorithms analyze the written text to understand its linguistic properties. TTS technology detects the sentence boundaries, emphasized parts, and proper pronunciation.
Text-to-speech technology either uses pre-recorded human voice recordings or artificial voices generated by machine learning techniques. These voices sound natural and expressive. The technology combines linguistic elements with the chosen voice. The speech turns into audio format and users play the audio through audio playback devices.
What are the Benefits of Using Text-to-Audio Technology?
The benefits of using text-to-audio technology are listed below.
- Accessibility: Text-to-audio technology makes digital content accessible to individuals with visual impairments and reading difficulties. Individuals with visual impairments are not able to read the written content. The technology allows these individuals to listen to the information instead of reading it.
- Learning: Text-to-speech technology helps students with reading challenges and learning disabilities. Students use TTS to read textbooks and study materials aloud. Students sometimes prefer listening to a course material rather than reading it. TTS facilitates student comprehension.
- Navigation: TTS is in the navigation systems and GPS applications. TTS helps users receive turn-by-turn directions and location information. Users, thus, do not have to look at a screen to find a location. Integration with navigation systems is useful, especially for drivers.
- Voice Assistants: Voice assistants use TTS to provide responses and information in a natural manner. Voice assistants include Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. Voice assistants help users to function certain things on their devices. TTS makes voice assistants sound more natural.
- Audiobook Production: TTS technology serves to convert written books into audiobooks. TTS makes literature more accessible to people who prefer to listen. People with visual impairments also use TTS to listen to the books instead of reading them.
What are the Drawbacks of Using Text-to-Audio Technology?
The drawbacks of using text-to-audio technology are listed below.
- Voice Quality: TTS voices vary in quality and some sound less natural or expressive than others. Low-quality voices have robotic and monotonous tones and this affects user experience. Low-quality voices reduce the user experience and engagement as it is hard to follow content with low-quality voices.
- Lack of Emotion: TTS struggles to convey the emotional nuances in human speech. This struggle makes TTS less suitable for content that requires emotional expression. Lack of emotion reduces user experience as some content needs emotional reading. These contents include stories, novels, and poetry.
- Pronunciation Errors: TTS technology sometimes mispronounces certain words, names, or terms. This mispronunciation leads to inaccuracies and confusion. Confusion among the users leads to a bad user experience and less engagement with the spoken content.
- Contextual Understanding: TTS technology lacks a deep understanding of context. TTS may misinterpret the meaning of certain phrases when there is ambiguity in the content. This misinterpretation leads to wrong pronunciation or intonation in the spoken content. Wrong pronunciation and intonation cause misunderstandings of the content and lead to a bad user experience.
- Pronunciation of Abbreviations: TTS systems sometimes do not consistently articulate abbreviations in content. This inconsistency leads to confusion. Users, thus, are not able to follow the spoken content properly.
What are the Challenges of Text-to-Audio Technology?
The challenges of text-to-audio technology are listed below.
- Voice Quality: TTS struggles to achieve high-quality and natural-sounding voices. TTS voices sound robotic and they lack expressiveness in some cases. Lack of expression leads to a bad user experience due to the misinterpretations.
- Emotional Expression: TTS technology struggles to convey emotional nuances effectively. TTS sometimes do not infuse emotion into synthetic voices. This issue reduces user engagement with the spoken content.
- Multilingual Support: TTS technology faces challenges in switching between languages within a single text. Languages have different syntax and semantics. TTS services, thus, do not pronounce a foreign word in a text although they provide multilingual support.
- Continuity and Flow: TTS systems struggle with maintaining a consistent voice and tone throughout lengthy and complex texts. This disturbance causes a bad user experience and comprehension.
- Accurate Phrasing: TTS systems face challenges in getting the correct phrasing, intonation, and rhythm in spoken language. These challenges decrease the naturalness of speech. Users struggle with comprehending the speech.
How Does Text-to-Audio Translation Improve Text Transfer across Platforms?
Text-to-audio translation improves text transfer across platforms in terms of platform integration, standardized interfaces, and cloud-based solutions. TTS technology is compatible with the software of the specific platform. This integration takes several forms depending on the platform’s requirements.
Mobile apps incorporate TTS through platform-specific APIs. Desktop applications include built-in TTS features for text transfer. Desktop applications include word processors, e-book readers, and productivity software.
TTS employs standardized interfaces and protocols to ensure cross-platform compatibility. Web standards help developers implement TTS consistently across different platforms. The web standards include Web Speech API and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications). Mobile platforms like iOS and Android provide TTS APIs and services to integrate TTS to the apps.
Some TTS services are cloud-based. Cloud-based TTS means the TTS processing occurs on remote servers rather than locally on the device or platform. Being cloud-based facilitates consistent TTS functionality across devices and platforms. Cloud-based TTS services require a consistent internet connection.
How Long Does It Take to Translate Text to Voice?
The time it takes to translate text to voice depends on the length of the text, the complexity of the text, the TTS engine, and the internet connection.
The length of the text is one of the most significant factors influencing the time required for TTS conversion. Short texts take less time for converting. Longer texts, however, take more time.
The complexity of the text also impacts the processing time. Simple and straightforward texts with standard vocabulary and grammar are faster while complex or technical content takes more time.
The TTS engine affects the processing speed. High-quality TTS engines process text more quickly compared to less advanced engines.
The speed of the internet connection impacts the time it takes to translate text to voice for cloud-based TTS services. Slower internet connections lead to latency.
What is the Best Software to Convert Text to Audio?
The 5 best software to convert text to audio are listed below.
- Speaktor
- Amazon Polly
- Google Text-to-Speech
- Microsoft Azure Text to Speech
- ReadSpeaker
Speaktor is a TTS tool that scans words from web pages and books to read them aloud. Speaktor, best text to speech software , turns written content into professional-quality audio content. Speaktor has multiple natural-sounding virtual speakers.
Amazon Polly is a cloud-based TTS service. It offers realistic voices and easy integration into various platforms. Amazon Polly provides customization options and supports multiple languages.
Google Text-to-Speech is integrated into Android devices. It provides a variety of voices and languages. Google Text-to-Speech is useful for reading text aloud on Android smartphones and tablets.
Microsoft Azure Text to Speech is a TTS service with high-quality voices. It provides high-quality language support and customization options. Microsoft Azure Text to Speech is suitable for various applications and voice assistants.
ReadSpeaker is a cloud-based TTS service. People use ReadSpeaker for web accessibility, e-learning, and content reading. It provides natural-sounding voices and customization features.
What is the Best Free Software to Convert Text to Audio?
The 2 best free software to convert text to audio are listed below.
- Google Text-to-Speech
- VoiceOver
Google Text-to-Speech is designed for Android smartphones and tablets. Android device users use Google Text-to-Speech for free. It provides a range of voices and languages.
VoiceOver is an integrated screen reader in Apple devices. It provides TTS features for macOS and iOS devices. VoiceOver is free for Apple users. It provides accessibility support for users with visual impairments.
