Speechify Review 2024: Unveiling the secrets of AI text-to-speech app

Do you know that an average reader on the internet can read about 300 words per minute but can listen to 600 words per minute?

This means using a paid or free text-to-speech tool can enhance reading speed and quickly cover more essential topics. 

Thankfully, Speechify is here to save your day. The features of the Speechify TTS tool aren’t just limited to reading but open a gateway to many other options. 

Speechify can complete numerous tasks, including learning, writing, personal development, and time management. 

The best thing, though? Even people without tech-savvy mindsets can use it effortlessly.

Speechify is changing how we consume written content, so I am writing a detailed review.

The comprehensive Speechify review will include all the features, extensions, hidden traits, and more. I will help you learn about Speechify and help you make an informed decision about your investment. 

Getting started with Speechify

Once you visit the Speechify website, you can choose the free or premium plan. 

If you want the free version, click the ‘Try for free option.’ If you don’t have an account, you can create one. 

Once you choose that, Speechify will ask you some basic questions to understand your needs. 

Here are the basic things that must be done before using Speechify. Once you give personalized options, you can click on the next. 

If you have a premium plan, you just need to enter the login credentials and click on the ‘Go to Web App' button. 

Fortunately, I can access Speechify Premium to show you how the tool works.

This is what the Speechify dashboard looks like. The interface is clean and straightforward, so you will never have problems navigating it. 

Now that you know the basic stuff about Speechify, let’s discuss the more detailed topics. 

Make sure you pay close attention to what I share and my verdict. It will help you determine whether Speechify can prove a valuable investment. 

1. Text-to-Speech

This is one of the most eye-catching features of Speechify. The online text into speech generator is free and has over 100 AI-generated voices. And the best part? You don’t need to create an account to use it. 

To get the text-to-speech feature, you need to go to the dashboard and click on the New option. 

A new pop-up will appear, and it will contain the following features. 

As you can see, many different methods exist to import your text. Whether you choose the web link or local documents, they will always lead to the same thing. 

Here, I have chosen the Text Document option, allowing me to copy and paste any text I want. 

I have copied a chunk of content from a blog and pasted it here. 

Once you give a title and preferred text, click the Submit option. Ensure you don’t click the Create Voice Over Option; I will explain later. 

1.1 Dashboard

When you click the Submit button, you will be redirected to the dashboard. Just like the homepage, this dashboard also looks minimal and straightforward. 

Let’s take a look at the Speechify text in the spoken words dashboard. 

The voice will start playing automatically once the dashboard is open. Here, I have paused it to get a better screenshot without distraction. 

If you want to start the voice again, click the pause/play button at the dashboard's center. 

1.2 Voice

Now comes the most exciting feature. You will see a Voice option if you have paid close attention to the previous photo. Let me highlight it here again. 

This is where things get interesting. Even though your text will start playing in a default voice, you can change it. 

This is what the voice customization option looks like. You can choose from over 100 AI-generated voices as per your needs. 

In addition to that, you have voices from over 50 languages, which is undoubtedly a great deal. 

All you need to do is click on the preferred voice, and the text will start playing. 

I was shocked when I saw some famous figures on the voice list, such as Snoop Dog, Barrack Obama, and Mr. Beast. 

And I enjoyed listening to Snoop Dog's narration of my article. It was as accurate as it can be. 

1.3 Speed

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what voice you choose; you may not like the narration in terms of speed. Speechify lets the users customize that, too. 

You can adjust the reading speed by toggling it up and down. This will help you tailor the speed to your needs. 

You can make the speech slower if you’re looking for a bedtime story. If you’re consuming important content, make it faster. 

This will help you save time, especially when reading information-packed content. 

1.4 More

The More option is the settings where you can take your customization even further. This is helpful when your text contains special characters. 

From the settings, you can also implement additional changes. 

Let’s say your content has headers, braces, and brackets. Speechify will read the headers and special characters, which may affect the speech process. 

If you want to skip them, just check the boxes. This will maintain a smooth flow as you’re excluding headings and other forms of content. 

You can also choose the Dark Mode when using Speechify at night. 

1.5 Sharing output

Speechify provides a sharable option for its users. However, remember that it won’t be generated in MP3 or video format. 

A pop-up containing the share link will appear when you click on this icon. Just copy the link and send it to anyone you want. 

Here’s the link to my text-to-speech demo: https://speechify.page.link/ECkn5uJ6g179RsrK6.

You don’t need a Speechify account. Speechify allows users to listen to this demo project. Just click on it, and you’re good to go. 

Now that I have covered the text-to-speech feature, let's dive into the core part: AI Voice Studio. Bear with me to know how it works.

2. AI Voice Studio

Next, I will discuss the AI Voice Studio feature of Speechify. If you remember, I asked you to refrain from clicking on it. Now it’s time to cover it. 

When you click on the Create Voice Over option (Speechify dashboard > New > Text Document), you will be redirected to the primary dashboard of AI Voice Studio. 

2.1 Dashboard

From the Voice Studio, you can access 200+ AI voices and translate text into over 60 languages to develop AI speech voiceovers. You can create voiceovers for numerous purposes, including videos, ads, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. 

Once again, this dashboard is also easy to use. In addition to that, there are multiple tips available on Speechofy Academy that will help you get started. 

You will also have 13 templates to get inspiration. These templates will prove handy when you’re creating something from scratch. 

These templates helped me see how other users have utilized this platform as per their requirements. 

To create a new project, click on the New button. A pop-up will appear, and you can choose the options. 

Let’s see how the AI Voice Over project looks.

2.2 AI Voice Over

This is one of the most eye-catching Speechify features. The AI technology will help you generate text-to-speech audio within seconds. 

This is the dashboard. As you can see, the dashboard looks clean and easy to navigate. 

For your reference, I have added a script here. It’s a conversation between two people on the impact of AI on businesses. 

As you can see, the text blocks have also appeared on the timeline at the bottom center of the screen. 

Pay close attention to this timeline; everything can be controlled from there. 

2.3 Edit Voice Over

As I mentioned before, you may need help finding a voice suitable to your needs on the text-to-speech part. 

In that case, you can edit the voiceover easily. Whether you need to change the narrator or the speed of the voice, everything can be controlled directly from this dashboard. 

This Edit Voice Over option allows you to customize everything related to the voice. 

For instance, if you click on Jenny (voice model name), you will see the list of AI-generated voices. 

In addition, the speaking tone includes different types of emotional tones such as happy, sad, angry, cheerful, and many more. 

If you need to pause between sentences, just take your cursor to the desired place and add a pause. 

If you need more customization options, click the Advanced button, and new options appear. 

You can change the pronunciation, pitch, volume, etc. 

If you think the AI voices mispronounce a specific word, you can change its pronunciation in any IPA format you want. 

However, make sure you tweak the pitch and volume wisely. The higher the speech, the higher the sound frequency will be. 

2.4 Import Script

The Import Script option will come in handy when you already have some documents and want to create a voiceover of them. 

Even though I copied and pasted my conversation in the text block, importing a script would help me save time and effort. 

If you have any files in TXT or Docx format, you can simply drag and drop them. You can also import a script from a YouTube video. 

Remember that you can choose to render your script in paragraphs or sentences. I personally loved the paragraph option. 

2.5 Music

Creating a voiceover without music makes it sound bland and robotic. This is where the Music feature comes into the picture. 

If you want to add music and make your voiceover sound more appealing and soothing, Speechify has a dedicated music library with thousands of royalty-free songs. 

You can choose any stock music you want, depending on the theme of your voiceover. You can also filter by genre, characteristics, instrument, etc. 

To add music, click on the plus icon and then click on the option Music Track 1. 

Speechify has two music tracks. If you’re using more than one music, add it to Music Track 2. 

Once you add this music, you can see it on your timeline. From the timeline, you can drag the music and make changes.

If you need to control the volume of your music to ensure the AI voices aren’t getting repressed, click on the Volume button and change it accordingly. 

There’s another interesting you need to know. Let’s say you don’t like the stock music and want to add something of your own. Can you do it?

Yes, you can. 

Click on My Uploads and drag any music you want from your system. But remember that it only supports MP3 file format. 

2.6 Translate

As the name suggests, this feature will translate your text into your preferred language. This is what the dashboard looks like. 

Make sure you choose the language you want to translate into. In addition, you can create up to five translations in one go. 

The translated text will be generated once you click the ‘Generate Translation’ option. You will find it on the dashboard. 

2.7 Images/Videos

Like music, you can include images or videos into your AI Voice Over process. This will make the generated output look more refined. 

You can choose any stock image or video from this dashboard. Additionally, you can choose your own images from the My Uploads section. 

Once you add the text, the timeline will look like this. 

Even though I have added just one image, you can add multiple ones. Ensure the images align with each other, or they will look unappealing. 

2.8 Voice Cloning

I am not fond of this feature. The Voice Cloning feature will help you record your own voice and include it on your timeline.

It doesn’t matter where you record your audio file; it will be uploaded without background noise. 

Just click on the ‘Record a sample’ option, and you can record your voice. 

This window will appear when you’re done recording your voice. Keep in mind that you cannot record for more than 20 seconds. Hence, make sure you convey only the most crucial information. 

You can use your closed voice when you have the Studio Pro version. 

2.9 Avatar

The AI Avatars can level up your sales and presentation decks. It will sync with the voice-over for the character you choose, which will ultimately create a visually engaging experience. 

There are 18 avatars available for you to choose from. 

While this feature is excellent, it lacks customization options. 

For instance, I could only change the background colour. I also failed to reposition the avatar or adjust its size. 

I would suggest you use other AI avatar generator tools that can produce more appealing results.

2.10 Export

Once you’re done adding everything, you can preview how your speech looks. If you’re satisfied with it, it’s time to export that file. 

If you click on the Share option, a project link will appear just like before. 

Here's the project I have worked on. Click on the Start button, and it will play automatically.

On the other hand, if you want to download this project, click on the Export option. 

You can download any file format, whether video, audio, or text. I downloaded the project in an MP4 file, which took roughly 10 seconds. 

However, the download speed will depend on your internet connection and system. 

I hope now you have a clear idea about the AI Voice Studio of Speechify. If you're wondering about the prices, I have covered that below.

3. Speechify pricing

Speechify has two pricing plans: Text-to-speech and Speechify Studio. 

If you plan to choose the text-to-speech feature, you must pay $139/year. Speechify offers a free trial with limited features. 

On the other hand, if you want to use Speechify for more robust business work, you need to choose the Speechify Studio plan, which is more expensive. 

There is also a free plan, but Speechify allows such limited features that you won’t be able to utilize its primary benefits. Pay close attention to Speechify pricing before you purchase. 

I hope you aren't confused about Speechify's pricing. Now, let's discuss the pros and cons of Speechify.

Pros and cons of Speechify

While Speechify has some significant advantages, you cannot overlook its challenges. 

I agree that Speechify can help you automate multiple tasks or generate high-quality text-to-speech projects, but you still need to know its drawbacks. 

This way, you can make informed decisions on whether you need to purchase Speechify's premium plan, as it doesn’t come cheap. But, the premium version offers numerous benefits. 

Speechify Review: Yay or nay?

My working experience with Speechify has been nothing less than exceptional. As a content writer, Speechify helped me realize how my article sounds when being narrated. 

The fact that it has over 100 voices in over 60 languages helps me create content for the global audience. 

However, not everyone, especially startups and students, can invest $300 in an AI tool. 

Try the free version of Speechify today to see how effective it can be for your needs. 

What is your thought on Speechify? Do you want to give it a try? Don’t forget to share your opinion in the comment box below. 

Frequently Asked Questions