Top 10 Text to Speech APIs
Imagine a world where every written word has a voice, where websites, software, and applications effortlessly speak the language of their users. This is where text to speech (TTS) APIs reign supreme.
By seamlessly transforming text inputs into rich, natural-sounding audio files, TTS APIs bridge the gap between applications and users for a rich and immersive experience. They capture the subtle nuances of intonation, cadence, accent, and pronunciation to reel every listener in.
This post will discuss the top 10 text to speech API available in 2024. Whether you are a developer looking to add voice capabilities to your application or interested in the latest advancements in speech technology, these APIs can meet your voiceover needs. Let’s start!
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10 Best Text to Speech APIs
Given the benefits of text to speech APIs, such as increased accessibility to digital content, enhanced user experience, multilingual support, scalability, and more, it is one of the most sought-after technological innovations. However, with the abundance of text to speech APIs, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of options.
To streamline your exploration, we have come up with a detailed list of the best text to speech APIs to explore in 2024:
Murf AI
Murf’s text to speech API helps businesses deploy high-quality, natural-sounding voices to their website, software, and applications at scale.
With a wide array of 100% natural-sounding AI voices available in 20+ languages, Murf enables the creation of professional voiceovers for videos and presentations, enhancing the overall user experience.
Key Features
Powerful voice customization features for control over pitch, speed, pronunciation, and pause
Multiple export formats, including MP3, WAV, and FLAC files
Access to 40+ high-fidelity English voices across accents like British, American, Scottish, and Indian for generating natural-sounding voiceovers
Customizable sampling rates at 8kHz, 24kHz, and 48kHz
Amazon Polly
Amazon Polly’s cloud-based TTS API uses speech synthesis markup language (SSML) to generate realistic speech from text. It enables users to seamlessly integrate speech synthesis into an application to enhance accessibility and engagement. Users can get Amazon Polly as a free text to speech API in the AWS free tier plan but with limitations in voice generation.
Key Features
Supports Standard and Neural text to speech in over 20 language and language variants
SSML-based voice customizations for pitch, volume, rate, and pronunciation
Audio files are available in MP3 and OGG formats
Sampling rates at 8kHZ, 16.05kHz, 22.05kHz, and 24kHz/
Custom lexicons to add unique words and pronunciations
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure’s text to speech API follows a RESTful architecture for its text to speech interface. The cloud-based service allows flexible deployment, allowing users to run TTS at data sources. Plus, it uses SSML to exercise granular control over the synthetic speech’s rate, pitch, pause, pronunciation, and other parameters.
Key Features
Supports 80+ language and language variants for different locales
Operates on neural text to speech with SSML-based audio control
Custom neural voice allows the training of AI models using actual voice samples for a personalized synthetic voice
Certified by PCI DSS, SOC, HIPAA, HITECH, FedRAMP, and ISO
Google Cloud Text to Speech
Google Cloud’s TTS API is built on the company’s proprietary DeepMind neural network, which is trained with large volumes of speech samples. As a result, Google text to speech AI API offers the widest selection of human-quality voices.
Key Features
Available in 50+ languages with localization features and 380+ voices
Voice internationalization using Neural2, Standard, WaveNet, and Studio voices
Custom voice training for a tailored brand voice
Voice tuning with built-in 20 semitones and configurable speaking rate, a 4x speed control
IBM Watson
The IBM Watson text to speech API leverages IBM’s speech synthesis capabilities for HTTP and WebSocket interfaces. It uses SSML to offer two main voices: expressive neural voices and enhanced neural voices for natural-sounding conversations. Premium users can also create custom voices.
Key Features
Leverages deep neural networks (DNNs) to predict pitch, spectral structure, and waveform
Works with 14+ language and language variations
Generated speech is available in Ogg, MP3, WAV, FLAC, PCM, A-law, Mu-law, G.729, and basic audio
The Tune by Example feature allows speech synthesis modifications without SSML knowledge
Lovo AI
Lovo’s AI-powered voice generator and text to speech platform, Genny, effectively translates written text into hyper-realistic speech within seconds.
Genny’s TTS API can analyze linguistic patterns and customize speech parameters like voice and accent to match specific requirements.
Key Features
Available in 100+ languages and 400+ voices of varying styles
Emotional Voices allow the incorporation of 25 emotions into speech
Upload subtitles or SRT files to automatically align voiceovers to videos
Voice cloning to generate branded voices
Play.ht
Play.ht offers TTS conversational synthetic voices that can match diverse applications. Users can pick from a variety of options in conversations, narrations, emotions, accents, and more to generate unique audio. Play.ht claims that its text to speech API can generate speech in less than 300 ms, which is impressive!
Key Features
It boasts a library of 142 languages and accents in 829 AI voices
Automatic syncs for real-time updates of the latest voices
Audio files are downloadable in MP3 and WAV formats
Text and SSML support to manipulate speech
Resemble AI
Resemble’s RESTful TTS API allows users to create a voice in as little as five lines! As for the rest, users can programmatically access web-generated content. Alternatively, they can browse the Resemble AI marketplace and pick their favorite or record their voice. Either way, Resemble rapidly and scalably supports production-ready integrations for voice generation.
Key Features
The Core Cloning engine supports the building and control of unique voices
One-click upload to customize voices from audio inputs (with due consent)
Hosts a thriving AI Voice Marketplace
Supports 35 languages with 100+ localization variables
Speechify
Speechify’s voice API centers around the accessibility of websites and applications in publication, blogging, content marketing, and resource database management. It also helps businesses increase engagement and retain customers. Speechify is also available as a Chrome extension to read out textual content.
Key Features
Inline player that seamlessly fits different layouts and designs of existing websites
Live text highlighting highlights the active sentences of words that Speechify is reading out
Floating widget that allows speech control even while scrolling
Speechify TTS API is available for web and iOS
ReadSpeaker
The ReadSpeaker cloud-based text to speech API is straightforward, easy to integrate, and streams over multiple channels (desktop, web, mobile). The high-capacity TTS API is a part of the ReadSpeaker Web Application Service Platform and comes with SSML control to customize playback.
Key Features
Built-in customizable dictionary to save specific terms
Offers 200+ voices in 50+ languages
Timing information allows synced active highlighting within the API
Produces audio files in multiple formats: PCM, A-law, u-law, Ogg, MP3, and WAV
Choosing the Best Text to Speech API for Your Needs
Choosing the best text to speech API is no child’s play. However, here’s a cheat sheet to simplify the selection:
Identify Your Requirements
Take stock of factors like text volume, voice characteristics, and intended application to narrow down your TTS APIs depending on project goals and user expectations.
Natural-Sounding Voice
Opt for software that offers a library of diverse voices with control over the tones, accents, emotions, and other expressive qualities to make the speech more natural sounding.
Language Support
Multilingual support allows businesses to connect with their target audience in a local language. Language localization can also help them enter a new market segment.
Integration Capabilities
Test for compatibility with programming languages, frameworks, and platforms to assess integration capabilities with the development environment.
Trial Options
TTS APIs offering free trials allow users to experience the product in real-world scenarios and evaluate industry-specific performance and service quality before committing to a paid plan.
Customer Support
Although the API documentation and forums offer sufficient aid and support during implementation and customization, having a TTS API provider with robust customer support can also help address integration issues and formulate specific use cases.
Documentation and Resources
Go for a TTS API that transparently maintains comprehensive documentation and resources. It will improve the development and integration experience and help lend support and troubleshoot.
Customization and Configuration
The TTS API should be customizable and configurable to accommodate business-specific project requirements. It should also grant flexibility regarding adjustments to audio output, such as voice modulation, pronunciation, and language, for an on-brand experience.
Choosing Murf: The Ideal Text to Speech API for Your Needs
TTS APIs offer the opportunity to integrate natural-sounding speech into business applications. With such capabilities, organizations can comfortably meet their goals surrounding accessibility, multilingual communication, and rich user experiences. The resulting innovations can also grant digital solutions a competitive edge in making modern applications more interactive and engaging.
If you are looking for a text to speech API that excels in versatility, quality, and ease of integration, Murf's unique AI voice generator could be your ideal choice. Just reach out to the Murf team and get your API key, generate an authentication token, and access a variety of natural-sounding voices in different languages.
FAQs
What is text to speech API?
Text to speech API is a software interface that converts written text into spoken words. Businesses can integrate these with their applications, websites, and services to deliver information in natural-sounding, human-like speech to enhance the user experience and accessibility.
What are the benefits of TTS API?
The best text to speech API presents the following benefits:
TTS APIs are highly versatile and can be used in various domains like virtual assistants, customer service, accessibility tools, and navigation.
It improves access to content or information, especially for visually impaired users.
The natural-sounding speech makes the user experience richer, more engaging, interactive, and immersive.
It supports multiple languages, which increases the app/website/service’s global reach.
What is the best TTS API?
Determining the best TTS API depends largely on the user’s unique requirements and objectives. Refer to the handy guide above that helps you identify the best text to speech API.
Is there a text to speech API?
Yes, there are several TTS API service providers like:
Murf AI
Amazon Polly
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Text to Speech
IBM Watson
Lovo AI
Play ht
Resemble AI
Speechify
Readspeaker
What is the most human-like text to speech API?
The following TTS APIs have the most natural-sounding, human-like audio outputs:
Murf
Amazon Polly
Google Cloud TTS
Microsoft Azure
Resemble AI
How do I enable text to speech API?
To enable a TTS API, you need to register with the chosen API service provider. Once you have selected the plan that meets your business goals, obtain the API keys and integrate them into your website or application.
Follow the API documentation for any specific use cases, implementation support, and customizations.
