Business generalizations are difficult to make. Every business is distinct. Every niche, market, and age has its unique set of problems. Yet, one proposition holds true across industries: businesses must engage their audiences and develop impactful content.

To do so they need to explore new ways and adopt new technologies. One such way is by using AI text-to-speech technology, which can help businesses produce human-like voiceovers for various purposes, from customer service calls to eLearning courses.

In this article, we'll discuss the dos and don'ts of using AI text-to-speech for your business, the benefits and risks associated with using it inappropriately and share some of the best AI text-to-speech tools.

So, let's dive in!

The Benefits of AI Text-to-Speech for Your Business

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology was initially developed to remove accessibility barriers, and this remains its primary purpose. Now TTS enables people with disabilities, non-native language speakers, and older adults who may struggle with complex user interfaces to access information.

However, the benefits of TTS go beyond mere compliance with regulations or ethical considerations. Voice technology can also help businesses grow their customer base, and TTS can enable access for more users than one might expect.

In the United States alone, over a quarter of adults have a disability, while the number of people aged over 65 has increased by more than a third between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, the percentage of those who speak a language other than English at home has grown by more than 50% since 2000.

Failing to consider these populations means limiting your market to a small fraction of its potential size. Furthermore, TTS can introduce content to entirely new audiences, expanding the possibilities for engagement and accessibility.

Considering these factors, here are some of the key advantages of using AI TTS for your business:

  • Improved Accessibility: AI text-to-speech can help make your content accessible to a wider range of people, including those with visual impairments or reading difficulties. By converting your text into spoken words, you can ensure that everyone can consume your content regardless of their reading ability.
  • Cost Savings: TTS technology can save your business time and money by automating the process of creating audio content. Instead of hiring voice actors or recording audio yourself, you can use TTS to generate high-quality audio content quickly and at a lower cost.
  • Multilingual Capabilities: AI text-to-speech can easily translate your written content into different languages, making it possible to reach a global audience without the need for expensive translation services. This can be especially beneficial for businesses that operate in multiple countries or that have a diverse customer base.
  • Consistency and Branding: TTS technology can ensure that your audio content is consistent in terms of tone, pronunciation, and style. This helps to reinforce your brand and ensures that your messaging is delivered consistently across all channels.
  • Scalability: As your business grows, so does the demand for content. TTS technology can help you scale your audio content production quickly and easily, allowing you to meet the needs of your expanding audience. 

Read more: Introduction to AI in the Helpdesk Software Industry

The Dos of Using AI Text-to-Speech for Your Business

 Text-to-speech (TTS) technology has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It can help businesses automate certain tasks, provide a more personalized customer experience, and even improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

However, there are certain dos and don'ts that businesses should be aware of when using AI text-to-speech. In this section, we will focus on the dos of using AI text-to-speech for your business.

Best practices for implementing AI text-to-speech in your business

Implementing AI text-to-speech (TTS) in your business can bring many benefits, but it's essential to follow best practices to ensure successful implementation. Here are some of the best practices for implementing AI Text-to-Speech in your business:

  • Choose the right Text-to-Speech provider: Research different Text-to-Speech providers and choose the one that aligns with your business needs, such as pricing, quality, and language support.
  • Determine the purpose and scope of Text-to-Speech: Define the purpose of using Text-to-Speech in your business, such as for marketing or customer service, and determine the scope of usage, such as the type and amount of content to be converted to audio.
  • Ensure high-quality content: To generate high-quality audio output, the input text needs to be well-written and formatted correctly. Make sure to proofread and edit content before converting it to audio.
  • Personalize the audio output: Personalizing the audio output to the user's preferences can improve the user experience. For example, offering different voice options or adjusting the speed of the audio.
  • Test and optimize: Test the Text-to-Speech output with a small group of users before implementing it on a larger scale. Optimize the Text-to-Speech output based on user feedback and data.
  • Consider legal and ethical implications: Be aware of legal and ethical implications when using Text-to-Speech, such as copyright infringement and bias in language models.
  • Monitor and maintain: Continuously monitor and maintain the Text-to-Speech system to ensure that it's functioning correctly and meeting business goals.
  • Consider multilingual Text-to-Speech: If you have a global customer base, consider using multilingual TTS to provide a more personalized experience for customers who speak different languages.

Tips for improving the quality of AI text-to-speech audio

Improving the quality of AI text-to-speech (TTS) audio can greatly enhance the listening experience for your audience. But remember that they’re still not without flaws.

Here are some tips for improving the quality of your AI TTS audio so that sounding more human-like:

  • Choose the right voice: The quality of your TTS audio can be greatly improved by selecting the right voice. Choose a voice that suits your brand image and is easy to understand.
  • Adjust the speed: The speed of TTS audio can affect its clarity. Adjust the speed to make sure that the audio is clear and easy to understand.
  • Customize pronunciation: TTS technology may mispronounce certain words or names. Customize the pronunciation to ensure that the audio sounds natural and professional.
  • Use natural pauses: Adding natural pauses between sentences and phrases can help make the TTS audio sound more natural and improve its overall quality.
  • Check for errors: Always double-check the TTS audio for errors, such as mispronunciations or misinterpretations. Correct any errors to ensure the audio is accurate and professional.
  • Add intonation and emphasis: TTS technology can sound robotic without intonation and emphasis. Use TTS tools that can add intonation and emphasis to the audio, making it sound more natural.

Strategies for customizing AI text-to-speech voices for your brand

Customizing AI text-to-speech (TTS) voices for your brand can be an effective way to enhance your brand recognition and establish a unique brand voice.

Here are some strategies to consider:

  • Determine your brand voice: Before customizing your TTS voice, you need to determine your brand's voice. Is your brand voice formal or casual, friendly or authoritative, youthful or mature? This will help you choose the appropriate tone and style for your TTS voice.
  • Select the right TTS technology: There are different TTS technologies available, each with its pros and cons. Choose the one that suits your brand voice, budget, and goals. Some options include neural TTS, concatenative TTS, and parametric TTS.
  • Create a custom voice: Creating a custom voice involves recording hours of voice samples from a professional voice actor and then using deep learning algorithms to synthesize a unique TTS voice. This is a time-consuming and expensive process, but it can give you complete control over your brand voice.
  • Customize an existing voice: Another option is to customize an existing TTS voice. This involves modifying the voice's pitch, tone, and speed to match your brand voice. This option is more cost-effective and less time-consuming than creating a custom voice.
  • Test and refine: After customizing your TTS voice, it's important to test it with your target audience and gather feedback. Use this feedback to refine your voice and make sure it aligns with your brand voice and goals.
  • Integrate into your brand: Once you have a customized TTS voice that aligns with your brand voice, it's important to integrate it into your brand's marketing and communication channels. Use it in videos, podcasts, phone systems, and other customer-facing touchpoints to create a consistent and memorable brand experience.

The Don'ts of Using AI Text-to-Speech for Your Business

AI text-to-speech technology is a blessing for businesses, while it's also important to be aware of the "don'ts" of using this technology to avoid any negative consequences.

In this section, we will explore some of the common mistakes to avoid when and risks associated when using AI text-to-speech for your business.

By avoiding these pitfalls, you can ensure that you are using this technology in a way that benefits your business without any negative impact.
Common mistakes to avoid when using AI text-to-speech in your business

When using AI text-to-speech (TTS) technology in your business, there are several common mistakes that you should avoid in order to ensure that you're using it effectively.

Here are some of the most important ones:

  • Using TTS as a substitute for human voiceovers: While TTS technology has advanced considerably, it's important to recognize that it still lacks the nuances and emotional depth of a human voice. Therefore, relying solely on TTS for important voiceover work, such as commercials or customer service recordings, may not be the best choice.
  • Overusing TTS: Too much TTS can make your content sound robotic and artificial, which can negatively impact your brand.
  • Choosing the wrong TTS platform: Choosing the wrong TTS platform can cost you unimaginable damage so it's important to choose the one that best suits your business needs.
  • Using a robotic-sounding voice: If you choose a voice that sounds too robotic, it can negatively impact the user experience and detract from the overall quality of your content.
  • Failing to consider accessibility for all users: Ensure that your TTS content is accessible to all users, including those with visual or hearing impairments.
  • Relying solely on TTS for branding and marketing efforts: A successful brand requires a human touch and emotional connection which TTS may not be able to provide.
  • Underestimating the importance of user experience: TTS technology can enhance user experience, but it's important to use it judiciously and make sure that it's adding value to your content. Neglecting user experience can lead to a negative impact on your brand and reputation.

Risks associated with using AI text-to-speech inappropriately

Imagine using a robotic voice to deliver your marketing message, or having your AI read a sensitive document aloud in public. Not only would this sound awkward and unprofessional, but it could also damage your company's reputation and relationships with customers.

AI text-to-speech (TTS) can be a valuable tool for businesses, but using it inappropriately can pose some risks. Here are some of the things you should keep in mind:

  • Sounding like a robot: Using TTS too much or choosing a robotic-sounding voice can make your content sound less engaging and less human. This can negatively impact your brand and drive away potential customers.
  • Mispronouncing words: Even the best TTS technology can mispronounce words, and this can be embarrassing or confusing for your audience. It's important to monitor your TTS output closely and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that it's conveying your message accurately.
  • Insulting your audience: Some TTS platforms use pre-written scripts that can include offensive or inappropriate language. Using these scripts without checking them can alienate your audience and damage your brand.
  • Legal issues: If you're using TTS to read copyrighted material without permission, you could face legal issues. It's important to ensure that you have the necessary rights and permissions before using TTS technology for commercial purposes.
  • Accessibility: While TTS technology can be a powerful tool for accessibility, it's important to ensure that your TTS content is accessible to all users, including those with visual or hearing impairments. Neglecting accessibility can lead to a negative impact on your brand and reputation.

How to Choose the Right AI Text-to-Speech Tool for Your Business

Looking for the right AI text-to-speech tool for your business can be a daunting task, as there are so many options available. In this section, we'll explore some factors to consider when selecting an AI text-to-speech tool, so you can make an informed decision and provide a list of AI Text-to-Speech tools that meets your specific needs and fits within your budget.

Factors to consider when selecting an AI text-to-speech tool

When selecting an AI text-to-speech (TTS) tool for your business, there are several important factors to consider. Here are a few:

  • Consider your business needs: Different TTS tools have different features and functionalities, so it's important to choose one that aligns with your business needs. Do you need a tool that can support multiple languages? Do you need a tool that can integrate with your existing software? Make a list of your requirements and use it to guide your search.
  • Test out the voices: The voice that your TTS tool uses can make a big difference in the user experience. Make sure to test out the available voices to find one that sounds natural and engaging. Don't be afraid to have a little fun and test out some silly voices too!
  • Language support: Depending on your business needs, you may require TTS support for multiple languages. Make sure that the tool you choose supports the languages that you need.
  • Check the pricing: TTS tools can vary in price. Make sure to check the pricing structure to ensure that it fits within your budget also check if there are any additional costs, such as customization or support fees.
  • Look for customization options: Customizing the voice or the pronunciation of certain words can make a big difference in the overall quality of your content. Look for TTS tools that offer customization options so you can tailor the output to your specific needs.
  • Read reviews and ratings: Before committing to a TTS tool, make sure to read reviews and ratings from other users. This can give you insight into the tool's strengths and weaknesses, as well as its overall user experience.

Top AI text-to-speech tools available for businesses

There's a diverse range of tools available for businesses looking to utilize AI text-to-speech. From free options to those with a fee these tools offer a variety of features, such as personalized voices, voice cloning, audio analytics, the ability to convey human emotions with every voice, and a selection of over 150 voices in 30+ different languages among others.

But which one is the best? Let me tell you about a few cool AI text-to-speech tools that you might find useful!

Listnr

With Listnr, you can convert text into natural-sounding voice content using a library of more than 270 AI voices. Plus, it offers podcasting tools like recording, editing, and analytics. You can even embed audio player widgets into your website to reach new audiences.

Features:

  • Around 600 AI voices are available in this lifelike AI voice generator
  • Online generation of realistic text-to-speech voiceovers Text-to-audio conversion and MP3 export
  • The capacity for podcasters and media businesses to record remote interviews in studio quality, resulting in 4k video material and WAV audio
  • Radio, podcasts, music, and news for Aussies that are curated and customized
  • It includes an audio embedding function that makes it ideal for converting text to audio

Pros:

  • Provides a diverse selection of dialects and voices
  • The audio quality obtained is good and free of distortion; it makes content accessible to persons who cannot read.
  • It can transform practically any text, article, or document to speech

Cons:

  • The resulting speech may sound emotionless because it is nearly impossible to convey human emotions through recordings.

Pricing:

Listnr offers a free plan that allows up to 1000 word conversions per month. After that, the Solo plan costs $39/month, while other subsequent plans cost $59/month and $199/month.

Murf

If you're looking to create human-like voiceovers quickly and easily, Murf is the way to go. It's perfect for making voiceovers for eLearning, product demos, explainers, podcasts, and presentations. Murf also offers real-time analysis of video content to help you get the most out of your videos.

Features:

  • More than 120 distinct voices are available, and more than 20 languages are supported
  • Text-based audio editing with trainable artificial intelligence pitch control
  • Adjusting options for both the Volume and the Pace
  • Control for Preventing Text from Being Spoken

Pros:

  • Offers competitive pricing for business users
  • The use of a two-factor authentication system provides a high level of data security
  • You will have the ability to synchronize your videos with the narration provided by your AI

Cons:

  • $19 is pricey for casual users
  • The free plan is extremely limited (only 10 minutes!)

Pricing:

Starting from $9.00 for a one-time license. A free trial is available without requiring credit card information.

Fliki

Fliki is a leading provider of high-quality AI voices in a variety of languages. With Fliki, you can convert your blog articles or any text-based content into videos, podcasts, or audiobooks with voiceovers in just a few clicks. It offers more than 900 voices in 75 different languages, so you can find the perfect voice for your needs. And best of all, you can do it all in less than a minute.

Features:

  • Produce up to 10,000 words every month
  • Using AI, create a lifelike voiceover
  • Produce and host podcasts and audiobooks
  • Make text-based videos (without watermark)
  • You may listen to 700+ voices, 65+ languages, and 100+ dialects
  • Commercial licenses
  • Access to a high-end community

Pros:

  • Dozens of Male and Female Voices
  • Most Natural Sounding AI Voices
  • Built-in Video Creator
  • Video Maker Convert Blogs to Videos and Podcasts in Seconds Pronunciation, Speech Rate, and Pitch Editor

Cons:

  • Word Credit Limits Appear to Be Low
  • Not Every Voice Is Excellent

Pricing:

Fliki offers a free plan with 5 minutes of audio and video content per month, as well as a Basic plan for $8/month that includes 120 minutes of audio creation. There are also other pricing plans available.

Final thoughts on using AI text-to-speech for your business

AI text-to-speech technology has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses create and distribute content. It offers so many benefits, but there are also risks and pitfalls to be aware of.

In the end, finding the right balance between AI and human voices is key.

With the right strategy and approach, you can use AI text-to-speech to enhance your business and provide your audience with high-quality, engaging content that they'll love.