Software6 Best AI Voice Generators (Text-to-Speech) for 2024

6 Best AI Voice Generators (Text-to-Speech) for 2024

Voiceovers are vital for many businesses, as they can convey key messages and emotions to the audience. Unsurprisingly, they are integral to various types of content, including podcasts, audio/video ads, corporate training videos, online courses, games, and animations.

Without voiceovers, such content would not be engaging to the crowd. For instance, I don’t think anyone would be interested in a video course with no voices or a video game with no narration at all.

However, creating good voiceovers is not cheap. Though you can technically create one on your own, you would need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the proper recording gear, not to mention hours of your valuable time in the creation process.

Despite such a high investment, your self-made voiceovers might still be poor in quality. Unsurprisingly, many turn to freelance or professional voice actors.

Hiring voice actors is also not the best long-term solution, as the service fees are costly ($300 to $1500 for a 5-minute voice-over narration). The expenses could be much higher if you hire experienced voice actors who work in the news and entertainment industry.

Once Artificial intelligence (AI) enters the world of voice-based technologies, things have changed rapidly.

As of 2023, numerous voice generators implementing the latest AI technology can create synthetic voices at a much cheaper cost. Such artificial voices are close to 100% human-like.

You can then use them freely in any video or podcast, as you have full commercial rights to the voiceovers (except for some tools’ free or basic plans). Thus, you don’t need to worry about copyright infringement at all.

Nevertheless, based on my experience, not all AI voice generators are worth using. Some still produce low-quality synthetic voices that are unnatural and monotone. I have seen some online course instructors use them and end up receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews.

Thus, such low-quality tools are useless. You should not use them in your projects at all. Instead, you should be very careful in choosing the right tool.

I decided to do the heavy lifting for you. This article will look into the best AI voice generators that are worth using. I will also navigate its pros and cons to help you decide which one you should use in your videos or audios.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post from Victory Tale contains affiliate links. If you subscribe to the software through them, we will receive a small commission from its providers.

Nevertheless, we always value integrity and prioritize our audience’s interests. You can then rest assured that we will present each voice generator truthfully.

Things You Should Know about AI Voice Overs

Drawbacks

AI voice generators have improved significantly during recent years as machine learning and deep learning technologies advance. Hence, synthetic voices have become much more natural up to the level that it is nearly impossible to distinguish from authentic human voices in most cases.

Despite significant advancement, AI or computer-generated voice is still no match to a well-experienced human voice actor, especially when you demand a specific tone of voice (anger, sadness, etc.) that manifests human emotions.

Furthermore, the voices you use will not be exclusive to your brand. Some spectators may even find the voices boring or repetitive.

This is because most AI voice generators have only a few hundred of stock voices, while tens of thousands of businesses (even many more in the future) are using them.

If you want customers to think of your brand immediately when they hear the voices (i.e., from video ads or TV commercials), AI voice generators may not be optimal for your campaigns.

Criteria

Below are my criteria for the best AI voice generators

  • Natural/human-like voices + Multiple voices are available.
  • Effortless to use
  • User-friendly text-to-speech tool
  • Customizable
  • Excellent value for money + Affordable for SMBs
  • Support various languages (both European and non-European)
  • Equipped with various features to enhance voiceover quality
  • API access is a big plus

Lifetime AI Voice Generators?

You may have seen some providers advertise their AI voice generators through Facebook ads. They aim to sell lifetime access to the software at a ridiculously cheap price ($40-$80). You might be curious whether those are scams.

From what I have seen, those are NOT scams. However, this does not mean you should purchase their products. The reason is that the providers have imposed several restrictions on the usage, which is why the lifetime deal is viable in the first place.

Such restrictions include but are not limited to

  • Few voice actors/voice skins to select from (20-30 vs. 150+) + No situational voice skins
  • Barely customizable
  • Low number of characters allowed in each voiceover
  • No advanced features such as voice cloning
  • No customer support
  • No update + No Quality Control

These restrictions curb the capability of AI voice generators significantly. You will find them less helpful.

Furthermore, the quality of the voiceovers might also be too low for proper usage in your podcasts or videos. Hence, you might end up looking for a new AI voice generator sooner or later. The lifetime access to such tools would become useless.

Hence, I suggest avoiding those lifetime deals and focusing on AI voice generators that will work exceptionally in the long run.

1. Murf.ai

Murf.ai or Murf is an AI software company that specializes in voice synthesis technology. You can use the platform to generate realistic voiceovers for many tasks, including e-learning, corporate presentations, gaming, and many more.

Murf.ai is unarguably the best AI voice generator

Key Features

Unlike some crude AI tools, Murf provides all its users with its comprehensive AI voice-over studio, including a built-in video editor. You can then create a video with an exceptional voiceover from this web platform.

The platform is easy to use and navigate. I found all of its features self-explanatory. I don’t need to read guides to use them effectively.

Murf's highly regarded platform

Below are some of the key features available on the platform.

Voice Selections – Murf has more than 100 AI voices from 15 languages for its users to choose from. You can freely select the one you want to use according to your preferences on:

  • Speaker: Male or Female or Kids
  • Accents/Voice Styles: US, UK, Australia, Canada, India (English only), Chinese (Simplified, Cantonese, Taiwanese), French (France, Canada)
  • Tone or Purpose: Cheerful, Empathetic, Newscast, Customer Service, etc.

Based on my observation, the voices are highly realistic and natural-sounding. I don’t think I can differentiate them from human voices at all.

Picking a voice for an artificial voice generator
Picking a voice

The next step is to add your text or script for AI to generate the voices. For video makers, you can also add assets (videos, music, audio files) to the platform to build and edit a video with perfect voiceovers without the need for third-party software.

Voice Changer – Suppose you want to record freestyle without a script and do not want to use your own voice as voiceovers since your accent is not perfect or your recording gear is not ready. This feature can come to the rescue.

With the Voice Changer, you can record your voice, and Murf will swap it with a professional AI voice with no background noise or disruptions.

Complete Customization – You can fully customize the voiceovers by adjusting their pitch, speed, and volume, adding pauses and emphasis, and changing pronunciation.

Customizing your voiceover

Voice Editing – Traditionally, editing voice is a tedious process, but that is not an issue with Murf. This is because Murf will transform your recorded voice into readable text blocks (similar to automatic transcription). You can then edit the voice as though you are editing the text.

Once the editing process is completed, your voiceover will be adjusted to the changes automatically.

Furthermore, you can mix your voice with AI voiceovers. For example, you can have an AI cheerful voice at the beginning of training videos or podcasts to greet viewers before you take over.

YouTube/Vimeo Imports – You can import videos from popular video platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo to transcribe or edit.

Time Syncing – You can create a separate audio block for each scene or image to match the voiceover perfectly. The process is straightforward and easier to do than many audio/video editing platforms.

Grammar Assistant – Murf has a grammar assistant to help you solve grammatical mistakes. Alternatively, you can use AI grammar checkers on its web-based platform as well.

Pricing

Currently, Murf has three paid pricing plans as follows (all pricing is for yearly plans).

  • Basic – $13 per month
  • Pro -$26 per month
  • Enterprise – starting at $167 per month
new Murf.ai pricing

The Basic plan grants access to almost all features (except voice editing) along with full HD video quality. You can use 60 AI voices, generate 2-hour-long voiceovers per month, and upload videos as large as 200MB in size.

I think this plan is sufficient for most users. However, if you are an avid Youtuber or a podcaster, you should pay an extra $13 and subscribe to the Pro plan, which gives as many as 8 hours of voiceover generation per month, 400MB in video uploads, and 60 extra AI voices.

The Enterprise plan would add collaboration features, single sign-on, an account manager, and a customized voice generation limit. This plan would be optimal for marketing agencies and enterprises that want a comprehensive voiceover suite.

If you are still unsure whether Murf is the right tool for you, you can log in with Google or Facebook to create up to 10 minutes of voiceovers for free. Alternatively, you can pay $9 one-time to access all the Basic plan features and generate up to 30 minutes of voiceovers.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Best AI voice generator for videos
  • Provide a comprehensive voice over studio (video editor included)
  • User-friendly platform + Straightforward to use
  • High-quality, natural-sounding voice
  • 120 voiceovers from 19 languages
  • Complete customization of voiceovers
  • Support multiple voices in the same audio file
  • Voice Changer to record freestyle without worrying about scripts, accents, and recording gear
  • Voice editing feature to significantly smoothen the editing process
  • Full HD Video Export for all plans
  • Free account and a one-time plan to test the features
  • Affordable Pricing

Cons

  • Some reviewers believe developers should add more languages. Murf’s AI voices in the library are also much fewer than competitors.

2. Synthesys

Synthesys is unarguably an option that offers exceptional value for money. A single subscription grants access to a top-notch voice generator, AI video generator (with a presenter), and a robust video editor (background remover, faceswap tool, etc.)

Hence, the tool is optimal for YouTubers, content creators, and business owners who are always in need of fresh content.

Synthesys.io, best AI voiceover software

Key Features

Creating voiceovers with Synthesys is straightforward. You just need to select the right AI voice. Currently, there are 30 real human voices and 254 other synthetic voices in 66 languages to choose from.

However, I suggest sticking to the former, as its voice quality is far superior. You can click the link below to listen to the voice examples. I think they sound lifelike, natural, and professional.

Also, selecting the voice that suits your target audience is crucial. For example, you may want a soft and gentle voice for an audiobook or podcast.

This is not an issue as Synthesys provides numerous voices that serve different purposes, including advertising, corporate training, and storytelling.

The next step is to type or copy & paste your script. This process will take a while. You can download your voice once it is ready.

Pricing

Synthesys currently offers three pricing plans as follows:

  • Audio – $29 per month
  • Human Studio (Video) – $39 per month
  • Audio and Human Studio – $59 per month

The Audio plan only grants access to a voiceover generator. In other words, you can utilize the tool and its equipped voices. However, you cannot leverage a robust AI video creator.

This plan would be perfectly adequate for game developers, YouTubers, podcasters. However, suppose you want to create full-fledged training videos, guides, or tutorials. In that case, I suggest paying an extra $30 per month to use an AI presenter to offer a far more engaging experience for your audience.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • All-in-one software, offering three exceptional tools in a single subscription
  • Effortless to use
  • Offer various lifelike, natural voices tailored to specific uses
  • Unlimited generation for both voiceovers and videos
  • Support as many as 66 languages
  • API access is available upon request.
  • 3-day money-back guarantee
  • 100% web-based

Cons

  • No free trial
  • In some cases, the generation process takes more time to complete than other alternatives.

3. Play.ht

Play.ht is an AI voice generator and text-to-speech software. With a growing library of 570 AI voices in 60+ languages, you can handily find the right voice and create a natural-sounding speech in minutes.

Play.ht is a realistic AI voice generator

Key Features

Compared to Murf, Play.ht platform is harder to use. I was overwhelmed at the beginning when I first logged into the platform. However, Play.ht has a detailed video tutorial that helps me understand all the features in a few minutes.

Voice Generation – You can generate the voices by inputting your script by hand. Alternatively, if you want to use your website content as a script, you can fetch it directly from your website URL.

Typing in the script for an artificial voice generator
Typing in the script

Subsequently, you will select one of the AI voices from Play.ht’s massive library, which provides more voice collections than any other software could offer.

Currently, it has 570 AI voices from 60+ languages and 5 voice styles to select from, providing you with complete flexibility in finding the appropriate voice for your campaigns.

Play.ht's massive library of voices

I found out that the voices created in English and European languages are perfect. Unfortunately, those in other languages are not. This is because AI pronounces some advanced or slang words weirdly, while the accent is unnatural in some cases.

Customization – You can highlight the text to fully customize the voiceover. For example, you can add pauses and emphasis to make the voiceover more human-like.

You can also change the speed, tone, and pronunciation to better replicate real human voices in particular situations.

Multi-Voice – Like Murf, you can use different AI voices in a single voiceover, which will resemble a real human conversation.

Podcast Hosting – You can create an RSS feed of your audio files and distribute them through iTunes and Spotify within a few clicks.

Podcast Hosting
Creating RSS feed of your audio files

Integrations – Besides iTunes and Spotify, you can export your audio to your website through a WordPress plugin (for WordPress sites), Chrome Extension (for Medium), and a JavaScript snippet (for all other websites).

Audio Analytics – Play.ht will collect data on all audio. Thus, you can gain actionable insights from various metrics, including listeners, shares, downloads, and subscribers.

Though Play.ht has powerful voiceover and podcast features, the major drawback is that it does not have a built-in video maker like Murf.

Therefore, you need to download the audio file (in .mp3 or .wav) and use third-party software to add it to the video. Thus, I think Murf is a better choice if you want to create voiceovers for videos.

Pricing

Play.ht has four pricing plans (all pricing below is for monthly plans: annual plans are 25% cheaper.)

  • Free
  • Professional – $39 per month
  • Premium – $99 per month
  • Enterprise – Custom Pricing

The Professional plan provides access to all key features (commercial rights included.) You can create voiceovers of up to 50000 words per month, which is sufficient for most users.

If you need more words, you should subscribe to the Premium (200000 words per month) or the Enterprise plan.

Both will add team access and a pronunciation library, while the Business plan exclusively grants access to the unique voice clone feature.

If you are still unsure whether Play.ht is for you, selecting the free plan to try its key features is an excellent idea.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Unarguably one of the best AI voice generators for podcasters.
  • Offer one of the largest large voiceover libraries for users to find the right target voice.
  • Export audio recordings in various formats
  • Text-to-speech API Access
  • Integrate with WordPress via a plugin
  • Allow rebranding and reselling (Business plan only)

Cons

  • The voices created in other languages apart from English and European languages are not perfect.
  • No built-in video editor to help add voiceovers to videos.

4. Lovo.ai

Lovo.ai or Lovo is another powerful AI voice generator that you might want to consider. With its AI voiceover platform, you can generate excellent voiceovers for your projects within minutes.

Lovo.ai, one of the best AI voice generators

Key Features

Unlike Play.ht, the Lovo platform is effortless to use. I have zero trouble using it. All features are self-explanatory. You don’t even need a guide to understand how it works.

Lovo.ai workspace

Voice Skin – Currently, Lovo has more than 180 AI voice skins from 33 languages. You can handily search for the results to find the best one for your voiceovers.

The best part here is that besides age, gender, and accent, you can search by using scenarios (i.e., games, ads, e-learning) and characters (i.e., cheerful, informative, trustworthy). Thus, you can find the right type of voice skins much easier than on other platforms.

Lovo's Voice Skin

You can choose to type the script or upload the existing script file. However, each voiceover has a limit of 15000 characters. You will need to create another one if your project requires more.

I found the results to be flawless both in European and non-European languages.

Voiceover Customization – Like other AI voice generators, you can fully customize your AI voiceovers by adding emphasis and pause or adjusting speed and pronunciation.

However, I don’t think you can customize as much as other tools. When I attempted to add emphasis to my voiceover, I received a notification that this feature is unavailable for this voice skin.

DIY Voice Cloning (Custom Voice Skin) – This feature makes Lovo shine above competitors.

As a pioneer of voice cloning technology, Lovo allows users to clone your voice, pace, and space, so that AI can imitate them in a perfect way that no one can differentiate it from your real voice.

You can watch the video below to perceive the similarity between the real voice and its clone. I think the result is exceptional. I barely notice the difference.

Once you have successfully cloned your voice, you can use it in any project you want, including audiobooks and Youtube videos. Thus, you don’t need to spend hours on the troublesome recording process.

However, this feature is not included in the standard pricing plan. You will need to pay extra subscription fees to create and use it (see below).

Enterprise Custom Voice – If you are unsatisfied with the pre-built AI voice skins or want a unique voice skin for your company, you can request Lovo to create a brand new one.

Enterprise Custom Voice Generation

Within 20-25 business days, Lovo.ai will create an AI that flawlessly mimics your voice, tone, style, and personality so that you can use it in all your projects.

Bottom Line: Despite its excellent features, Lovo has some drawbacks. The platform does not have a built-in video editor. You will need third-party software to do the job of adding voiceovers to your videos.

Pricing

Currently, Lovo.ai has two pricing plans as follows (all pricing is for annual plans).

  • Basic – $19 per month
  • Pro – $36 per month

The Basic plan provides access to all the features on the platform and 2 hours of credit, which is adequate for most users.

If you need more, you can upgrade to the Freelancer plan to create more voiceovers (up to 5 hours). Remember that you might need multiple downloads for a 1-hour podcast or video, as each voiceover cannot have more than 15000 characters.

Regarding voice cloning, you will need to pay an extra $69.99 per month per voice on top of any plan you subscribe to, which is expensive. However, as it can save hours of your working time and smoothen the voice editing process significantly, I think it is worth the price.

Those interested in Enterprise Custom Voice will need to contact Lovo’s support team directly for more pricing information.

You can create a free account to try all of Lovo’s features.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • User-friendly platform
  • Effortless to use
  • 180 High-quality voice skins from 33 languages
  • Realistic voice
  • Custom Voices: Lovo’s voice cloning technology is a game-changer, allowing users to automate voiceover creation that perfectly resembles their real voices.
  • Access the Voiceover API to integrate innovative text-to-speech technology into your products
  • Free account to test its key features
  • Tailor-made voices are available.

Cons

  • Some voice skins are not open to full customization.
  • No built-in video editors

5. Synthesia

Synthesia is an AI video generator with an AI presenter. However, I found this software particularly useful for those who need voiceovers for their videos, as Synthesia eliminates the need to create a separate voiceover for the video altogether.

This is because Synthesia will automatically create a professional-looking video and add an AI presenter who will provide a narration according to the script you provided, thus functioning as an effective voiceover.

Synthesia is a revolutionary platform that eliminates the need for voiceovers

Key Features

Though the technology is revolutionary and advanced, using Synthesia is straightforward. The platform is also user-friendly. Thus, you don’t need to read the guides at all.

Avatars – This unique feature allows users to add an AI presenter to their videos. You can choose from dozens of pre-built avatars available.

Video with AI Presenter – Once you have selected the avatar, you just need to type in your script and you will be all set. With Synthesia, you can create a video up to 2.5 hours in length.

Furthermore, Synthesia supports more than 50 languages, including all major languages. You can then freely type your script in your native language.

That’s all. Synthesia will start working on the video right away and you will get your video in less than 10 minutes.

My video created by Synthesia
My video created by Synthesia

I have used Synthesia to create videos in English, Thai, and Chinese. All of them are of excellent quality. The narration is extremely clear and human-like; even the accent is native. I admit that the tool fascinates me.

You can click the button below to watch the simple video that I created. This is just a free, basic video with no background or content, though.

With paid plans, you can create much longer and much more sophisticated videos to use in corporate presentations, employee training, or product walkthrough.

Click Below to create a basic one on your own (free).

Complete Customization – You can fully customize all aspects of the video, including background, sound, the avatar, and many more. You can also add elements or upload custom graphics and PowerPoint slide decks to the video to better represent your brand and engage the audience.

Real Voice – You can replace the synthetic voice with real voice through voice cloning technology. You just need to record your natural voice and upload them to the platform.

Custom Avatar – Do you want to add yourself to the video but have no time or resources to film? Not a problem. You can create a custom avatar of yourself and use it permanently in your videos.

The only drawback of Synthesia is that you cannot use the video with pre-built avatars in the paid promotion and ad campaigns. You will need a costly custom avatar to do so (see pricing below).

Pricing

Synthesia has two pricing plans as follows.

  • Personal – $30 per month (monthly billing)
  • Enterprise – Custom Pricing

However, if you want the below features, you need to pay for add-ons.

  • Custom Avatar – $1000 one-time
  • Synthesia API – starting at $49 per month
Synthesia Studio Pricing

The Personal plan grants access to all features barred from the two advanced features above and real voice. With this plan, you will receive 10 video credits per month. One credit can generate one minute of video. Hence, each month you can create up to 10 minutes of video.

Suppose you have used up your video credits. You can buy more at $30 for 10 credits. However, if you need a lot more video credits, I suggest subscribing to the Enterprise plan.

This plan will provide access to real voice, audio uploads, and other premium services (copywriting, video editing, etc.)

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Create a professional-looking video with an AI presenter who provides narration, eliminating the need for voiceovers.
  • An ultra-realistic voice that perfectly replicates human speech
  • User-friendly platform
  • Effortless to use
  • Add your real voice and custom avatar to the video
  • Full HD videos (up to 2.5 hours long)
  • Full access to Synthesia API is available

Cons

  • Useable only for video makers. If you are a podcaster, you will not find the tool beneficial at all.
  • Custom avatars are extremely expensive, but you will need them if you want to use Synthesia videos in paid ad campaigns.

6. Other Alternatives

Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing platform. Recently, the company has just acquired Lyrebird and its technology. Thus, Descript becomes another promising alternative for creating excellent voiceovers.

All Descript users can use voice cloning technology or 50 high-quality stock voices to make voiceovers for their podcasts and videos.

However, compared to other AI voice generators. I found Descript much harder to use. The tutorials are also not helpful enough. You also need to download and install the software on your computer. Hence, Murf is apparently a superior alternative.

Designs.ai – Designs.ai is a comprehensive creative suite that allows users to design and create logos, graphics, videos, and speeches with AI assistance. With this all-in-one tool, you can create and add voiceovers to your video with ease.

The drawback is that Designs.ai limits each voiceover to 5000 queries and offers limited customization. Thus, I believe those on the list are much more useful.

Replica Studios – Replica Studios provides top-notch AI voice actors exclusively for games and films. If you are looking for a more specialized AI voice generator, Replica Studios is also the one that you may want to consider.

Resemble.ai – Resemble.ai provides comprehensive solutions for voice cloning. The platform has numerous features that help you create excellent voiceovers, including AI content generators.

However, the pricing for the usable plan is high, indicating that it targets enterprises and may be out of reach for SMBs.

Pun Anansakunwat
Pun Anansakunwathttps://victorytale.com/about-victorytale/
Founder of Victory Tale, a multipotentialite who has a particular interest in technology. He loves to spend time testing new products and learning interesting topics to broaden his insights. After graduating from Columbia University in 2014, he makes a living by being a stock market investor, a private tutor, a writer of three published books, and finally a website owner.

Latest posts on online learning

latest posts on software products

All Rights Reserved

error: Content is protected !!