Without a doubt, the AI world has taken the world by storm – allowing faster project completion and improved automation processes. While many software are available to be used by the public, free text-to-speech software can be particularly problematic and often frustrating.
What is a free text to speech
Software that allows users to convert written text into speech free of charge is considered free text-to-speech software. This software either offers some features for free and charges a price for the premium features, or is entirely free to use.
The problem with free text to speech
While free text-to-speech is a handy tool for content creators – especially those in the early stages of their journey with limited budgets – it can often cause more harm than benefit.
Currently, two major types of text-to-speech services are commonly offered:
- Free text-to-speech platforms
- One-time payment plans
1. Free text-to-speech programs
Uberduck, FakeYou, and Natural Readers are some examples of free text-to-speech programs that allow users to access some of the platform’s features for free.
While it’s completely free to use these platforms, the problem lies in the quality of the content. These platforms often rely on user-generated models that do not go through an elaborate quality assurance process.
Using these platforms may provide you with the bare minimum that is required but if you are expecting high-quality work, these platforms may not be for you.
Uberduck
Uberduck for example, allows you to choose from a variety of voices e.g. Nintendo, Need for Speed, Peanuts, Paprika, and more. You can also choose various other voice synthesis combinations.
However, the output may create different pronunciations of the same word or text. A glaring robotic effect is also noticed in their speech. These discrepancies may be overlooked in the creation of short-term or beginner-friendly content, but may not be effective for long-term content production.
FakeYou
FakeYou text to speech features a vast library of voices – with over 200 diverse free voice actors to choose from, including Spongebob, Spiderman, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama.
The platform provides a text box where you can type in your text and synthesize it. The output is often lagged and any additional changes you make to the text are created as a new audio clip – this can be an impediment in your work, especially if you have to make a minor typo or error in your text.
While there is no denying the ease and accessibility that the free text-to-speech generators offer, they may not work for everyone’s needs. Hardcore gamers, YouTubers, and small business owners who require sophisticated software that can produce high-quality content may be disappointed in the free versions of such software.
However, if you are a newbie to content creation, or are simply an AI enthusiast, dabbing into such free software is a perfect way to get started.
You can explore various tools and conduct a detailed analysis – listing the pros and cons of each tool. You can also play around with different voices and variations to see what suits your needs the best.
2. One time payment
Another big problem with text-to-speech software is the one-time payment plans that some of the companies offer. Companies such as Speechelo and Natural Reader may start with a free trial and push customers to purchase a one-time payment plan that allows them to use the software limitlessly.
However, the problem lies in the deceptive marketing practices that attract customers through a one-time payment plan but don’t provide all the necessary features. To access these features, the customer is pushed to a pro plan that requires more money.
Speechelo typically offers a discounted one-time price with a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee. The website lists the large variety of voices and features it offers for natural-sounding voice creation.
However, once you purchase the plan, you realize that the subscription is quite limited and doesn’t provide access to all of the features.
Additionally, while the platform offers a variety of voices in over twenty different languages, the speech synthesis is often robotic, making it unusable for content creation.
Natural Reader is another text-to-speech software that can convert text, Word, RTF, and other document types into audio files. The software offers different plans for individual, educational, and commercial usage.
After purchasing the plan, customers often complain of facing difficulty in canceling their subscriptions. Some subscriptions are also automatically renewed without the user’s consent.
Text-to-speech online free unlimited software
While software that offers free trials are numerous, there are a few other that offer unlimited text-to-speech capabilities. TTSReader is a free online text-to-speech unlimited software that offers speech synthesis in multiple languages and accents. The platform is easy to use and requires no downloading or signing up.
Another similar software is SEO Magnifier – a free and unlimited text-to-speech tool. It is great for beginners and offers support for people with visual impairments. You can convert large amounts of text into mp3 files.
While unlimited free online text-to-speech software is easy and accessible to use, it doesn’t offer different speech styles or variations. The platforms are built on a very basic model that is designed to fulfill extremely basic text-to-speech needs.
If you are looking for a more sophisticated platform with a large number of flexible features, check out Typecast – a text-to-speech platform that offers a range of voices including anime, children, virtual humans, and more.
The platform offers human-sounding voices that can be adjusted for pitch, intonation, and speed. You can also add pauses where needed in your audio. The user interface is friendly, fast, and easy to use.
