If you run any kind of digital business – from blogs, to YouTube channels, podcasts, online courses or apps – you likely need professional voiceovers.
But hiring voice talent and recording studios is time-intensive and expensive.
That‘s why AI-powered voice generators are revolutionizing how audio and video content is created online.
AI voices provide the same quality as human recordings, at a fraction of the cost and effort.
For example, take the voice you just heard above from Murf AI. It would easily cost $500+ and days of effort to recreate with human voice actors.
In this monster guide, we will uncover everything you need to know about leveraging synthetic voices, including:
- Detailed reviews of the top 7 voice platforms – features, samples, pricing
- Use case examples – videos, podcasts, assistants
- Tips for integrating and editing AI voices
- The future of voice generation tech
By the end, you‘ll know exactly which tool fits your needs and budget.
Let‘s start at the beginning – understanding what AI voice generators actually do.
How Do AI Voice Generators Work?
Artificial intelligence voices leverage machine learning algorithms trained on massive datasets of human speech. By analyzing pitch, tone, accents and other vocal properties, the AI models generate brand new synthetic voices.
It‘s an incredibly complex process. Voice tech company Resemble.ai breaks it down into 5 key steps:
- Text analysis – break down sentence structure
- Text normalization – expand abbreviations
- Prosody prediction – determine speech pitch and volume
- Audio synthesis – generate raw vocal sounds
- Post-processing – make final tweaks to improve quality
Advancements in deep learning algorithms plus growth of training data has rapidly improved voice quality over the past decade:
In this sample from 2016, the voice sounds very robotic and distorted. Compare it to this one from 2022 – nearly indistinguishable from a human!
Let‘s explore some stats that showcase the booming market for synthesized voices:
- Voice synth industry projected to grow 17% per year to $5.8 billion by 2030
- 75% of US smart speaker owners already use voice assistants daily
- Forrester predicts 50% of households will own a voice AI device by 2025
With demand skyrocketing, tech giants are investing heavily in voice as the next computing platform.
For example, Amazon acquired voice cloning startup Modulate.ai and integrated it into their AWS Polly text-to-speech offering. Google has WaveNet, while Meta (Facebook) created Coder – an AI assistant for programmers.
Now let‘s analyze the best independent voice synth startups that have risen up over the past 5 years.
We will compare the 7 top platforms across key categories:
- Voice quality
- Languages & voice options
- Features
- Use case examples
- Pricing
Let‘s dive in!
Reviews of the Top 7 Voice Generators
1. Murf
High-quality voices for video and speech synthesis
Voice Samples
Let‘s listen to some of Murf‘s voice options reading a sample script:
This is one of their top-rated US English female voices. Now compare to a British male voice:
I‘d give Murf high marks for voice quality – their samples sound very clean and human-like across accents and languages.
Languages & Voice Options
Murf offers 19 languages including variants for:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Mandarin Chinese
They are rolling out new tongues rapidly.
Within each language exist 50+ high quality voice options spanning age ranges, regional dialects and male/female.
All voices are created using Murf‘s own AI algorithms – giving them granular control over quality.
Key Features
Let‘s analyze some of the top features that enable custom voice generation:
Realistic Voice Effects
Make voices convey different emotions and intensity. For example, emphasize key words, add pauses for dramatic effect, and adjust pitch:
Audio Editor
Fine tune the smallest details of your audio files after they are generated. Features include noise cancellation, volume normalization, compression and more:
Integrations
Murf integrates directly with presentation tools and video editors:
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Adobe Premiere
- Screen Recorder Apps
This makes overlaying voice narration easy.
Secure Cloud Storage
Safely store all of your generated audio files in Murf‘s cloud. Great for collaborating across tools.
Use Cases
Based on the voice quality and customization features, here are the top applications for Murf:
- Video explainers – Tutorial videos, commercials, promotions
- eLearning courses – Lesson narration, interactive quizzes
- Podcast voiceovers – Intros, ads, guest narration
- Audiobooks – Fiction, non-fiction narration
- Presentations – Pitch decks, conference talks
For long-form content like books or courses with hours of narration, the affordable rates of AI voices add up to great cost savings versus human voice overs.
And for creative short video or audio, Murf provides options like realistic character voices or voice effects.
Pricing
Murf offers both free and paid subscription plans:
Murf Free
- 10 minutes of standard voice generation per month
- 2 media exports (download MP3s)
- Test any voice
- Create transcripts from audio files
Murf Pro
- $9.99 / month
- 60 minutes of voice generation
- Unlimited exports
- Access to premium voices
Up to ~2X more voice minutes can be earned via referrals or interacting on social media.
Overall Murf provides professional quality voice overs at affordable rates – a top contender on our list.
Next up…
2. Lovo.ai
The multi-lingual AI voice giant
Boasting support for over 100 global languages, Lovo.ai takes voice generation to the next level…
And we have only just begun reviewing platforms! Still have 5 more leading tools to cover including:
- Synthesys – conversantional, multi-character scripts
- Play.ht – podcast and audio focus
- Clipchamp – seamless video editor integration
- Ressemble.ai – voice cloning and customization
- Uberduck – viral startup with free tier
To read the full 2800+ word guide, click here to access the complete review.
Inside you will find:
- Side-by-side comparisons
- 6+ audio samples
- Use case examples
- Pricing breakdowns
- Predictions for the voice synth industry
See how to leverage realistic AI voices to take your videos, ads, and other content to the next level!
