Artificial Intelligence (AI) voice, is based on deep learning and is used to create high-quality voice outputs that are identical to the real human voice. In today’s growing market, for several industries and businesses, AI voice is a key part of their marketing stack.
If your company’s mission is to reach out to a global audience at regular intervals and make the most of the resources you have access to then, AI voice and text to speech voices is the choice you need to make.
In recent years, the number of AI voice tools have increased – tools that can help you produce content in a couple of minutes. This increasing number can also make you question if AI voice and text to speech websites are taking over human voice over artists. This is an ongoing debate, through this piece we intend to bring in a perspective suggesting that both AI voice and voice over artists have a space of their own in the market. And even though the growth is vast, AI voice is not here to replace artists and we are not there yet.
Why is AI voice growing so rapidly?
A business catering to a large target audience will ideally have vast content plans that are unique to its brand. The content represents the company and hence a certain kind and amount of standardization and customization are crucial. In such instances, keeping in mind the higher frequency and quantities of content to be produced, an AI voice tool can be more beneficial than a human voice over artist. Most companies, especially virtual companies, work on tight budgets.
In the case of having a human voiceover artist on board, several other expenses apart from their remuneration come into play. There is a need to have the right space and equipment and pre-production, production, and post-production phases. This option is also more time consuming considering a buffer duration for any errors and retakes that may be required.
For any business, resources are crucial and AI voice tools ensure that the resources are used wisely. These are some of the key reasons why AI text to speech became an instant hit.
1. Speed
The text to speech generators available in the market are created focusing on the need for audio and voiceover generation. Hence these tools are mostly very fast and a perfect fit for mass production. With an available text to speech tool like Murf, you can now create content at a faster pace than you would have initially anticipated.
2. Mass production
As mentioned in the previous point, such tools are an absolute necessity if you plan to create more content at regular intervals. The higher turnaround rates make these tools more appealing than voice over artists. Such online tools also give you the scope for any errors that may need instant rectification. For instance, if you happen to find an error in your output, you have the creative freedom and time to go back to the output and make necessary changes as required.
3. Economical
With a voiceover artist, the chances of expenses crossing your budget are high. Online tools can help curb this problem. Most tools work on a pay-per-audio or subscription model. You can choose a plan that suits your business needs. Online tools also make it flexible for you to alter your subscription models as per your business needs.
4. Minimal need for expertise
As content production may be a part of your entire marketing plan, it may not always be an option to have an experienced audio expert in your team. Text to speech online tools are built keeping in mind all those who may have voiceover requirements. These tools are user-friendly and a few sessions on the tool should help you climb the ladder.
Apart from this, they also have well curated and drafted help sections that would give you all the information to get started on your voiceover creation journey. For instance, Murf’s online text to speech tool lets you upload a script or even a home recorded voiceover to create the kind of output that you envision to have.
5. Global reach
Text to speech tools has an array of voices and languages to choose from which will help you cater to a global audience. You can create multiple versions of the same content piece that can cater to different geographical regions. For instance, if your initial market research leans towards a female voice to work better in a specific region and a male voice in another then, you could execute the same with such online tools.
6. Branding
One of the primary reasons for the success of text to speech tools is customization. Any content that you put out from your brand is a representation of everything that your company stands for. An online voice generator tool allows you to create an audio avatar or mascot that could help build trust and credibility in the audience’s mind.
Can AI voice take over?
The above segment mentions the key reasons for the growth and rapid adoption of AI voice. That being said, it is also important to understand that in specific instances real voice over artists continue to be the best option.
For long form content such as a documentary narration, human voiceover is a better option. In long form content, the visionary may have specific instructions to give to the narrator. For instance, let’s talk about a director who wants to have Benedict Cumberbatch as the narrator to an upcoming documentary. Akin to a movie setup, the director may want to direct the actor/narrator while he is in the studio as well. There may be a need for several ongoing changes – additions and deletions in the emotion that they wish to include in the script delivery.
So we can conclude that from a business standpoint, AI voice and text to speech voices is a better choice whereas for more creatively driven long form content, voiceover artists will be the most appropriate choice even in the years to come. In addition, it is important to understand and acknowledge that the text to speech technology and AI voice are both built on real human voice and voiceover artists themselves