As specialists in language tools and their advancements, we understand the benefits that realistic AI voice-overs offer our clients, and we know what features are important. We’ve used our experience to write this quick guide to voice-over tools so that you can choose one to match your voice content needs.
What’s the best realistic AI voice-over? Here’s the short answer...
If you’re looking for an overall winner for professional use, we’d recommend Play.ht as a robust AI voice-over tool with a good range of features and affordable subscription costs. If your needs are more niche than broad, we’d suggest a deeper dive into each tool's features and capabilities.
Tool | Link to AI service | Best for | Our favourite feature | Price |
ElevenLabs | elevenlabs.io | Audiobooks and multilingual voice-over projects | Voice Design feature available in multiple languages | Free version for one-off projects. Various packages for professional use from $5 to $330, with custom packages available for large agencies |
Murf.ai | murf.ai | Videos, e-learning, chat bots, audiobooks | Large selection of realistic AI voices, languages and accents | Free version for up to 10 minutes per month. Up to $75 per month for enterprise users |
Descript | descript.com | Edit audio as text feature | Frequent and regular product updates with improvements | Free 1000 words per month, various packages from $12 per month or a tailored custom package for high-volume users |
Synthesys | synthesys.io | Combining AI voice-overs with video avatar characters | AI text to image generator | Free trial, $99 per month for smaller projects, up to $198 per month for larger agencies |
Lovo | lovo.ai | High quality sound production | Easy-to-use interface and a large choice of languages | Free 14-day trial, up to $149 per month for larger agencies |
Play.ht | play.ht | Podcasts, video content, online articles, general voice-overs | Podcast integration | Free 1200 words per month, up to $29 per month pro package or a tailored package for agencies |
Speechki | speechki.org | Converting multiple texts to voice-overs simultaneously | GDPR compliance | Free 1000 words per month to $79 per month for agencies |
Resemble AI | resemble.ai | Creating an AI voice using your own voice | Per-second costs for low volume users | Low per-second rate for small projects, up to $99 per month or a tailored package for agencies |
Listnr | listnr.ai | Social media and short productions | Free option for one-off small projects | Free 1000 words per month, up to $99 per month for agencies |
Let’s have a closer look at three of our favourites
Murf.ai
What we like:
- High quality, natural-sounding AI voices
- Extensive language and accent options
- User-friendly for timing adjustments and emphasis
What we don't like:
- Higher tiers required for full access to features can be expensive
- Limited integration options with external editing software
The verdict: Murf.ai is valued by many users for its simplicity and the quality of its voices. It's a good choice for creating voice-overs for eLearning and corporate presentations, although YouTube creators might find the limited integration with third-party editing software frustrating.
Play.ht
What we like:
- Comprehensive library of voices and languages
- High quality output suitable for professional projects
What we don't like:
- Premium voices and features are more expensive when compared with some other tools
- The interface has a relatively steep learning curve for new users
The verdict: Users like Play.ht for its comprehensive library of different voices and the professional quality of its output. It's great for a wide range of applications including audiobooks, podcasts and marketing material that require professional-sounding voice-overs.
Speechki
What we like:
- Tailored for audiobooks and large-volume text conversion
- Offers plenty of customisation options
What we don't like:
- Niche focus on audiobooks and larger projects, so might not be suitable for all users
- Fewer languages and accents available compared to other tools
The verdict: Speechki is ideal for creating audiobooks and voice-overs for lengthy texts. It offers a good range of voices and plenty of customisable options, though it might be lacking in the features needed for a broader range of applications.
Looking for a free option? Read our free AI voice-overs post
How to do a voice-over with Play.ht
Creating an AI voice-over is simple and generally requires similar steps, regardless of the AI tool you choose to use. For example, these are the basic steps you take to create a voice-over using Play.ht:
Step 1: Log into the dashboard
Step 2: Click ‘Create Audio’
Step 3: Choose your AI voice language and vocal style
Step 4: Navigate to the text input screen and customise your settings. This includes your project title, speech rate and audio file output type
Step 5: Type or paste your text into the input screen
Step 6: Modify text with hyphens and commas for pauses. Include line breaks and add emphasis to individual words or sections if required.
Step 7: Download your completed file.
Learn how to make an AI voice-over
Create a realistic AI voice-over for YouTube
YouTube is the world’s biggest video platform. It gives content creators access to millions of users across multiple languages and cultures.
You can create multilingual vocal soundtracks for your video content using AI voice-over tools by following the steps above and then synchronising the audio file with your video content. Some AI voice-over tools even integrate with video editing software to make synchronising audio and video effortless.
Learn how to do AI voice-overs for YouTube videos
Our voice-over services
AI voice-over tools have come a long way over recent years in terms of quality and features. Modern AI can help cut production costs and enable your business to reach new audiences, no matter what language they speak.
But AI translation has limitations, especially when it comes to creating multilingual voice-overs. It’s important to be aware of the problems that AI can cause and the potential implications for your business.
Translating from one language to another is rarely a case of just swapping one set of source words for the words that match in the target language. Languages are full of nuances in structure, style and meaning. Direct AI translation, without the benefit of a native-speaking, bilingual professional, can often result in a poor voice-over. This kind of problem has the potential to dilute, confuse or change the meaning of your audio, resulting in negative impacts on ROI and a loss of credibility.
A human voice-over actor is skilled at adding the required emotional inflection and emphasis to words and phrases, which can differ between languages and even dialects within the same language. You can customise the emotional inflection and emphasis on some AI voice-overs, but the results are inferior when compared with content created by recording a native-speaking voice-over actor.
Your high quality video content deserves a voice-over that does it justice in every language. That’s why our multilingual voice-over services are used by hundreds of businesses worldwide. As a Transperfect group member, we have multiple voice-over professionals working in every language and dialect, so you can choose the exact style of voice you need for your project.
