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The best text to speech tools in 2024 (free & paid), share this article.

Thanks to incredible advancements in AI technology, text to speech software in 2023 is now sounding less and less like a robot – and more like a human reader.

This is great news for any Creator Educators looking to make their content creation process more efficient, without compromising on quality.

Text to speech apps can take your content from dull to dynamic in just one step, helping to transform boring text into natural-sounding audio that improves accessibility, productivity and engagement for learners.

Use text to speech software to open up new revenue streams for your business by transforming your existing content into videos and audio, as well as helping to make your content accessible for everyone. With these tools, you can create professional-sounding audio content in a fraction of the time you’d spend recording yourself. It’s a win-win!

Here’s our top list of the best text to speech software to help grow your business in 2023.

Click the links below to skip ahead:

• Standard TTS vs Neural TTS

The best text to speech software in 2023

Amazon polly, google cloud text-to-speech, microsoft azure speech, natural reader, voiceovermaker, why use text to speech software.

If you’re a Creator Educator looking to convert your text content into audio for videos, audiobooks, social media and more, it’s time to find text to speech software for your business.

Here are some of the top use cases for businesses:

• Enhance accessibility: Use text to speech software across all your content to boost accessibility for all learners and customers
• Convert education content to audio: Make your educational content accessible for learners who are visually impaired, dyslexic, or who learn better with audio
• Add voiceovers to presentations: Bring your content alive by adding professional voiceovers to slides and animations
• Create audiobooks: Open up a new revenue stream by capturing sales from learners who prefer to listen rather than read
• Make content more engaging: Enhance your existing content with more video elements to improve the learner experience
• Repurpose blogs: Turn blog content into narration for engaging videos on YouTube, social media, and more

Turn text into speech to instantly repurpose your existing content into new formats and make sure your content is accessible to all.

Standard TTS vs. Neural TTS

Before diving into the world of text to speech, here’s a quick look at the difference between standard and neural text to speech tools.

• Standard TTS is the older approach to text to speech software. If you think of artificial, stiff-sounding text to speech audio, you’re thinking of standard TTS.
• Neural TTS draws on neural network technology or AI to generate more natural-sounding, humalike speech. Don’t let that creep you out, though – neural TTS can create truly lifelike and listenable audio that cuts out a major chunk of time for businesses and creators, helping you reach more people with your content.

Check out these best text to speech apps in 2023 to create stunning audio content – while saving you essential time and energy.

Best paid text to speech software

The best all-round cloud-based text to speech software for Creator Educators

Pricing Options

• Standard TTS: Up to 5 million characters per month for 12 months
• Neural TTS: Up to 1 million characters per month for 12 months
• Standard TTS: $4 per 5 million characters
• Neural TTS: $16 per 1 million characters

Reasons to buy

• Choose from 100+ voices across 36 languages
• Stream converted speech audio on the go, without downloading files
• Use Speech Marks to sync text and audio

Consistently ranked by users as the best option for text to speech software, Amazon Polly is one of the best TTS tools for generating natural-sounding audio content. Thanks to advanced AI and deep learning technology, Amazon Polly helps creators get high-quality, human-like audio that can be rolled out to a global audience. Choose from both standard and neural services to create your audio – and since it’s pay-as-you-go, there’s no need to worry about subscription fees draining your bank account when it’s not being used. 

Amazon Polly also includes the handy Speech Marks feature, a tool that allows you to match your AI-generated audio with text so learners can follow along with your voiceover. 

Try Amazon Polly

The best alternative with wide range of voices and languages to choose from

• 60 minutes per month
• Standard TTS: $4 per 4 million characters
• 380+ voices in 50+ languages and variants
• Personalize pitch with 20 semitones
• Option to create a one-of-a-kind voice

As a close competitor to Amazon Polly, Google Cloud Text-to-Speech offers a comprehensive range of features as part of its text to speech software that lets you customize and control every aspect of your audio. Use voice tuning to personalize the pitch of your selected voice and use SSML tags to add pauses, numbers, and other pronunciation notes to create content that flows.

Google’s text to speech software makes use of their DeepMind speech synthesis expertise to deliver over 380 human-quality voices across a wide range of languages – ideal for tapping into a global audience with your content. Google’s TTS tool also has a custom voice generator that lets you create a unique voice for your brand – that no one else can use.

Try Google Text-to-Speech

The best choice for better data security and compliance

• Neural TTS: Up to 0.5 million characters per month
• Standard TTS: 5 audio hours per month
• Custom TTS: $24 per 1 million characters
• Better data security and privacy than other TTS apps
• Zero code options available
• Create and adapt custom voices for your brand

Take advantage of Microsoft’s AI-driven text to speech software and use their wide range of in-built features to help your content stand out from the crowd. Build your own custom voice and choose between different emotions and speaking styles to craft the perfect personality for your brand. This tool is also ideal for adapting your speech content to different use cases like customer support chatbots and educational content. Their no code tools also mean you don’t need to be a tech expert to take advantage of their top features.  

There’s good news if you’re concerned about data security too – Microsoft’s text to speech tool comes in top for security and compliance. You don’t need to worry about speech inputs being logged during processing and you can breathe easier knowing Microsoft invests heavily in cybersecurity and privacy.

Try Azure Speech Services

The best choice for AI-powered video voiceovers

• Up to 10 mins of voice generation per month
• Starting at $39/month for 4 hours of voice generation per user/month
• Create AI video voiceovers in minutes
• 120+ voices in 20+ languages
• Convert home recordings to professional voiceovers

Specially tailored to video voiceovers, Murf offers text to speech software that lets users create studio-quality audio in minutes. Murf has a wide range of AI-voices to suit every context, with categories ranging from Educator to Corporate Coach to Educator to Marketer and more. Use Murf to convert any text to speech or to turn your home-recorded audio into professional, studio-quality content that’s ideal for videos, podcasts, presentations, and more.

Murf’s in-built video editor lets you add images, music and videos to your audio so you don’t need to switch between multiple platforms and apps to create your content. You can also tweak your AI voiceover to add different pitches, emphasis, and interjections. If you want to add more users and collaborate with multiple members of your team or across different organizations, opt for Murf’s Enterprise plan.

The best stripped-down text to speech software for creators who want simplicity

• 20 minutes of voice per day
• Starting at $9.99/month for personal use
• Starting at $49/month for commercial use

Reasons to Buy

• Over 100 voices on paid plans
• Works on mobile devices for editing on-the-go
• Supports multiple text formats and includes OCR scanning

Designed for small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike, Natural Reader is known for being extra user-friendly. With a simple user interface and pricing packages free of API frills, Natural Reader is a top choice for generating audio for YouTube videos, social media and education purposes. Simply paste your text into the text to speech tool and export the audio file – it’s instant and code-free.

If you want to make your voiceovers more engaging, experiment with adding extra emotions and effects in the app and use the studio editor to easily alter your audio without switching platforms. There’s one key drawback to note though – thanks to its usability, Natural Voice is popular with YouTube creators so you run the risk of choosing a voice option that’s been heard many times before.

Try Natural Reader

The best for creating multilingual voiceover content fast

• Up to 800 characters per month
• Starting from 9€/month (approx $9 USD/month) for 60,000 characters
• Built-in easy-to-use video editor
• Automatic translation into 30 languages
• Uses Google’s WaveNet technology

If you’re just getting started with video, VoiceOverMaker is a quick and easy text to speech tool to help you get realistic-sounding audio content for your videos. The service uses Google’s neural WaveNet technology to create humanlike voices – and gives you a single, cloud-based app to edit your voice track and videos together. The software includes useful features like automatic translation, background music, and a built-in screen recorder tool. Plus, take advantage of VoiceOverMaker’s pay-as-you-go pricing to keep costs to a minimum.

Try VoiceOverMaker

Best free text to speech software

The best option for free text to speech software for commercial use

• 10,000 characters per month
• Starting from $19/month for 1,000,000 characters

Reasons to use

• Higher character limit than competitors
• Download audio as mp3 in seconds
• Powered by Google machine learning

With no registration or sign-up required, you can start using FreeTTS immediately to convert up to 10,000 characters each month – and it’s completely free! FreeTTS prides itself on being super fast, helping Creator Educators easily convert scripts into mp3 audio files in seconds, so it’s ideal for producing video voiceovers quickly and efficiently. FreeTTS uses Google’s machine learning technology to deliver decent quality results across 50+ languages and the free version is suitable even for commercial use – but it’s important to note that you can only convert 500 characters of text at a time, so it’s best for short videos.

Try FreeTTS

Straightforward, free text to speech software with mobile app

• Unlimited text reading for personal use
• $2/month for commercial use
• Straightforward, no frills tool
• Upload files, PDFs, ebooks,and more
• Use online or download the iOS and Android app

On the surface, the TTSReader free text to speech software may look dated, but their free tool includes an impressive range of features. The TTSReader tool is about as utilitarian as it gets – it’s pared back but powerful, accepting a wide variety of file types that can be converted into simple audio files to listen to in your browser or save for later. The free version supports multiple languages and includes basic editing tools too. To unlock more features, you’ll need to purchase the premium plan – but at just $2 per month it won’t break the bank.

Try TTSReader

Use these top text to speech tools to engage your audience

Once you’ve started using text to speech software, there’s no going back. It’s so easy, efficient, and delivers impressive results – especially thanks to the range of new AI-driven tools on offer. To help you find the best text to speech apps for your needs, take advantage of the free plans and tools in this list and take some time to experiment with different options. Don’t forget, you can even create a unique voice for your brand!

If you’re a Creator Educator looking to earn more from your content, try Thinkific for free .

This post was originally created in 2022, it’s since been updated in June 2023.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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Text to Speech

Generate speech from text. choose a voice to read your text aloud. you can use it to narrate your videos, create voice-overs, convert your documents into audio, and more..

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Neural Speech Synthesis employs advanced machine learning techniques to analyze human vocalizations, speech tendencies, tonal variations, and additional linguistic nuances.

Through neural deep learning, AI-generated voices have achieved remarkable realism, emulating human speech effectively. In numerous instances, AI voices can now substitute for human vocalizations, depending on the application.

For the majority of learners, education extends beyond the classroom. NaturalReader EDU empowers students with greater independence and supports home-based learning. Be it tackling homework, enjoying reading at home, or browsing the internet, our Chrome Extension and Mobile App are always at their disposal.

Personal use signifies that solely you, the individual buyer, may utilize the product for your own private listening pleasure. Audio files generated with personal-use versions are not permitted for public usage (such as on websites or YouTube videos), commercial purposes, or any other form of distribution. You alone are authorized to create audio files exclusively for your personal enjoyment, and they must not be employed or shared with any other systems or individuals.

Kindly note that even 'internal' or 'non-profit' applications (such as messaging systems or educational videos) necessitate obtaining a commercial license to authorize the distribution of the audio material.

For purposes beyond personal use, consider exploring NaturalReader Commercial, a distinct application designed for such requirements.

- Company Training Videos

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- Youtube and Podcasts

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Your Personal Reading Assistant

Listen while walking, driving, workout Or just give your eyes some rest

#1 Text To Speech (TTS) Reader Online

Proudly serving millions of users since 2015

Type or upload any text, file, website & book for listening online, proofreading, reading-along or generating professional mp3 voice-overs.

I need to >

Play Text Out Loud

Reads out loud plain text, files, e-books and websites. Remembers text & caret position, so you can come back to listening later, unlimited length, recording and more.

Create Humanlike Voiceovers

The simplest most robust & affordable AI voice-over generating tool online. Mix voices, languages & speeds. Listen before recording. Unlimited!

Additional Text-To-Speech Solutions

Turns your articles, PDFs, emails, etc. into podcasts, so you can listen to it on your own podcast player when convenient, with all the advantages that come with your podcast app.

SpeechNinja says what you type in real time. It enables people with speech difficulties to speak out loud using synthesized voice (AAC) and more.

Battle tested for years, serving millions of users, especially good for very long texts.

Need to read a webpage? Simply paste its URL here & click play. Leave empty to read about the Beatles 🎸

Books & Stories

Listen to some of the best stories ever written. We have them right here. Want to upload your own? Use the main player to upload epub files.

Simply paste any URL (link to a page) and it will import & read it out loud.

Chrome Extension

Reads out loud webpages, directly from within the page.

TTSReader for mobile - iOS or Android. Includes exporting audio to mp3 files.

NEW 🚀 - TTS Plugin

Make your own website speak your content - with a single line of code. Hassle free.

TTSReader Premium

Support our development team & enjoy ad-free better experience. Commercial users, publishers are required a premium license.

TTSReader reads out loud texts, webpages, pdfs & ebooks with natural sounding voices. Works out of the box. No need to download or install. No sign in required. Simply click 'play' and enjoy listening right in your browser. TTSReader remembers your text and position between sessions, so you can continue listening right where you left. Recording the generated speech is supported as well. Works offline, so you can use it at home, in the office, on the go, driving or taking a walk. Listening to textual content using TTSReader enables multitasking, reading on the go, improved comprehension and more. With support for multiple languages, it can be used for unlimited use cases .

Get Started for Free

Main Use Cases

Listen to great content.

Most of the world's content is in textual form. Being able to listen to it - is huge! In that sense, TTSReader has a huge advantage over podcasts. You choose your content - out of an infinite variety - that includes humanity's entire knowledge and art richness. Listen to lectures, to PDF files. Paste or upload any text from anywhere, edit it if needed, and listen to it anywhere and anytime.

Proofreading

One of the best ways to catch errors in your writing is to listen to it being read aloud. By using TTSReader for proofreading, you can catch errors that you might have missed while reading silently, allowing you to improve the quality and accuracy of your written content. Errors can be in sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar, but also in your essay's structure, order and content.

Listen to web pages

TTSReader can be used to read out loud webpages in two different ways. 1. Using the regular player - paste the URL and click play. The website's content will be imported into the player. (2) Using our Chrome extension to listen to pages without leaving the page . Listening to web pages with TTSReader can provide a more accessible, convenient, and efficient way of consuming online content.

Turn ebooks into audiobooks

Upload any ebook file of epub format - and TTSReader will read it out loud for you, effectively turning it into an audiobook alternative. You can find thousands of epub books for free, available for download on Project Gutenberg's site, which is an open library for free ebooks.

Read along for speed & comprehension

TTSReader enables read along by highlighting the sentence being read and automatically scrolling to keep it in view. This way you can follow with your own eyes - in parallel to listening to it. This can boost reading speed and improve comprehension.

Generate audio files from text

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech with a single click. This is available currently only on Windows and requires TTSReader’s premium . Adhering to the commercial terms some of the voices may be used commercially for publishing, such as narrating videos.

Accessibility, dyslexia, etc.

For individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties, listening to textual content, lectures, articles & web pages can be an essential tool for accessing & comprehending information.

Language learning

TTSReader can read out text in multiple languages, providing learners with listening as well as speaking practice. By listening to the text being read aloud, learners can improve their comprehension skills and pronunciation.

Kids - stories & learning

Kids love stories! And if you can read them stories - it's definitely the best! But, if you can't, let TTSReader read them stories for you. Set the right voice and speed, that is appropriate for their comprehension level. For kids who are at the age of learning to read - this can also be an effective tool to strengthen that skill, as it highlights every sentence being read.

Main Features

Ttsreader is a free text to speech reader that supports all modern browsers, including chrome, firefox and safari..

Includes multiple languages and accents. If on Chrome - you will get access to Google's voices as well. Super easy to use - no download, no login required. Here are some more features

Fun, Online, Free. Listen to great content

Drag, drop & play (or directly copy text & play). That’s it. No downloads. No logins. No passwords. No fuss. Simply fun to use and listen to great content. Great for listening in the background. Great for proof-reading. Great for kids and more. Learn more, including a YouTube we made, here .

Multilingual, Natural Voices

We facilitate high-quality natural-sounding voices from different sources. There are male & female voices, in different accents and different languages. Choose the voice you like, insert text, click play to generate the synthesized speech and enjoy listening.

Exit, Come Back & Play from Where You Stopped

TTSReader remembers the article and last position when paused, even if you close the browser. This way, you can come back to listening right where you previously left. Works on Chrome & Safari on mobile too. Ideal for listening to articles.

Vs. Recorded Podcasts

In many aspects, synthesized speech has advantages over recorded podcasts. Here are some: First of all - you have unlimited - free - content. That includes high-quality articles and books, that are not available on podcasts. Second - it’s free. Third - it uses almost no data - so it’s available offline too, and you save money. If you like listening on the go, as while driving or walking - get our free Android Text Reader App .

Read PDF Files, Texts & Websites

TTSReader extracts the text from pdf files, and reads it out loud. Also useful for simply copying text from pdf to anywhere. In addition, it highlights the text currently being read - so you can follow with your eyes. If you specifically want to listen to websites - such as blogs, news, wiki - you should get our free extension for Chrome

Export Speech to Audio Files

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech to mp3 audio files. This is available currently only on Windows, and requires ttsreader’s premium .

Pricing & Plans

• Online text to speech player
• Chrome extension for reading webpages
• Premium TTSReader.com
• Premium Chrome extension
• Better support from the development team

Compare plans

Sister Apps Developed by Our Team

Speechnotes

Dictation & Transcription

Type with your voice for free, or automatically transcribe audio & video recordings

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Ways to Get In Touch, Feedback & Community

Visit our contact page , for various ways to get in touch with us, send us feedback and interact with our community of users & developers.

Generative Voice AI

Convert text to speech online for free with our AI voice generator. Create natural AI voices instantly in any language - perfect for video creators, developers, and businesses.

Click on a language to convert text to speech :

Natural Text to Speech & AI Voice Generator

Whether you're a content creator or a short story writer, our AI voice generator lets you design captivating audio experiences.

Stories with emotions

Immerse your players in rich, dynamic worlds with our AI voice generator. From captivating NPC dialogue to real-time narration, our tool brings your game’s audio to the next level.

Immersive gaming

Bring stories to life by converting long-form content to engaging audio. Our AI voice generator lets you create audiobooks with a natural voice and tone, making it the perfect tool for authors and publishers.

Every book deserves to be heard

Ai chatbots.

Create a more natural and engaging experience for your users with our AI voice generator. Our tool lets you create AI chatbots with human-like voices.

AI assistants with personality

Experience advanced ai text to speech.

Generate lifelike speech in any language and voice with the most powerful text to speech (TTS) technology that combines advanced AI with emotive capabilities.

Indistinguishable from Human Speech.

Turn text into lifelike audio across 29 languages and 120 voices. Ideal for digital creators, get high-quality TTS streaming instantly.

Precision Tuning.

Adjust voice outputs effortlessly through an intuitive interface. Opt for a blend of vocal clarity and stability, or amplify vocal stylings for more animated delivery.

Online Text Reader.

Use our deep learning-powered tool to read any text aloud, from brief emails to full PDFs, while cutting costs and time.

AI Voice Generator in 29 Languages

Generate ai voices with voicelab.

Create new and unique synthetic voices in minutes using advanced Generative AI technology. Create lifelike voices to use in videos, podcasts, audiobooks, and more.

Clone Your Voice

Create a digital voice that sounds like a real human. Whether you're a content creator or a short story writer, our AI voice generator lets you design captivating audio experiences.

Find Voices

Share the unique synthetic voices you've created with our vibrant community and discover voices crafted by others, opening a world of auditory opportunity.

Multiple languages.

Clone your voice from a recording in one language and use it to generate speech in another.

Instant Results.

Generate new voices in seconds, not hours with our state-of-the-art AI voice generator.

Find the perfect voice for any project; be it a video, audiobook, video game or blog.

Dubbing Studio

Localize videos with precise control over transcript, translation, timing, and more. Create a perfect voiceover in any language, with any voice, in minutes. Explore AI Dubbing

Transcript editing.

Manually edit the dialogue of your translated script to get the perfect audio output.

Sequence timing.

Change the speaker’s timing by clicking and dragging the clips.

Adjust voice settings.

Click on the gear icon next to a speaker’s name to open more voice options.

Add more languages.

When you’re ready to add more languages, hit the “+” icon to instantly translate your script.

Change Your Voice With Speech To Speech

Edit and fine-tune your voiceovers using Speech to Speech. Get consistent, clear results that keep the feel and nuance of your original message. Change your voice

Emotional Range

Maintain the exact emotions of your content with our diverse range of voice profiles.

Nuance Preservation

Ensure that every inflection, pause and modulation is captured and reproduced perfectly.

Consistent Quality

Use Speech to Speech to create complex audio sequences with consistent quality.

Long-form voice generation with Projects

Our innovative workflow for directing and editing audio, providing you with complete control over the creative process for the production of audiobooks, long-form video and web content. Learn more about Projects

Conversion of whole books.

Import in a variety of formats, including .epub, .txt, and .pdf, and convert entire books into audio.

Text-inputted pauses.

Manually adjust the length of pauses between speech segments to fine-tune pacing.

Multiple languages and voices.

Choose from a wide range of languages and voices to create the perfect audio experience.

Regenerate selected fragments

Recreate specific audio fragments if you're not satisfied with the output.

Save progress.

Save your progress and return to your project at any time.

Single click conversion.

Convert your written masterpieces into captivating audiobooks, reaching listeners on the go.

Powered by cutting-edge research

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Introducing Speech to Speech

Turbo v2: Our Fastest Model Yet

Frequently asked questions, how do i make my own ai voice.

To create your own AI voice at ElevenLabs, you can use VoiceLab. Voice Design allows you to customize the speaker's identityfor unique voices in your scripts, while Voice Cloning mimics real voices. This ensures variety and exclusivity in your generated voices, as they are entirely artificial and not linked to real people.

How much does using ElevenLabs AI voice generator cost?

ElevenLabs provides a range of AI voice generation plans suitable for various needs. Starting with a Free Plan, which includes 10,000 characters monthly, up to 3 custom voices, Voice Design, and speech generation in 29 languages. The Starter Plan is $5 per month, offering 30,000 characters and up to 10 custom voices. For more extensive needs, the Creator Plan at $22 per month provides 100,000 characters and up to 30 custom voices. The Pro Plan costs $99 per month with a substantial 500,000 characters and up to 160 custom voices. Larger businesses can opt for the Scale Plan at $330 per month, which includes 2,000,000 characters and up to 660 custom voices. Lastly, the Enterprise Plan offers custom pricing for tailored quotas, PVC for any voice, priority rendering, and dedicated support. Each plan is crafted to support different levels of usage and customization requirements.

Can I use ElevenLabs AI voice generator for free?

Yes, you can use ElevenLabs prime AI voice generator for free with our Free Plan. It includes 10,000 characters per month, up to 3 custom voices, Voice Design, and speech generation in 29 languages.

What is the best AI voice generator?

ElevenLabs offers the best and highest quality AI voice generator software online. Our AI voice generator uses advanced deep learning models to provide high-quality audio output, emotion mapping, and a wide range of vocal choices. It's perfect for content creators and writers looking to create captivating audio experiences.

Who should use ElevenLabs’ AI voice generator and prime voice AI services?

ElevenLabs' AI voice generator is ideal for a variety of users, including content creators on YouTube and TikTok, audiobook producers for Audible and Google Play Books, presenters using PowerPoint or Google Docs, businesses with IVR systems, and podcasters on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. These services provide a natural-sounding voice across different platforms, enhancing user engagement and accessibility.

How many languages does ElevenLabs support?

ElevenLabs supports speech synthesis in 29 languages, making your content accessible to a global audience. Supported languages include Chinese, English, Spanish, French, and many more.

What is an AI voice generator?

ElevenLabs' AI voice generator transforms text to spoken audio that sounds like a natural human voice, complete with realistic intonation and accents. It offers a wide range of voice options across various languages and dialects. Designed for ease of use, it caters to both individuals and businesses looking for customizable vocal outputs.

How do I use AI voice generators to turn text into audio?

Step 1 involves selecting a voice and adjusting settings to your liking. In Step 2, you input your text into the provided box, ensuring it's in one of the supported languages. For Step 3, you simply click 'Generate' to convert your text into audio, listen to the output, and make any necessary adjustments. After that, you can download the audio for use in your project.

What is text to speech?

Text to speech is a technology that converts written text into spoken audio. It is also known as speech synthesis or TTS. The technology has been around for decades, but recent advancements in deep learning have made it possible to generate high-quality, natural-sounding speech.

What is the best text to speech software?

ElevenLabs is the best text to speech software. We offer the most advanced AI voices, with the highest quality and most natural-sounding speech. Our platform is easy to use and offers a wide range of customization options.

How much does text to speech cost?

ElevenLabs offers a free plan which includes 10,000 characters per month. Our paid plans start at $1 for 30,000 characters per month.

Free AI Voice Generator

Use Deepgram's AI voice generator to produce human speech from text. AI matches text with correct pronunciation for natural, high-quality audio.

AI Voice Generation

Discover the Unparalleled Clarity and Versatility of Deepgram's AI Voice Generator

We harness the power of advanced artificial intelligence to bring you a state-of-the-art AI voice generator designed to meet all your audio creation needs. Whether you're a content creator, marketer, educator, or developer, our platform offers an incredibly realistic and customizable voice generation solution.

Human Voice Generation

Our AI voice generator is engineered to produce voices that are indistinguishable from real human speech. With a vast library of voices across different genders, ages, and accents, Deepgram empowers you to find the perfect voice for your project.

Low-latency Text to Speech

Deepgram's voice generator is one of the fastest on the market. We design our AI models to produce high-quality voices

How It Works

Choose Your Voice : Select from our diverse library of high-quality, natural-sounding AI voices.

Generate: Enter your text, generate your voiceover in seconds.

Download: Once you have you AI generated speech, easily download your audio file.

AI Voice Generator Use Cases

E-Learning and Educational Content : Create engaging and informative educational materials that cater to learners of all types.

Marketing and Advertising : Enhance your marketing materials with high-quality voiceovers that grab attention.

Audiobooks and Podcasts : Produce audiobooks and podcasts efficiently, with voices that keep your audience engaged.

Accessibility : Make your content more accessible with voiceovers that can be easily understood by everyone, including those with visual impairments or reading difficulties.

The 7 Best Text-to-Speech Apps for Android

Text-to-speech is a handy feature on your Android phone even if you don't have a disability. These text-to-speech apps take it to the next level.

Every Android user should keep a text-to-speech app handy. You don't need to have a vision impairment to enjoy the benefits. For example, they'll let you listen to the news on your morning commute, catch up with new text messages in bed, or even enjoy your favorite eBooks without looking at the screen.

But which Android text-to-speech apps are the best? Keep reading to find out.

1. Android's Native Text-to-Speech Feature

Android has lots of accessibility tools that make a phone easier to use. One of the tools is a native text-to-speech function. The feature has fewer customizable settings than some of its competitors, but you can adjust the speech rate and pitch and install additional languages.

To change the text-to-speech settings, head to Settings > Accessibility > Text-to-speech output .

Android's text-to-speech feature automatically works with other Google apps that offer a read-aloud feature. For all other apps, you'll need to enable Select to Speak in Android's settings menu, which you'll find at Settings > Accessibility > Select to Speak . To use it, select text in any app and choose Speak from the popup menu.

If you only want basic text-to-speech functionality, you can stop here. The other options are only worth exploring if you need more features.

2. Voice Aloud Reader

Voice Aloud Reader is easy to use and supports a few different ways of reading text. If the app from which you want to read text has a share feature, just send the content to Voice Aloud Reader using the native Android Share menu . This also works for on-screen items that have their own share buttons, like tweets and Facebook posts.

Similarly, if the text you want to read is selectable, you can use the Share button in the popup context menu.

The app also works with URLs. Just paste the site's (or article's) address into Voice Aloud Reader, and it will automatically parse and read the relevant text for you. It's intelligent enough to strip out the menus and other junk. You can even add text files (like DOC and PDF) directly into the app; it can open the files and read their contents.

Download: Voice Aloud Reader (Free)

3. Narrator's Voice

Narrator's Voice offers something a bit different. The usual features are here: it is an app that reads text from apps, the web, messages, and other sources.

However, the app also has a fun side. You can add various sound effects to the speech synthesis, such as echo, reverb, gargle, and choir. It features a wide selection of voices to choose from. Some tech favorites like Cortana and Siri are present, as are some of the developer's own creations like "Steven" and "Pink Sheep" (don't ask).

Additionally, Narrator's Voice lets you add your own text, which it will then run through its synthesizer. It makes the app a great way to add a voiceover to video narrations, slideshow presentations, and more. You can even save your audio output file as an MP3, store it offline, and share it with friends.

An in-app purchase removes the ads.

Download: Narrator's Voice (Free, in-app purchases available)

Talk takes a more minimal approach than Voice Aloud Reader and Narrator's Voice, but it is still one of the best free text-to-speech apps for Android. The app can import web pages directly from your phone's browser or read the text from other third-party apps. You can export all the audio files and save them offline in the WAV format.

It's important to note that Talk Free relies on your phone's pre-existing text-to-speech (TTS) engine to work. Most Android devices will already have Google's engine installed. If you have deleted your phone's TTS engine, you can re-download Speech Recognition & Synthesis free from the Play Store.

The benefit of using Google's TTS engine is its support for lots of languages. If Google offers the language, Talk can generally work with it.

Download: Talk (Free)

T2S is a text-to-speech app that offers one of the most modern interfaces out of the apps we've discussed so far.

The app's standout feature is the presence of a simple built-in web browser. It's not going to win any awards for the number of features it offers, but it lets you easily listen to web pages without worrying about copying and pasting URLs or using the Share menu.

T2S's copy-to-speak feature is also worth mentioning. It shows an on-screen popup button whenever you copy text into other apps. Pressing the button will make the app start reading the copied text instantly. As with the other apps on this list, T2S lets you save your audio readouts and share them with other people. The pro version removes ads.

Download: T2S (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. NaturalReader

With AI being all the buzz, we ought to include an AI-powered solution to this list. NaturalReader offers almost 150 AI voices in different languages and over 25 dialects so that you can customize your text-to-speech experience to your liking.

The app can run in the background, so you can use other apps while listening to content. Moreover, it supports over 20 document formats, including PDF, DOCX, and eBook formats.

Other than the usual text-to-speech features, you can also use NaturalReader to detect and read text from images. This feature can come in super handy if you deal with a lot of scanned documents.

This feature is not perfect yet, but it works. If you're not satisfied with the built-in image-to-text functionality, you can convert images to text using OCR apps and then use NaturalReader for text-to-speech.

Download: NaturalReader (Free, in-app purchases available)

We'll leave you with a slightly left-field choice: Pocket. You probably already know it as one of the best apps to save articles to read later when you're offline.

You may not know, however, that Pocket also has a text-to-speech reader. The feature supports multiple voices and languages and includes adjustable pitch and speed. It even supports background playback, meaning you can keep listening while you use other apps.

Because the text-to-speech reader is one of Pocket's native features, it's great when you want to listen to some long-form content on a journey when you are without the internet. Obviously, if you want to listen to text from all your apps, this isn't the right choice for you.

Download: Pocket (Free, premium version available)

The Top Text-to-Voice Apps

Hopefully, you now appreciate the benefits of keeping a text-to-speech app installed on your Android device. Once you become more familiar with their use, you'll start to rely on the apps a lot more. Don't believe us? Try a couple, stick with them for a week or two, and thank us later!

There's also an opposite way of communicating with your Android device, that is, speech-to-text. Such apps are particularly great for note-taking.

8 Best Text To Speech Book Readers

Not everyone has time to sit down and read a book in peace in front of a computer. Use text-to-speech book readers , as such a program will read aloud to you. In the meantime, you can do yoga, clean, or cook. So convenient!

Speech synthesis technology is a powerful tool for individuals who have trouble reading or need to access written content promptly and conveniently. Text-to-speech readers facilitate users to perceive written content read out loud, so they can focus on the meaning rather than struggling with the words.

In this article, we reviewed 8 best text-to-speech book readers with built-in TTS (text-to-speech) functions.

How We Picked the TTS Readers?

In preparing this review, we tested 8 speech-enabled book readers for different operating systems. We selected products based on both functionality and affordability.

After comparing their features, we have compiled the best readers based on:

• User Interface;
• Ease of use;
• Feature set;
• Format support.

As a result, we have compiled a list of the top 8 best TTS book readers. Now, let's check the result.

Text-to-speech technology finds applications in various fields, including accessibility solutions for individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties, language learning and education, assistive technology, call centers, automotive systems, multimedia and entertainment, and more.

1. Icecream Ebook Reader

This is an ebook reader for PC that supports many different formats: ePub, MOBI, FB2, PDF, CBZ, CBR, TXT . A beautiful and user-friendly interface will not cause difficulties even for a novice.

Extensive settings help the user to customize the text-to-speech book reader . For example, change the theme. Make it dark or white. It is also possible to place one or two pages on the screen for more comfortable reading.

In addition to the color and text settings , you can control the voice pitch , volume , and pronunciation speed when using the text-to-speech feature.

The TTS Ebook Reader for Windows gives the user the ability to listen to foreign books and entertainment titles. The user can choose between male and female voices of various tones, which also makes getting to know educational literature more enjoyable and memorable.

There are also such notable features as the capacity to add notes and highlight text in the electronic books of ePub, MOBI , FB2, and TXT formats.

This Windows ebook reader does not take up much space and works even on outdated PC models. This versatile app is handy not only for lovers of reading but also for ordinary users to view ebook files.

Enjoy reading e-books in various formats like EPUB, MOBI, PDF and others. Track your reading progress, add notes, work with text and more.

2. NaturalReader

This is a fairly well-made text-to-speech book reader for various OSs. It can work online, can be added to Google Chrome as an extension and there's an Android app , too. It has a simple and clear interface with a small number of settings. This ebook reader supports many text file formats and is dyslexic-friendly .

The major feature of the TTS reader is the ability to purchase additional voices from the online library. Various voice packages (male, and female) in different languages of the planet are collected here.

Another difference in the software is the OCR support. The cross-platform ebook reader easily recognizes scanned text and screenshots, for example from electronic book readers.

Concerning utilizing the PDF format, NaturalReader retains its original formatting, which makes the use of the text-to-speech reader even more convenient. The built-in editor allows you to change the pronunciation of a particular word.

3. Balabolka

This is a popular ebook reader app for reading text aloud for quite a long time. The main advantage of Balabolka is that all voice synthesizers that are installed on the PC can be used for playback. It is controlled using the standard settings.

The ebook reader can add bookmarks , adjust the font , check spelling errors , and even search for homographs . You can also add some available commercial voices for the text-to-speech feature.

For those who prefer to listen to books or other text content, the timer function will be useful. It will turn off the computer. This ebook reader is also quite compact in size and is available on Windows 10, 11, 8, and 7 .

4. Voice Dream Reader

Utilizing Voice Dream Reader facilitates a sturdy application that gives users the possibility to adjust their reading encounters.

With its intuitive user interface, users can easily control the speed , volume , and pitch of their audio output , as well as customize settings like font type , background color , and text size .

The text-to-speech book reader also offers over 50 voices in 30 languages, all of which can be downloaded for free. Moreover, users can access books from Dropbox or other sources with just a few clicks.

Advanced TTS systems allow users to customize the speech output by adjusting the speed, pitch, and tone of the generated voice. This customization feature adds flexibility and personalization options.

The app's advanced features make it perfect for students and professionals alike who need a reliable text-to-speech app to help them read and comprehend written material expeditiously and accurately.

This ebook reader for PC can also be utilized by those with sight impairments or learning disabilities who may have difficulty understanding conventional printed material.

5. TTSReader

This is a powerful utility that can assist you in crafting an audio file from any text. TTS reader is straightforward to use with features such as multiple voices, speed, pitch control, and more. With this tool, you can create audio files of your favorite articles, books, or any other written material.

The ebook reader is web-based and does not require any downloads or installations. All that is required is to input the text you want to convert and select the desired voice and other settings. Once the audio file is created, you can play it back on any device with a media player. You can also share it with anyone over email or social media.

The TTSReader's text-to-speech engine supports numerous languages and dialects . It also offers several different voices that are suitable for various occasions.

For example, there are voices for business presentations, audiobooks, video games, and more. The voices are also available in both male and female versions.

6. eReader Prestigio

This is an innovative text-to-speech book reader that can be used to read out loud any text on a mobile device. It is designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia, vision impairments, and other disabilities.

The text-to-speech app uses natural-sounding voices to read aloud texts in any language. It works with PDFs , e-books, webpages, emails, and documents. You can customize the speed of the voice and choose from multiple volume levels. The reading speed can also be adjusted depending on your needs.

The eReader Prestigio also allows you to save the audio files as MP3s or WAVs so you may listen to them later. TTS Ebook Reader also includes a built-in dictionary so you can look up words quickly while reading. With its easy-to-use interface and intuitive controls, the eReader Prestigio makes it effortless to access texts efficiently.

This is a powerful ebook reader that makes it easier for users to read long texts efficiently. It uses natural language processing algorithms to convert text into high-quality speech with numerous accents, tones, and speeds.

The TTS reader is optimized for ease of use. The user simply needs to enter the text they want to read and the tool will automatically start reading the text out loud. The user can also adjust the speed, pitch, volume, and other parameters of the voice according to their preferences.

Reedy is cost-effective and reliable. The tool is available in multiple languages and dialects. This text-to-speech book reader opens files in ePub , FB2 , HTML , TXT , and web links.

8. Mantano Ebook

Mantano E-book Reader is a comprehensive ebook reader app that offers users an array of powerful features. One of its most impressive options is its integrated text-to-speech tool. This tool enables readers to hear their favorite books, making it a great way to delight in literature while performing other tasks.

The speech engine produces natural-sounding voices that help people follow the text. There are several voice options available, including male and female voices in different accents and languages.

The text-to-speech app also has adjustable speed settings that allow users to adjust the rate at which they hear the text. This facilitates beginning readers or those who have difficulty reading swiftly to keep up with the story.

Reasons to Use Ebook Reader Apps

Making use of text-to-speech book readers can be a great asset in many various situations. These are a few of the most typical reasons people opt for Text to Speech instruments:

• Education . Utilizing TTS technology can benefit students with disabilities or learning difficulties, allowing them to access materials more readily.
• Accessibility . Text-to-speech can allow people with vision impairments or limited mobility to obtain digital content.
• Translation . TTS readers can convert the text in one language into another language, making it easier for those who don't speak the original language to understand the material.
• Audiobooks . Reading books aloud is often time-consuming and tedious. With a TTS tool, you can create an audiobook version of any text quickly and easily.
• Productivity . By using an ebook reading software , you can listen to emails, documents, or other important data while multitasking. This is especially helpful when you don't have the opportunity to sit down and read through everything.
• Proofreading . Listening to the text instead of reading it can help you catch mistakes that you might otherwise miss. By hearing what you've written, you may find errors that your eyes miss when simply skimming the text.

Overall, TTS tools are becoming increasingly popular as they simplify for people who need translations to access information rapidly. Additionally, these tools can also help increase productivity and improve proofreading skills.

• Decide on the purpose . Before employing a text-to-speech converter, determine what you intend to achieve and how it will benefit you.
• Choose the best service . Consider your needs and research the different options available to find one that suits you.
• Make sure it's compatible . Make sure that the TTS reader is compatible with the device and operating system before purchasing or downloading it.
• Customize settings . Most readers will allow you to alter settings like speed, pitch, and volume for better accuracy and understanding.
• Create shortcuts . Create shortcuts on the keyboard to quickly access your text-to-speech ebook reader for quick and easy use.
• Take advantage of features . Many readers have features like bookmarks, highlighting , and notes that can contribute to the experience being more enjoyable and efficient.
• Create playlists . Create playlists of articles, books, or blogs that you would like to read aloud so that you can promptly access them.

Best Text To Speech Book Readers: Summary

We have described what we think are the most interesting ebook reader apps with text-to-speech functionality. As it turned out, there are not many programs of this type. However, all of them easily cope with the main tasks of reading aloud electronic books.

Text-to-speech readers can be a valuable asset for those aspiring to boost their productivity. By following these steps, users can gain access to an array of options that can help them understand their material better. With a little bit of practice and patience, anyone can become a proficient user of text-to-speech readers.

Editor-in-Chief at Icecream Apps

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Convert text into speech.

Here is the list of all the voices that you can use to generate speech

The Formalizer takes your text and rephrases it in various ways. It's essentially a style translator or code switcher. The overall content of the text should stay the same, but it will be written in the new style.

The 🌶 spiciness 🌶 setting is a hint to the tool of how much you want the rewritten text to be that style. More peppers, more of it!

Every time you hit the button, it will regenerate the text, and give you a new answer. What you got isn't what you're looking for? Try hitting it again :)

Turn the spicy thoughts into classy ones, or vice versa

Best speech-to-text app of 2024

Free, paid and online voice recognition apps and services

Best overall

Best for business, best for mobile, best text service, best speech recognition, best virtual assistant, best for cloud, best for azure, best for batch conversion, best free speech to text apps, best mobile speech to text apps, how we test.

The best speech-to-text apps make it simple and easy to convert speech into text, for both desktop and mobile devices.

1. Best overall 2. Best for business 3. Best for mobile 4. Best text service 5. Best speech recognition 6. Best virtual assistant 7. Best for cloud 8. Best for Azure 9. Best for batch conversion 10. Best free speech to text apps 11. Best mobile speech to text apps 12. FAQs 13. How we test

Speech-to-text used to be regarded as very niche, specifically serving either people with accessibility needs or for  dictation . However, speech-to-text is moving more and more into the mainstream as office work can now routinely be completed more simply and easily by using voce-recognition software, rather than having to type through members, and speaking aloud for text to be recorded is now quite common.

While the best speech to text software used to be specifically only for desktops, the development of mobile devices and the explosion of easily accessible apps means that transcription can now also be carried out on a  smartphone  or  tablet . 

This has made the best voice to text applications increasingly valuable to users in a range of different environments, from education to business. This is not least because the technology has matured to the level where mistakes in transcriptions are relatively rare, with some services rightly boasting a 99.9% success rate from clear audio.

Even still, this applies mainly to ordinary situations and circumstances, and precludes the use of technical terminology such as required in legal or medical professions. Despite this, digital transcription can still service needs such as basic  note-taking  which can still be easily done using a phone app, simplifying the dictation process.

However, different speech-to-text programs have different levels of ability and complexity, with some using advanced machine learning to constantly correct errors flagged up by users so that they are not repeated. Others are downloadable software which is only as good as its latest update.

Here then are the best in speech-to-text recognition programs, which should be more than capable for most situations and circumstances.

We've also featured the best voice recognition software .

The best paid for speech to text apps of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

1. Dragon Anywhere

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Dragon Anywhere is the Nuance mobile product for Android and iOS devices, however this is no ‘lite’ app, but rather offers fully-formed dictation capabilities powered via the cloud. 

So essentially you get the same excellent speech recognition as seen on the desktop software – the only meaningful difference we noticed was a very slight delay in our spoken words appearing on the screen (doubtless due to processing in the cloud). However, note that the app was still responsive enough overall.

It also boasts support for boilerplate chunks of text which can be set up and inserted into a document with a simple command, and these, along with custom vocabularies, are synced across the mobile app and desktop Dragon software. Furthermore, you can share documents across devices via Evernote or cloud services (such as Dropbox).

This isn’t as flexible as the desktop application, however, as dictation is limited to within Dragon Anywhere – you can’t dictate directly in another app (although you can copy over text from the Dragon Anywhere dictation pad to a third-party app). The other caveats are the need for an internet connection for the app to work (due to its cloud-powered nature), and the fact that it’s a subscription offering with no one-off purchase option, which might not be to everyone’s tastes.

Even bearing in mind these limitations, though, it’s a definite boon to have fully-fledged, powerful voice recognition of the same sterling quality as the desktop software, nestling on your phone or tablet for when you’re away from the office.

Nuance Communications offers a 7-day free trial to give the app a try before you commit to a subscription. 

Read our full Dragon Anywhere review .

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2. Dragon Professional

Should you be looking for a business-grade dictation application, your best bet is Dragon Professional. Aimed at pro users, the software provides you with the tools to dictate and edit documents, create spreadsheets, and browse the web using your voice.   

According to Nuance, the solution is capable of taking dictation at an equivalent typing speed of 160 words per minute, with a 99% accuracy rate – and that’s out-of-the-box, before any training is done (whereby the app adapts to your voice and words you commonly use).

As well as creating documents using your voice, you can also import custom word lists. There’s also an additional mobile app that lets you transcribe audio files and send them back to your computer.   

This is a powerful, flexible, and hugely useful tool that is especially good for individuals, such as professionals and freelancers, allowing for typing and document management to be done much more flexibly and easily.

Overall, the interface is easy to use, and if you get stuck at all, you can access a series of help tutorials. And while the software can seem expensive, it's just a one-time fee and compares very favorably with paid-for subscription transcription services.

Also note that Nuance are currently offering 12-months' access to Dragon Anywhere at no extra cost with any purchase of Dragon Home or Dragon Professional Individual.

Read our full Dragon Professional review .

Otter is a cloud-based speech to text program especially aimed for mobile use, such as on a laptop or smartphone. The app provides real-time transcription, allowing you to search, edit, play, and organize as required.

Otter is marketed as an app specifically for meetings, interviews, and lectures, to make it easier to take rich notes. However, it is also built to work with collaboration between teams, and different speakers are assigned different speaker IDs to make it easier to understand transcriptions.

There are three different payment plans, with the basic one being free to use and aside from the features mentioned above also includes keyword summaries and a wordcloud to make it easier to find specific topic mentions. You can also organize and share, import audio and video for transcription, and provides 600 minutes of free service.

The Premium plan also includes advanced and bulk export options, the ability to sync audio from Dropbox, additional playback speeds including the ability to skip silent pauses. The Premium plan also allows for up to 6,000 minutes of speech to text.

The Teams plan also adds two-factor authentication, user management and centralized billing, as well as user statistics, voiceprints, and live captioning.

Read our full Otter review .

Verbit aims to offer a smarter speech to text service, using AI for transcription and captioning. The service is specifically targeted at enterprise and educational establishments.

Verbit uses a mix of speech models, using neural networks and algorithms to reduce background noise, focus on terms as well as differentiate between speakers regardless of accent, as well as incorporate contextual events such as news and company information into recordings.

Although Verbit does offer a live version for transcription and captioning, aiming for a high degree of accuracy, other plans offer human editors to ensure transcriptions are fully accurate, and advertise a four hour turnaround time.

Altogether, while Verbit does offer a direct speech to text service, it’s possibly better thought of as a transcription service, but the focus on enterprise and education, as well as team use, means it earns a place here as an option to consider.

Read our full Verbit review .

5. Speechmatics

Speechmatics offers a machine learning solution to converting speech to text, with its automatic speech recognition solution available to use on existing audio and video files as well as for live use.

Unlike some automated transcription software which can struggle with accents or charge more for them, Speechmatics advertises itself as being able to support all major British accents, regardless of nationality. That way it aims to cope with not just different American and British English accents, but also South African and Jamaican accents.

Speechmatics offers a wider number of speech to text transcription uses than many other providers. Examples include taking call center phone recordings and converting them into searchable text or Word documents. The software also works with video and other media for captioning as well as using keyword triggers for management.

Overall, Speechmatics aims to offer a more flexible and comprehensive speech to text service than a lot of other providers, and the use of automation should keep them price competitive.

Read our full Speechmatics review .

6. Braina Pro

Braina Pro is speech recognition software which is built not just for dictation, but also as an all-round digital assistant to help you achieve various tasks on your PC. It supports dictation to third-party software in not just English but almost 90 different languages, with impressive voice recognition chops.

Beyond that, it’s a virtual assistant that can be instructed to set alarms, search your PC for a file, or search the internet, play an MP3 file, read an ebook aloud, plus you can implement various custom commands.

The Windows program also has a companion Android app which can remotely control your PC, and use the local Wi-Fi network to deliver commands to your computer, so you can spark up a music playlist, for example, wherever you happen to be in the house. Nifty.

There’s a free version of Braina which comes with limited functionality, but includes all the basic PC commands, along with a 7-day trial of the speech recognition which allows you to test out its powers for yourself before you commit to a subscription. Yes, this is another subscription-only product with no option to purchase for a one-off fee. Also note that you need to be online and have Google ’s Chrome browser installed for speech recognition functionality to work.

Read our full Braina Pro review .

7. Amazon Transcribe

Amazon Transcribe is as big cloud-based automatic speech recognition platform developed specifically to convert audio to text for apps. It especially aims to provide a more accurate and comprehensive service than traditional providers, such as being able to cope with low-fi and noisy recordings, such as you might get in a contact center .

Amazon Transcribe uses a deep learning process that automatically adds punctuation and formatting, as well as process with a secure livestream or otherwise transcribe speech to text with batch processing.

As well as offering time stamping for individual words for easy search, it can also identify different speaks and different channels and annotate documents accordingly to account for this.

There are also some nice features for editing and managing transcribed texts, such as vocabulary filtering and replacement words which can be used to keep product names consistent and therefore any following transcription easier to analyze.

Overall, Amazon Transcribe is one of the most powerful platforms out there, though it’s aimed more for the business and enterprise user rather than the individual.

8. Microsoft Azure Speech to Text

Microsoft 's Azure cloud service offers advanced speech recognition as part of the platform's speech services to deliver the Microsoft Azure Speech to Text functionality. 

This feature allows you to simply and easily create text from a variety of audio sources. There are also customization options available to work better with different speech patterns, registers, and even background sounds. You can also modify settings to handle different specialist vocabularies, such as product names, technical information, and place names.

The Microsoft's Azure Speech to Text feature is powered by deep neural network models and allows for real-time audio transcription that can be set up to handle multiple speakers.

As part of the Azure cloud service, you can run Azure Speech to Text in the cloud, on premises, or in edge computing. In terms of pricing, you can run the feature in a free container with a single concurrent request for up to 5 hours of free audio per month.

Read our full Microsoft Azure Speech to Text review .

9. IBM Watson Speech to Text

IBM's Watson Speech to Text works is the third cloud-native solution on this list, with the feature being powered by AI and machine learning as part of IBM's cloud services.

While there is the option to transcribe speech to text in real-time, there is also the option to batch convert audio files and process them through a range of language, audio frequency, and other output options.

You can also tag transcriptions with speaker labels, smart formatting, and timestamps, as well as apply global editing for technical words or phrases, acronyms, and for number use.

As with other cloud services Watson Speech to Text allows for easy deployment both in the cloud and on-premises behind your own firewall to ensure security is maintained.

Read our full Watson Speech to Text review .

1. Google Gboard

If you already have an Android mobile device, then if it's not already installed then download Google Keyboard from the Google Play store and you'll have an instant text-to-speech app. Although it's primarily designed as a keyboard for physical input, it also has a speech input option which is directly available. And because all the power of Google's hardware is behind it, it's a powerful and responsive tool.

If that's not enough then there are additional features. Aside from physical input ones such as swiping, you can also trigger images in your text using voice commands. Additionally, it can also work with Google Translate, and is advertised as providing support for over 60 languages.

Even though Google Keyboard isn't a dedicated transcription tool, as there are no shortcut commands or text editing directly integrated, it does everything you need from a basic transcription tool. And as it's a keyboard, it means should be able to work with any software you can run on your Android smartphone, so you can text edit, save, and export using that. Even better, it's free and there are no adverts to get in the way of you using it.

2. Just Press Record

If you want a dedicated dictation app, it’s worth checking out Just Press Record. It’s a mobile audio recorder that comes with features such as one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing across devices. The great thing is that it’s aimed at pretty much anyone and is extremely easy to use. 

When it comes to recording notes, all you have to do is press one button, and you get unlimited recording time. However, the really great thing about this app is that it also offers a powerful transcription service. 

Through it, you can quickly and easily turn speech into searchable text. Once you’ve transcribed a file, you can then edit it from within the app. There’s support for more than 30 languages as well, making it the perfect app if you’re working abroad or with an international team. Another nice feature is punctuation command recognition, ensuring that your transcriptions are free from typos.   

This app is underpinned by cloud technology, meaning you can access notes from any device (which is online). You’re able to share audio and text files to other iOS apps too, and when it comes to organizing them, you can view recordings in a comprehensive file. 

3. Speechnotes

Speechnotes is yet another easy to use dictation app. A useful touch here is that you don’t need to create an account or anything like that; you just open up the app and press on the microphone icon, and you’re off.   

The app is powered by Google voice recognition tech. When you’re recording a note, you can easily dictate punctuation marks through voice commands, or by using the built-in punctuation keyboard. 

To make things even easier, you can quickly add names, signatures, greetings and other frequently used text by using a set of custom keys on the built-in keyboard. There’s automatic capitalization as well, and every change made to a note is saved to the cloud.

When it comes to customizing notes, you can access a plethora of fonts and text sizes. The app is free to download from the Google Play Store , but you can make in-app purchases to access premium features (there's also a browser version for Chrome).   

Read our full Speechnotes review .

4. Transcribe

Marketed as a personal assistant for turning videos and voice memos into text files, Transcribe is a popular dictation app that’s powered by AI. It lets you make high quality transcriptions by just hitting a button.   

The app can transcribe any video or voice memo automatically, while supporting over 80 languages from across the world. While you can easily create notes with Transcribe, you can also import files from services such as Dropbox.

Once you’ve transcribed a file, you can export the raw text to a word processor to edit. The app is free to download, but you’ll have to make an in-app purchase if you want to make the most of these features in the long-term. There is a trial available, but it’s basically just 15 minutes of free transcription time. Transcribe is only available on iOS, though.   

5. Windows Speech Recognition

If you don’t want to pay for speech recognition software, and you’re running Microsoft’s latest desktop OS, then you might be pleased to hear that speech-to-text is built into Windows.

Windows Speech Recognition, as it’s imaginatively named – and note that this is something different to Cortana, which offers basic commands and assistant capabilities – lets you not only execute commands via voice control, but also offers the ability to dictate into documents.

The sort of accuracy you get isn’t comparable with that offered by the likes of Dragon, but then again, you’re paying nothing to use it. It’s also possible to improve the accuracy by training the system by reading text, and giving it access to your documents to better learn your vocabulary. It’s definitely worth indulging in some training, particularly if you intend to use the voice recognition feature a fair bit.

The company has been busy boasting about its advances in terms of voice recognition powered by deep neural networks, especially since windows 10 and now for Windows 11 , and Microsoft is certainly priming us to expect impressive things in the future. The likely end-goal aim is for Cortana to do everything eventually, from voice commands to taking dictation.

Turn on Windows Speech Recognition by heading to the Control Panel (search for it, or right click the Start button and select it), then click on Ease of Access, and you will see the option to ‘start speech recognition’ (you’ll also spot the option to set up a microphone here, if you haven’t already done that).

Aside from what has already been covered above, there are an increasing number of apps available across all mobile devices for working with speech to text, not least because Google's speech recognition technology is available for use. 

iTranslate Translator  is a speech-to-text app for iOS with a difference, in that it focuses on translating voice languages. Not only does it aim to translate different languages you hear into text for your own language, it also works to translate images such as photos you might take of signs in a foreign country and get a translation for them. In that way, iTranslate is a very different app, that takes the idea of speech-to-text in a novel direction, and by all accounts, does it well. 

ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes  is another speech-to-text app that uses Google's speech recognition software, but this time does a more comprehensive job of integrating it with a note-taking program than many other apps. The text notes you record are searchable, and you can import/export with other text applications. Additionally there is a password protection option, which encrypts notes after the first 20 characters so that the beginning of the notes are searchable by you. There's also an organizer feature for your notes, using category or assigned color. The app is free on Android, but includes ads.

Voice Notes  is a simple app that aims to convert speech to text for making notes. This is refreshing, as it mixes Google's speech recognition technology with a simple note-taking app, so there are more features to play with here. You can categorize notes, set reminders, and import/export text accordingly.

SpeechTexter  is another speech-to-text app that aims to do more than just record your voice to a text file. This app is built specifically to work with social media, so that rather than sending messages, emails, Tweets, and similar, you can record your voice directly to the social media sites and send. There are also a number of language packs you can download for offline working if you want to use more than just English, which is handy.

Also consider reading these related software and app guides:

• Best text-to-speech software
• Best transcription services
• Best Bluetooth headsets

Which speech-to-text app is best for you?

When deciding which speech-to-text app to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as free and budget  options may only provide basic features, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid-for platform is better suited to you. Additionally, higher-end software can usually cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require from your speech-to-text app.

To test for the best speech-to-text apps we first set up an account with the relevant platform, then we tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each speech-to-text platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.

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Text To Speech: SpeakBooks 4+

Read aloud, pdf, epub, ebook, kairoos solutions sl, designed for ipad.

• Offers In-App Purchases

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Discover SpeakBooks: The Ultimate AI TTS eBook Companion! Transform your reading experience with SpeakBooks, the ultimate app for reading aloud your favorite e-books in PDF, EPUB, and text formats. Whether you're on the go or relaxing at home, SpeakBooks brings your books to life with advanced text-to-speech technology and a powerful AI assistant. Key Features: - Multiformat eBook Reader: PDF, EPUB, TXT, MP3... - Multilingual Mastery: Access over 100 voices across 50+ languages and accents. From English to Arabic, Mandarin to Spanish, immerse yourself in diverse linguistic landscapes. - Offline Capabilities: Enjoy text-to-speech and image-to-speech functionality without the need for an internet connection. - Personal Voices: Use personal voices with iOS 17, customizing your listening experience like never before. - Effortless Navigation: Mark your favorite phrases or texts for easy access and efficient management. - Image-to-Voice Conversion: Instantly convert text from photos or images into speech. - Document Scanning: Scan and listen to text from paper documents with our paper-to-voice feature. - AI Assistant: Ask our AI assistant anything about your text, and get insightful responses. - Creative Content Generation: Generate essays, poems, jokes, emails, and more with AI, and have them read aloud. - Seamless Translation: Translate text into 50+ languages and convert the translations into speech. - Cultural Richness: Enjoy multiple Chinese dialects, diverse English accents, and more, offering a truly global reading experience. - Free Trial: Try SpeakBooks for free and explore all the incredible features. Dive into a new world of interactive reading today with SpeakBooks, where technology meets your literary adventures! Download now and elevate your reading experience. Quick Tip: For even more high-quality, natural voice options, navigate to Settings -> Accessibility -> Spoken Content -> Voices. Privacy Policy http://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ This app requires users to have a subscription to unlock all the features after a 3-day risk-free trial.

Version 1.2

- Improved stability and fixed minor bugs.

App Privacy

The developer, Kairoos Solutions SL , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish

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Balabolka Portable 2.15.0.870 (text-to-speech on demand) Released

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Balabolka Portable is packaged in a PortableApps.com Installer so it will automatically detect an existing PortableApps.com installation when your drive is plugged in. It supports upgrades by installing right over an existing copy, preserving all settings. And it's in PortableApps.com Format, so it automatically works with the PortableApps.com Platform including the Menu and Backup Utility.

Balabolka Portable is available for immediate download from the Balabolka Portable homepage . Get it today!

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A nurse honored for compassion is fired after referring to Gaza ‘genocide’ in speech

By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A nurse was fired by a New York City hospital after she referred to Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide” during a speech accepting an award.

Labor and delivery nurse Hesen Jabr, who is Palestinian American, was being honored by NYU Langone Health for her compassion in caring for mothers who had lost babies when she drew a link between her work and the suffering of mothers in Gaza.

“It pains me to see the women from my country going through unimaginable losses themselves during the current genocide in Gaza,” Jabr said, according to a video of the May 7 speech that she posted on social media . “This award is deeply personal to me for those reasons.”

Jabr wrote on Instagram that she arrived at work on May 22 for her first shift back after receiving the award when she was summoned to a meeting with the hospital’s president and vice president of nursing “to discuss how I ‘put others at risk’ and ‘ruined the ceremony’ and ‘offended people’ because a small part of my speech was a tribute towards the grieving mothers in my country.”

She wrote that after working most of her shift she was “dragged once again to an office” where she was read her termination letter and then escorted out of the building.

A spokesperson for NYU Langone, Steve Ritea, confirmed that Jabr was fired following her speech and said there had been “a previous incident as well.”

“Hesen Jabr was warned in December, following a previous incident, not to bring her views on this divisive and charged issue into the workplace,” Mr. Ritea said in a statement. “She instead chose not to heed that at a recent employee recognition event that was widely attended by her colleagues, some of whom were upset after her comments. As a result, Jabr is no longer an NYU Langone employee.”

Ritea did not provide any details of the previous incident.

Jabr defended her speech in an interview with The New York Times and said talking about the war “was so relevant” given the nature of the award she had won.

“It was an award for bereavement; it was for grieving mothers,” she said.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says that more than 36,000 people have been killed in the territory during the war that started with the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel . Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine .

Critics say Israel’s military campaign amounts to genocide, and the government of South Africa formally accused the country of genocide in January when it asked the United Nations’ top court to order a halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Israel has denied the genocide charge and told the International Court of Justice it is doing everything it can to protect Gaza’s civilian population.

Jabr is not the first employee at the hospital, which was renamed from NYU Medical Center after a major donation from Republican Party donor and billionaire Kenneth Langone, to be fired over comments about the Mideast conflict.

A prominent researcher who directed the hospital’s cancer center was fired after he posted anti-Hamas political cartoons including caricatures of Arab people. That researcher, biologist Benjamin Neel, has since filed suit against the hospital.

Jabr’s firing also was not her first time in the spotlight. When she was an 11-year-old in Louisiana, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on her behalf after she was forced to accept a Bible from the principal of her public school.

“This is not my first rodeo,” she told the Times.

Jump to comments ↓

Associated Press

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Transcribe App and Online Editor

Your personal assistant for note taking and transcribing. our voice transcription service saves you time and helps you focus on what’s important..

Automatic transcription

Transcribe is your AI-powered speech-to-text service. Use the Transcribe app and online editor to automatically generate notes from meetings, interviews, videos and more.

More than 120 languages

Turn audio and video into searchable, editable and shareable content in more than 120 languages.

Spanish (Spain)

Spanish (Mexican)

Spanish (Colombian)

Traditional Chinese

Variety of formats

Import files from any app or cloud storage system. Supported formats include mp3, m4a, wav, m4v, mp4, mov and avi.

Document export

Export transcribed text into a document with timestamps and polish it there. Supported formats include PDF and Microsoft Word.

Zoom integration

Record your Zoom calls and get meeting notes almost instantly.

Voice recorder

Record and review conversations in real time with our live transcription service.

Dim the lights when you work late into the night.

Collaboration tools

Collaborate with your colleagues by exporting voice notes or using Teams feature.

Bonus 5 hours of transcription time

Additional time credits every month.

Additional export formats

Export to TXT, PDF, DOCX, SRT and JPG.

Cloud storage

Up to 500 files of speech recording can be backed up in the cloud.

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Access your documents from any device (iPhone, iPad, MacOS or a web browser).

Edit on your phone, PC or Mac

Proofread and polish the transcription on whichever device you prefer.

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Speedier replies and help when you need it.

Bonus 30 hours of transcription time

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Up to 1 000 audio files with infinite storage time.

For podcasters

Transcribe podcasts into written notes.

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Transcribe interviews to get news out fast.

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Save time on your academic research.

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What our users are saying

I’m a freelance writer who uses the Voice Memo app when conducting interviews. It would take me HOURS to transcribe what was recorded. And that wasted my time when I could have been writing the article. Transcribe has now freed up that time.

I am disabled and I’ve been looking for this exact technology for at least two years because I can’t type anymore. A lot of these transcriptions don’t work, but this one does. I’ve probably done 60 hours of transcribing audio memos checks and with with very few exceptions it was Word for Word perfect. And when you didn’t get the word right it was because I was mumbling, or what have you.

This converted my rambling voice memos directly into text for use in a word document. My audio quality was low: I recorded with my iPhone in my lap while driving on the highway so there is lots of background noise. Still, the imperfections in text are all from me stammering. Actually, the app cut out lots of ums and repeated words improving what I said. It still requires editing and correcting - mostly formatting - but really couldnt be improved much at all. This is mature technology. Also, the software interface is top notch, like google or even better.

Time-saver and amazing results! Thanks a lot for this help! I often have to work with texts in German, English, Italian.

Just used this app to transcribe a 24 minute interview (on Apple Voice Memos) with my dad, about our family history. Using this app vs. transcribing it myself has literally saved me hours. The transcription was good enough that all I will need to do is clean up a few minor “misreads”, and I can present a written version of this interview to my dad as a gift for Christmas. Thanks for a great app!

I am very pleased with this app. I use it primarily to transcribe short information videos. I purchase time in one hour increments which is suitable for my needs.

Experts talk about Transcribe

Best voice-to-text apps.

Voice-to-text apps can be very useful for busy professionals. If you're always on the go or you think faster than you can write, these special programs can increase efficiency and store your recordings safe and sound via the cloud.

The 6 Best Dictation Apps for iPhone

If the iPhone's built-in dictation feature doesn't cut it for you, here are a few good dictation apps for you.

10 iPhone Speech-to-Text Apps 2021

If you don't want to type long texts yourself, a transcription service will be the best solution for you.

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A nurse honored for compassion is fired after referring to Gaza ‘genocide’ in speech

By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A nurse was fired by a New York City hospital after she referred to Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide” during a speech accepting an award.

Labor and delivery nurse Hesen Jabr, who is Palestinian American, was being honored by NYU Langone Health for her compassion in caring for mothers who had lost babies when she drew a link between her work and the suffering of mothers in Gaza.

“It pains me to see the women from my country going through unimaginable losses themselves during the current genocide in Gaza,” Jabr said, according to a video of the May 7 speech that she posted on social media . “This award is deeply personal to me for those reasons.”

Jabr wrote on Instagram that she arrived at work on May 22 for her first shift back after receiving the award when she was summoned to a meeting with the hospital’s president and vice president of nursing “to discuss how I ‘put others at risk’ and ‘ruined the ceremony’ and ‘offended people’ because a small part of my speech was a tribute towards the grieving mothers in my country.”

She wrote that after working most of her shift she was “dragged once again to an office” where she was read her termination letter and then escorted out of the building.

A spokesperson for NYU Langone, Steve Ritea, confirmed that Jabr was fired following her speech and said there had been “a previous incident as well.”

“Hesen Jabr was warned in December, following a previous incident, not to bring her views on this divisive and charged issue into the workplace,” Mr. Ritea said in a statement. “She instead chose not to heed that at a recent employee recognition event that was widely attended by her colleagues, some of whom were upset after her comments. As a result, Jabr is no longer an NYU Langone employee.”

Ritea did not provide any details of the previous incident.

Jabr defended her speech in an interview with The New York Times and said talking about the war “was so relevant” given the nature of the award she had won.

“It was an award for bereavement; it was for grieving mothers,” she said.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says that more than 36,000 people have been killed in the territory during the war that started with the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel . Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced and U.N. officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine .

Critics say Israel’s military campaign amounts to genocide, and the government of South Africa formally accused the country of genocide in January when it asked the United Nations’ top court to order a halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Israel has denied the genocide charge and told the International Court of Justice it is doing everything it can to protect Gaza’s civilian population.

Jabr is not the first employee at the hospital, which was renamed from NYU Medical Center after a major donation from Republican Party donor and billionaire Kenneth Langone, to be fired over comments about the Mideast conflict.

A prominent researcher who directed the hospital’s cancer center was fired after he posted anti-Hamas political cartoons including caricatures of Arab people. That researcher, biologist Benjamin Neel, has since filed suit against the hospital.

Jabr’s firing also was not her first time in the spotlight. When she was an 11-year-old in Louisiana, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on her behalf after she was forced to accept a Bible from the principal of her public school.

“This is not my first rodeo,” she told the Times.

Jump to comments ↓

The Associated Press

News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here .

Reducing mp3 file size for text to speech using api

I have a use case where I convert text to speech for my business using open AI api. I have set up conversion and translations using Make .com so that it happens with just one click. The files are then uploaded on an app. However the MP3 output files are very huge. The App I work with only accepts MP3 and has a limit on file size. Is there a way that I can reduce the size of the output file from Open AI but keep MP3 format? (Currently I’m compressing after downloading which is very inefficient)

Related Topics

• Apps & Updates

Google Docs

Google slides, google docs voice typing coming to safari, edge.

Google is expanding availability of voice typing in Docs beyond desktop Chrome to Safari and Microsoft Edge to allow for “more inclusive and accessible user interactions.”

In Google Docs, you can use your voice to type and edit. Go to Tools > Voice typing to bring up the floating microphone. Google says to “speak clearly, at a normal volume and pace.”

Beyond dictation, voice commands let you add punctuation, select text, format, edit (cut/copy/paste/etc.), move around, and even add tables. 

If you make a mistake while you’re typing with your voice, you can move your cursor to the mistake and fix it without turning off the microphone.

In Google Slides, voice typing can be used to add speaker notes. Automatic captions when a speaker is talking during a presentation is also seeing expanded browser availability.

After enabling voice typing and captions, the browser “controls the speech-to-text service, determines how speech is processed, and then sends text data to Google Docs and Google Slides.”

Voice typing and automatic captions are available for all, including “Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.”

More on Google Docs:

• Gemini 1.5 Pro-powered side panel launching in Gmail, Google Docs, and more
• Google Drive on the web rolling out hovercard preview
• Google Docs adds formatting sidebar on Android tablets
• Google Drive search filters now rolling out on Android

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Microsoft Build 2024: The Biggest News In AI, Copilots, Data, Security

News around Microsoft Copilot in Azure, Team Copilot and Defender for Cloud are some of the most exciting updates to come out of Build 2024.

These are some of the biggest news and coming features the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant unveiled during its annual Microsoft Build event, being held Tuesday through Thursday in Seattle.

Based on Microsoft’s announcements, the vendor seeks to expand its domination of the nascent GenAI market by giving developers more access and more control while creating copilots, chatbots, workflow automations and other outcomes of this emerging technology.

[RELATED: Nadella To Microsoft: Prioritize Security Over New Features ]

Microsoft Build 2024

Build 2024 is expected to have about 200,000 people registered for in-person or online attendance, with 4,000 people attending in person in Seattle, according to Microsoft. The event features more than 300 sessions, demos and labs.

Multiple news items from the conference focused on opportunities with Microsoft Fabric, an AI-powered analytics platform that the tech giant revealed can more than quadruple ROI, with users seeing a payback period of less than six months.

All the advancements come shortly after Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella issued a memo to employees urging them to prioritize security over new feature releases when necessary, a memo prompted by concerns over a 2023 Microsoft cloud email breach.

Indeed, as part of Build 2024, Microsoft said that within its Azure AI offering, it has 20 “responsible AI” tools with more than 90 features.

On the vendor’s April quarterly earnings call, Nadella pointed to the early opportunities with AI and to systems integrators adopting tools for fine-tuning artificial intelligence models as a sign of growing market maturity.

Here are more of the biggest news items from Build 2024.

Copilot In Microsoft Fabric, AI Skills

Microsoft has made Copilot in its AI-powered analytics platform Fabric generally available.

Copilot in Fabric aims to help data professionals increase productivity and let business users more easily search through data. Users can leverage conversational language to create dataflows, generate code, generate functions, build machine learning models and visualize results, according to Microsoft.

This copilot is on by default for eligible tenants, with experiences in Data Factory, Data Engineering, Data Science, Data Warehouse and real-time intelligence, which are all still in preview.

The copilot experience for real-time intelligence will allow users to type questions in conversational language. Copilot will automatically translate Kusto Query Language (KQL) users can execute.

Also in preview is AI skills, a capability meant to allow any user to have a conversational question-and-answer experience with data. Users select the data source in Fabric they want to explore and can ask questions without configuration, according to Microsoft.

The experience will show the query generated to find the answer to the user’s question. And users can add tables, set more context and configure settings for a better experience.

AI skills honor existing security permissions. And users can configure this capability to respect unique organization nuances. Abilities to enrich Microsoft Copilot Studio-made copilots and interact with Microsoft 365 Copilot are “coming soon,” according to Microsoft.

More Microsoft Fabric Updates

The preview of Fabric’s real-time intelligence is one of the biggest reveals at Microsoft Build 2024. Real-time intelligence is meant to help users take actions on high-volume, time-sensitive granular data.

Analysts can leverage low-code and no-code experiences with real-time intelligence, but professional developers might also benefit from this new feature thanks to the code-rich user interfaces, according to Microsoft.

This workload combines Synapse Real-Time Analytics and Data Activator for event streaming data and offers a new real-time hub for discovering, managing and using that data. Users can transform and route events in the hub to any Fabric data store and create new streams.

Users can also trigger actions like alerting a production manager when equipment is overheating or rerunning jobs when data pipelines fail with real-time intelligence.

Microsoft also launched a preview for a new Fabric Workload Development Kit, which aims to allow developers to extend applications within the platform. Apps built with the kit will appear as a native workload in Fabric. A workload hub is coming soon in Fabric, according to Microsoft, adding a spot where users can discover, add and manage kit-made workloads.

API for GraphQL, also in preview, allows data professionals to access data from multiple sources in Fabric with a single query API, according to Microsoft. Users can turn to API for GraphQL to streamline requests, potentially reducing network overhead and accelerating response rates.

Fabric user data functions, in preview, work across notebooks, pipelines, event streams and other data services.

Inside Fabric’s Data Factory experience is a new feature, data workflows. Powered by the open- source Apache Airflow, data workflows promise users the ability to author, schedule and monitor workflows or data pipelines using Python, according to Microsoft.

Users can leverage data workflows to define Directed Acyclic Graphs files for complex Fabric data workflow orchestration, according to the vendor.

Fabric OneLake Enhancements

Along with these Fabric updates, Microsoft has expanded shortcuts for the platform’s unified, multi-cloud OneLake data lake to connect to data from on-premises and network-restricted data sources beyond Azure Data Lake Service Gen2.

An on-premises data gateway means users can now make shortcuts to Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3 and on-premises or otherwise network-restricted S3-compatible storage buckets, according to Microsoft.

Fabric also expanded integration with Snowflake and Azure Databricks, according to Microsoft. Users gained more interoperability between Snowflake and OneLake. OneLake will also support Apache Iceberg in the future.

Azure Databricks Unity Catalog tables integration with Fabric will allow users to create and configure new items in Fabric in a few clicks, among other use cases, according to Microsoft.

The ability to access Fabric lakehouses and other data items as a catalog in Azure Databricks is coming soon, according to Microsoft.

Copilot, Copilot Studio Expansions

Microsoft said that later this year it will launch a preview for a way Copilot for Microsoft 365 license holders can bring AI to a team, department or whole organization.

Team Copilot promises to facilitate Teams meetings, manage the agenda, track time and take notes, according to Microsoft. It can moderate Teams chats by summarizing information and responding to group member questions.

In Planner, Team Copilot can act as a project manager by creating tasks, assigning tasks, tracking deadlines and notifying team members when they need to give input.

In the meantime, early access program members have gained the ability to make custom copilots in SharePoint for quick information retrieval. A public preview of this capability will come later this year, according to Microsoft.

Now generally available is SharePoint Embedded, allowing developers to build file- and document-centric apps that can be integrated with custom copilots, allowing a headless, API-only way to deliver Microsoft 365 capabilities through enterprise and ISV apps.

Of interest to solution providers is a preview allowing for copilot extension publishing through Partner Center. Users can access these extensions to install from the store in Copilot and app stores in Microsoft 365 products like Teams and Outlook.

More Copilot Advancements

A new capability for Copilot Studio early access program members allows users to make agent custom copilots that can automate business processes. A preview is scheduled for later this year, according to Microsoft.

The agents reason over user inputs and system actions, use memory to bring in context, and learn and act based on user feedback, according to Microsoft.

Use cases include IT device procurement and customer concierge for sales and service, according to the tech giant.

Copilot Studio now has connectors that will allow developers to more easily build extensions— more than 100 customers and partners are building Copilot extensions with Copilot Studio and Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio.

Copilot Studio connectors for Microsoft Fabric are coming soon, according to the tech giant, joining Copilot Studio’s more than 1,400 Power Platform, Microsoft Graph and Power Query connectors.

Those connectors will allow copilots to use public websites, SharePoint, OneDrive, Dataverse tables, Microsoft Fabric OneLake, Microsoft Graph, third-party apps and other data sources. Developers will have the ability to curate and manage available Copilot connectors.

Coming soon are new agent capabilities allowing Copilot Studio to orchestrate defined tasks and functions behind the scenes. Copilot Studio agent capabilities are available in the early access program. Public preview should come later this calendar year, according to Microsoft.

Use cases include giving a copilot the authority to reason over actions and user input, leverage memory, learn based on user feedback, record exception requests and ask for help for unfamiliar situations.

This could help automate long-running business processes in customer on-boarding, with copilot offering training and relevant resource guides, seeking feedback for future enhancements and responding promptly when customers voice concern, according to Microsoft. Copilot will recall past conversations for context and personalized experiences while following guardrails.

The premium version of Microsoft’s popular Teams collaboration app received AI and data protection updates.

Becoming generally available in June for Teams Premium and Copilot for Microsoft 365 is intelligent recap support for meetings with transcription enabled but recording not enabled.

Going generally available next month is an additional transcription control for meeting organizers. Now generally available is the ability for administrators to specify which meetings are enabled to share content with external participants, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft pushed more Teams features to custom apps and website experiences built with Microsoft Azure Communication Services, including Microsoft PowerPoint Live, Call Diagnostics Center, noise suppression during a video call, picture-in-picture for iOS and Android, closed captions, real-time transcription using Azure AI Speech and file sharing during a meeting.

Next month a preview becomes available for custom emojis and reactions in Teams. Now in preview is the ability to use slash commands in the Teams compose box.

Rolling out is the ability for developers to insert code into a Loop component or convert a native code block into a Loop component shareable across Teams chat, Teams channels and Outlook.

Coming soon to Outlook is the capability to directly insert third-party Adaptive Card-based Loop components from services like Jira, Trello, Confluence Cloud, Lucid Software, Mural and Priority Matrix.

Azure AI Advancements

Azure AI Studio is now generally available, according to Microsoft, and promises the ability to develop custom copilot apps.

Users can explore AI tools, orchestrate multiple interoperating APIs and models, ground models, test and evaluate them and then deploy at scale with continuous monitoring, according to Microsoft.

A prompt flow feature will support workflow orchestration for multimodal models, including the use of images as inputs and outputs in conversations and models. That includes Llama 3, Mistral Large and Cohere Command R+. In preview are tracing as well as debugging and monitoring for generative AI apps features.

Azure AI Studio’s model catalog has more than 1,600 models with frontier and open large language models (LLMs) and small language models (SLMs) for users to compare benchmarks.

Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s newest flagship model, GPT-4o, is now available in Azure AI Studio and as an API. GPT-4o brings together text, image and audio processing for generative and conversational AI experiences, according to Microsoft.

Azure AI Studio users also gained a preview for a new model deployment route—AI Toolkit for Visual Studio Code. In this toolkit, developers can acquire, run and fine-tune models before Azure AI Studio deployment.

The AI Studio and Azure OpenAI Service now have previews for prompt shields and groundedness detection. These shields aim to mitigate indirect and jailbreak prompt injection attacks on LLMs. Groundedness detection is meant for finding ungrounded materials or hallucinations in generated responses, according to Microsoft.

Azure OpenAI Service also gained a generally available update for assistants API, allowing for users to make virtual assistants and chatbots with nuanced understanding and responsiveness.

A new OpenAI Service preview allows users to interact with AI guides inside Microsoft Mesh 3D experiences.

Azure AI Models-as-a-Service

Azure AI’s Models-as-a-Service (MaaS) is coming soon, according to Microsoft, and has previews for Nixtla’s TimeGen-1 and Core42 JAIS. Coming soon are models from AI21, Bria AI, Gretel Labs, NTT Data, Stability AI and Cohere Rerank, according to Microsoft. Microsoft’s Phi-3-mini is now GA in MaaS.

Microsoft has made its Phi-3-vision multimodal model—sized at 4.2 billion parameters—in the Phi-3 family of AI SLMs available in Azure.

Phi-3 models are aimed at personal devices, and the new vision model allows users to input images and text and receive text responses, according to Microsoft. Users can ask questions about charts, open-ended questions about specific images and perform other tasks.

Developers can experiment with the models in Azure AI Playground and build with the models in Azure AI Studio, according to Microsoft.

In preview for Azure AI Speech are speech analytics and universal translation for voice-enabled apps.

Users can bring together transcription, summarization, speech recognition, speaker diarization, sentiment analysis and other audio and video data for insight and translate video files into several supported languages, uploading one or a series of videos to translate and generate video content in other languages automatically.

Microsoft also revealed that its Edge browser is set to get AI-powered real-time video translation for YouTube, LinkedIn, Reuters, CNBC News, Bloomberg, Coursera and other websites, with initial options for Spanish to English and English to German, Hindi, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

Azure AI Search’s storage capacity has been increased to up to 12 times in vector index size for no additional cost to help scale retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workloads.

AI Search previews include built-in image vectorization through Microsoft Azure AI Vision, new platform integration with Azure AI Search’s OneLake connector for files and enhancements to vector and hybrid search, according to Microsoft.

Azure AI gained general availability for an Azure Database for PostgreSQL extension meant to ease bringing AI capabilities to relevant data.

In preview is Azure Database for PostgreSQL in-database embedding generation, with a promise of single-digit millisecond latency, predictable costs and the ability to keep data compliant for confidential workloads, according to Microsoft.

Other Azure Updates

The new Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL, powered by the DiskANN algorithm library, makes Cosmos DB the first cloud database with lower latency vector search at cloud scale without server management, according to Microsoft.

A preview for Azure SQL DB’s Microsoft Copilot capabilities allows users to convert queries into SQL language so developers can interact with data through natural language.

Azure Database for MySQL will receive Copilot capabilities that allow for summaries of technical documentation in response to user questions, but Microsoft did not say when these capabilities become available.

Azure AI Content Safety now has a preview of custom categories, which allow users to make specific content filters deployable within an hour to protect against emerging threats, according to Microsoft.

Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) Automatic is a new managed Kubernetes experience in preview. Users can leverage AKS Automatic to move from container image to deployed app in minutes while still accessing the Kubernetes API.

Now generally available are new Microsoft Azure reference architectures and implementation guidance for private chatbots. This includes reference architectures for Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, landing zone accelerators, cloud guides for chunking strategies and service guides for machine learning, according to Microsoft.

A new model type called custom generative is coming soon to preview, according to Microsoft. This model will allow users to process complex documents with a variety of formats and templates, starting with a single document. It will guide users through schema definition and model creation with minimal labeling.

The model will leverage LLMs for extracting fields. Users only need to correct output when the model makes a field error. The model will adapt to samples added to the training data set, continually improving after deployment.

Microsoft made an Azure API Center generally available to help with managing API sprawl. Users can turn to API Center for discovery, consumption and governance of APIs regardless of type, life-cycle stage or deployment location, according to the tech giant.

GitHub Copilot for Azure

GitHub Copilot, which now boasts of having 1.8 million subscribers, has a private preview for its first set of first- and third-party extensions, including a GitHub Copilot for Azure. Access is limited to offers directly from Microsoft.

Developers can use Copilot Chat to explore Azure resources, manage Azure resources, troubleshoot issues and locate logs and code. They can ask Copilot questions about choosing an Azure service, running a React app and selecting the best Azure database to use with Django, among other use cases. The Copilot will also guide developers through deployment.

The earliest extensions will come from DataStax, Docker, LambdaTest, LaunchDarkly, McKinsey & Co., Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Teams, MongoDB, Octopus Deploy, Pangea, Pinecone, Product Science, ReadMe, Sentry and Stripe.

Microsoft will expand the ecosystem through hundreds of partners in the Copilot Partner Program over the coming months, according to the tech giant.

Organizations also will have the ability to create private Copilot Extensions for their homegrown developer tooling, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Copilot In Azure

Microsoft’s latest AI companion is Copilot in Azure, which promises to ease operations management across cloud and edge environments. Microsoft said it will open Copilot in Azure preview over the next couple of weeks.

Users can ask why apps are slow, how to fix certain errors and other questions, prompting Copilot guidance through possible causes and fixes, according to Microsoft.

Organizations will have the ability to grant access to specific users or groups within a tenant. Copilot in Azure can align with existing organizational operational standards and security policies, according to Microsoft.

More AKS skills have been added to Copilot for Azure to simplify common management tasks, according to Microsoft. These tasks include configuring backups, changing tiers, finding YAML files and more.

Copilot users can also now ask questions about data in plain text and receive the corresponding T-SQL query, speeding up the coding process. Copilot also now includes Defender for Cloud, prompting capabilities for risk exploration, remediation and code fixes.

Virtual Machine News

Microsoft has launched a preview of Cobalt 100 Arm-based virtual machines. These VMs are the first generation to feature Microsoft’s new Cobalt processor, custom-built on an Arm architecture and optimized for running general-purpose and cloud-native workloads, according to the tech giant.

These VMs have shown up to 40 percent improved performance versus comparable Azure VMs, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft has also made generally available the Azure ND MI300X v5 VM series optimized for Azure OpenAI Service and other demanding AI and high-performance computing workloads.

The tech giant also launched a new service called Azure Compute Fleet to simplify capacity provisioning across VM types, availability zones and pricing models for easier scaling and improved performance and cost. Users can control VM group behaviors automatically and programmatically with this service, according to Microsoft.

Security Updates

Microsoft has upgraded Defender for Cloud to protect AI apps from code to cloud, according to the tech giant. The tool has AI security posture management features for finding AI services, AI tools and vulnerabilities.

Defender for Cloud has a native integration with Azure AI Content Safety so teams can monitor Azure OpenAl apps for direct and indirect prompt injection attacks, sensitive data leaks and other threats, according to Microsoft.

A preview for Copilot Trust Platform is coming later this year, according to Microsoft. Users will have the ability to enforce enterprise data protection, scale inference and retrieval across enterprise data and app estates and run responsible AI checks.

.Net Enhancements

Microsoft’s free, open-source, cross-platform framework .Net now has the .Net Aspire cloud-native suite of tools and libraries for building cloud-native apps, which is generally available, the tech giant said.

Users can leverage preconfigured common resiliency patterns and a built-in dev-time dashboard to speed up app building, according to Microsoft.

.Net 9 Preview 4 has enhancements across runtime, libraries, SDK, ASP.Net Core, .Net MAUI, C#13, Entity Framework Core, .Net Aspire and more.

Now generally available is a MongoDB Provider for Entity Framework Core, allowing .Net developers to more simply incorporate MongoDB in EF-based apps.

Power Platform

During Build 2024, Microsoft revealed that it has pushed model explorer in Power BI to GA.

Model explorer promises a view of all semantic model objects in the data pane to speed up data item searching. Users can create calculation groups and reduce the number of measures by reusing calculation logic and simplifying semantic model consumption through this tool, according to Microsoft.

Power Automate gained more AI-powered automation tools, including AI flows for outcome-based automation in the early access program. AI flows allow Power Automate to interpret process objectives, generate automation plans, autonomously select actions and validate outcomes, with users able to make adjustments and guardrails.

Also in the early access program is a new AI recorder feature that allows users to create robotic process automations (RPAs) through screen sharing and voice coaching. The Power Automate Recorder captures users’ desktop processes through voice and video and makes user interface automation in minutes instead of days, according to Microsoft.

The recorder can detect user interface changes in app interfaces, and users can make edits with natural language in Copilot.

Power Apps now has native Git integration for synchronizing environments with Git repositories. Power Apps Studio now allows for source code viewing and use in a readable YAML format. Users can create templates for screens, reuse code and store files in a code repository.