Are you looking to turn your written content into natural-sounding audio for business use?
We’ve noticed more businesses are asking about AI text to speech (TTS) solutions lately. This is because these AI tools have advanced over the past couple of years and are delivering real world value.
Today's text to speech platforms offer up to 900 different AI voices speaking 142 languages and accents, which is pretty impressive. But here's the thing - finding the right tool for your specific needs can take a bit of time and effort.
Some businesses want to create engaging marketing content, others need help with multilingual communications. So, whatever your needs, this article should help to point you in the right direction and help speed up the time it takes you to find the right AI speech to text platform.
What Can AI Text to Speech Really Do for Your Business?
Interestingly enough AI TTS isn't just about turning words into sound anymore. We’ve watched businesses use these tools in ways - here are a few use cases.
Make Your Marketing Reach Everyone
Adding audio versions of your content can boost engagement by up to 30%. It's not just about accessibility regulations (though that's important too). Some people simply prefer listening to reading - and now you can reach them all.
Customer Service That Never Sleeps
Here's a number that caught my attention: businesses using AI voice systems for customer service cut their communication costs by 50%. These systems handle calls 24/7, routing questions to the right department without adding staff. The voices sound so natural now, customers often can't tell they're talking to AI.
Turn Training Into Easy Listening
Training documents can be pretty lengthy and take huge amounts of time to read and digest. Now you can generate audio files that employees can listen to while doing other tasks and as a result companies see 7x higher engagement with audio training materials.
Speak Multiple Languages
You don't need voice actors for 100+ languages anymore. Text to speech handles that for you, keeping your brand voice consistent everywhere. For global companies, this is huge. Think about the cost savings on localization alone.
Product Demos That Don't Break the Bank
Here's something that surprised me: companies save up to 70% using AI voices instead of professional voice actors for product demos. The quality stays consistent across all videos, and you can update them anytime without booking studio time.
Keep Everyone in the Loop
We’ve seen companies transform their internal communications with text to speech. It works especially well for:
- The audio learners on your team
- Busy folks who can't stop to read
- Multi-taskers (we all know some!)
Teams using audio for internal updates report better information retention and engagement. Plus, everyone gets the same message, exactly as intended, no matter where they are.
The possibilities keep growing... Every month we discover new ways businesses are using these tools. From emotional AI voices to personalized communications, we're just scratching the surface of what's possible.
The Best Text to Speech Tools for Your Business
Let's look at what's actually available in the text-to-speech market.
Paid Text to Speech Solutions
Here are 8 paid text-to-speech AI tools that are excellent for small businesses:
- Murf.ai
Main Features: Studio-quality voices with emotion control, 120+ voices across 20+ languages, background music options, collaborative workspace, voice customization
Main Benefits: Professional-sounding narration without hiring voice actors, consistent brand voice across content, time savings on content production, multi-language support for global audiences
- Speechify
Main Features: Natural-sounding voices, adjustable speaking rates, voice cloning capability, cross-platform functionality, document format support (PDF, Word, etc.)
Main Benefits: Creates accessible content for wider audiences, converts written materials to audio formats quickly, helps repurpose existing content for audio platforms, improves content consumption flexibility
- PlayHT
Main Features: High-definition AI voices, voice cloning technology, real-time voice generation, API access, SSML support for voice customization
Main Benefits: Maintains consistent brand voice across all content, reduces production time for audio content, scalable solution for growing content needs, professional results without recording equipment
- WellSaid Labs
Main Features: Ultra-realistic AI voices, custom voice creation, enterprise-grade security, commercial licensing for all content, collaborative project management
Main Benefits: Creates broadcast-quality voiceovers quickly, streamlines content production workflow, ensures consistent voice quality across projects, reduces dependency on recording studios
- Typecast
Main Features: Realistic emotional expression, simple user interface, voice style customization, project organization tools, batch processing
Main Benefits: Creates engaging content with appropriate emotional tone, easy to use without technical expertise, helps create consistent brand voice, quick turnaround for audio content needs
- Replica Studios
Main Features: Voice cloning technology, emotional range controls, specialized for narrative content, integration with creative software, real-time voice generation
Main Benefits: Creates dynamic characters for games and interactive content, produces professional narrative experiences, offers voices optimized for entertainment, streamlines animation and game development workflows
- Listnr
Main Features: 900+ AI voices across 142+ languages, voice customization tools, audio editing capabilities, commercial usage rights, API access
Extensive language support for global content, intuitive platform for non-technical users, quick generation of professional audio, simplified content localization
- Resemble AI
Main Features: Custom AI voice cloning, emotional tone control, API access for developers, accent management, conversational voice capabilities
Main Benefits: Creates personalized customer experiences, maintains consistent brand voice, enables interactive voice applications, supports complex voice workflows for applications
Free Text to Speech Solutions
We’ve also included 5 free text-to-speech tools you can use…..But as you can expect they do come with certain limitations.
- Microsoft's Speech Service - Part of Azure Cognitive Services but has a free tier with 5 hours of speech per month. Available in multiple languages with natural-sounding voices.
- Amazon Polly Free Tier - Offers 5 million characters per month for the first 12 months. Features high-quality voices and supports SSML for voice customization.
- Google Text-to-Speech - Available through Google Cloud with a free monthly quota. Offers natural-sounding voices and works in multiple languages.
- NaturalReader Free Version - Web-based and desktop application with a free tier. Good for converting documents and web pages to speech.
- Balabolka - Completely free, open-source desktop application. Works offline and supports various text formats including DOC, PDF, and EPUB.
Most of these services offer more features in their paid versions, but their free tiers are sufficient for basic text-to-speech needs.
Picking the Right Text to Speech Tool
Here are some of the key considerations in selecting the right AI TTS Tool
Voice Quality That Matters
Here's something that caught my attention: voices with natural sound get 89% positive ratings from users. Makes sense, right? When picking your tool, watch for:
- Clear Speech: The voice needs to handle tough words in your industry without stumbling
- Feeling in the Voice: The best tools hit 84% natural ratings when showing emotion
- Smooth Flow: Just like we talk... with natural pauses and rhythm
The tech keeps getting better. The top tools now score 4.2 out of 5 in quality tests. But remember, what works for one business might not work for another.
Money Talk
Let's break down what you might spend...
- Monthly plans: from approx. USD $19.00 to USD $99.00 for regular business use
- Pay-as-you-go: Only pay for what you actually use
- Big business plans: Custom pricing based on size
Some businesses love pay-as-you-go for its flexibility. Others prefer knowing exactly what they'll spend each month. Most tools let you try before you buy - smart move if you ask me.
Where Text to Speech is Headed
The numbers don't lie... text to speech is booming. We're looking at growth from USD 4 billion in 2024 to USD 7.6 billion by 2029.
But what does this really mean for your business?.....well it means that your competitors are probably using it or will probably consider using AI TTS tools in the near future. So you will need to research this area to keep or gain competitive advantage in your market segment.
Where The Industry's Going
Like other software technologies, everything is moving to cloud-based solutions, for the following reasons.
- Business want scalability without the OPEX (Scale up or down whenever you need)
- Save money on setup and running costs
- Updates happen automatically
- Deploy however you want
- Efficient use of resources
The market's leaning heavily toward neural and custom voices. Businesses love them because they:
- Sound incredibly natural and show emotion
- Match their brand voice perfectly
- Keep users more engaged
But there are some bumps that still need to be navigated around
- Getting the speech to sound just right
- Keeping cloud data private
- Staying safe from cyber threats
- Using voice tech ethically
Wrapping Up...
You know what amazes me about text to speech? It's not just the fancy tech - it's how quickly businesses are jumping on board. The numbers tell the story: USD 4 billion in 2024 growing to USD 7.6 billion by 2029. That's some serious growth.
Here's what I've learned about getting started... You don't need to go all-in right away. Start with a tool like the ones above, pay a small monthly subscription, see how it works for your business.
When you're ready, scale up. The key? Match the tool to what you actually need - voice quality, budget, tech specs.
If you need some advice, complete this contact form lets us know what help you would like and we would be happy to help you find the right AI TTS software for your business application.
FAQs
What are the benefits of using AI text-to-speech tools for businesses?
AI text-to-speech tools offer numerous benefits, including creating accessible marketing content, automating customer service, transforming training materials into audio formats, enabling multilingual communication, and adding professional voiceovers to product demonstrations. These tools can increase engagement, reduce costs, and improve efficiency across various business operations.
How much can businesses save by using AI voices instead of professional voice actors?
Businesses can save up to 70% on costs by using AI voices compared to hiring professional voice talent. This significant cost reduction makes it more affordable for companies to create high-quality audio content for various purposes.
What should businesses consider when choosing a text-to-speech tool?
When selecting a text-to-speech tool, businesses should consider voice quality needs (clarity, emotional range, and naturalness), budget constraints (subscription models or pay-per-use options), and technical requirements (hardware specifications, integration capabilities, and security features). It's important to align these factors with specific business needs and use cases.
How many languages do modern text-to-speech platforms support?
Leading text-to-speech platforms now offer support for up to 142 languages and accents. Some advanced solutions provide over 900 AI voices, enabling businesses to create multilingual content efficiently without the need for separate voice actors for each language.
What are the emerging trends in text-to-speech technology for businesses?
Emerging trends in text-to-speech technology include advancements in neural text-to-speech for more natural-sounding voices, increased adoption of cloud-based deployments for scalability and cost-effectiveness, and integration with other technologies such as robotics and autonomous vehicles. The technology is also expanding in sectors like healthcare, gaming, and customer service, offering improved user experiences and operational efficiencies.
Which areas of a Business AI TTS Tools the most?
In our experience it is the Sales & marketing departments as well as customer service, HR/training
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