Exploring the best text to speech tools for multilingual video production

Key takeaways

• Using TTS tools in multilingual video production allows brands to reach global audiences and tailor content for specific languages and cultures.
• The right TTS tools offer natural voice quality, language diversity, and customization, enhancing the impact of video content.
• By combining TTS with multilingual capabilities, brands can create immersive, inclusive, and highly engaging videos.
• This guide covers top TTS tools with multilingual options, insights on the strengths and drawbacks of each, and tips for maximizing their potential in video production.

Have you ever watched Mr. Beast en español?

In 2023, the smash hit YouTuber created his new channel, repurposing old videos into Spanish and gaining access to a new audience of millions overnight. But what about Mr. Beast 中文频道? Or Mr. Beast по русски? 

In today’s global market, the ability to create multilingual content has become essential for brands that want to expand their reach and increase engagement. Whatever kind of content you’re ready to create, videos that cater to multiple languages and regions allow brands to connect on a more personal level. 

But traditionally, creating professional voiceovers in multiple languages is time-consuming and expensive.

This is where text-to-speech tools are changing the game, making it easier than ever to produce high-quality, multilingual voiceovers quickly and affordably. 

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best TTS tools available for multilingual video production, highlight their pros and cons, and offer tips to help you integrate them into your video production workflow effectively.

All about TTS & multilingual video production

With the rise of digital content, video has become one of the most powerful ways for brands to reach audiences worldwide. In fact, studies show that audiences retain 95% of a message when it’s delivered in video form — a great way to reach your customers and tell your story.

But if your strategy is 100% in English, you risk alienating your customers whose native languages are different. But with costly translation services, extensive re-recording, and the need to find local actors across languages, translating into multiple languages is challenging.

TTS technology solves many of these issues by enabling brands to generate natural-sounding voices in various languages at the click of a button. Simply upload your script, translate it into your target language, and then select the voice you’d like. That’s it — now you have a professional-sounding voice over that’s ready to go in any language on the planet.

These tools not only save time and money but also offer unique customization options, allowing brands to create culturally relevant and authentic video content for diverse markets. Imagine your Spanish videos being localized even further, into Mexican Spanish, Catalan, or Argentinian Spanish, depending on their viewer. 

Ultimately, AI voiceover tools are an ideal choice for companies that want to reach a global audience without the limitations of traditional voiceover production.

Features to look for in a multilingual TTS tool

But when selecting a great text-to-speech tool for your multilingual video production, what should you look for? Our experts break down some features that we think are essential to ensure quality and usability. 

Voice quality and naturalness

For video content to be engaging, the voices used must sound natural and lifelike. No one likes a robotic-sounding translation, and not taking the time to source a realistic voice for one language is a surefire way of telling your international audience that you don’t care about them.

Always look for an advanced text-to-speech tool that utilizes neural network models to create voices that mimic human speech, giving your content an authentic touch. The best in class? It’s got to be ElevenLabs.

Language and accent options

With a global audience, it’s crucial to offer language and accent options that match the regions and cultures you’re targeting. Look for text-to-speech tools that provide a wide range of languages and regional accents to make your content feel more relatable.

Ready to take this further? Don’t just translate across languages, but hone in on regional accents and dialects. In this way, the audience is presented with a video that feels familiar, right from the start.

Next-level customization

With features like ElevenLabs’ Voiceover Studio, 

Customization features allow you to adjust the tone, pacing, and emotional inflections of your TTS voiceover, aligning it with your brand’s style and the video’s message. Tools that offer these controls make it easier to tailor content to specific audiences.

User-friendliness and integration

Lastly, ease of use is key. Opt for TTS tools that are intuitive and integrate smoothly with your existing video production platforms. This means that growing businesses can quickly incorporate text-to-speech into your workflow without major adjustments.

Harness Voice Cloning

If you’ve got a personal brand, the natural choice for your voiceover is, well, your own! Look for a reliable text-to-speech tool that allows you to clone your own voice, 

Top text-to-speech tools for multilingual video production

So, let’s dive into the best text-to-speech tools on the market right now for multilingual video production.

ElevenLabs

Best for lifelike, expressive voices with extensive customization at an affordable price.

ElevenLabs offers a diverse library of voices that are exceptionally lifelike and highly customizable, with features like the Voice Lab, the Voice Studio, and Projects helping make text-to-speech easy for any use.

But what sets ElevenLabs apart is its natural voices – take a listen here.

This platform allows users to adjust voice tone, pacing, and emotional nuance, which makes it ideal for brands looking to create immersive, culturally relevant content. ElevenLabs also supports several major languages, catering to brands with an international audience with incredibly localized translations and human-esque voices.

Even better, you can try ElevenLabs for free.

Amazon Polly

Good for enterprise-grade scalability and integration with AWS, but complex to use.

Amazon Polly provides a large range of language options and realistic-sounding voices, making it a powerful choice for brands aiming for multilingual outreach. Its support for SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) allows for precise control over pronunciation and tone, which is good for complex branding needs. Polly also integrates well with AWS, making it highly scalable for companies that need large volumes of multilingual content.

However, Amazon Polly can have a steeper learning curve for new users, especially those unfamiliar with SSML, which can be expensive if you need to bring in outside talent to implement and consult on a Polly project. Some users also find Polly’s voice less natural-sounding compared to more advanced neural models, which may impact the quality of the content in some languages.

Google Cloud Text-to-Speech

A versatile choice with access to Google’s advanced neural voice models, but pricey.

Google Cloud TTS is known for its quality neural voices and extensive language and accent support. With easy integration into the Google ecosystem, it’s a flexible choice for brands looking to reach international audiences. Google Cloud TTS also offers a range of pricing options, making it accessible for both small businesses and large enterprises.

While it’s certainly versatile, Google Cloud TTS can be more costly than other options, particularly if you require high-volume, neural network-driven voices. Some users also find its customization features limited compared to other platforms.

iSpeech

A good option for smaller businesses, but it lacks the sophistication of better models.

iSpeech provides a range of multilingual capabilities, including niche languages, in an easy-to-use interface. It’s ideal for brands looking for a straightforward tool without extensive setup or complex integrations. iSpeech also supports some customization options, making it a good choice for smaller businesses with multilingual content needs.

iSpeech’s voice quality may not match the sophistication of higher-end neural models, which can result in less natural-sounding voices. On top of this, the platform lacks some of the advanced customization features found in other TTS tools, which could limit brand-specific voice adjustments.

IBM Watson Text to Speech

Good for advanced customization and unique brand voices, but expensive.

IBM Watson TTS offers multilingual voices with advanced AI features and robust customization options. With its ability to create custom voices that align with specific brand tones, Watson TTS is a strong choice for brands aiming to make a unique impression. It also supports complex projects that require flexibility and precision.

IBM Watson TTS can be more expensive than other TTS tools, and its complexity may make it less accessible for brands unfamiliar with AI customization. Some users find the setup process challenging, which could impact the ease of integration in smaller teams.

Final thoughts

AI-driven text-to-speech tools are redefining what’s possible in multilingual video production. With options that offer realistic voices, customization, and extensive language support, TTS technology enables brands to create more inclusive, engaging, and accessible content for audiences worldwide. As TTS tools continue to advance, they’re bridging the gap between traditional voiceover and AI-generated audio, making it easier than ever for brands to localize their message at scale.

For brands ready to make an impact with global audiences, adopting the right TTS tool is an effective step toward building a diverse and inclusive content strategy. By considering factors like language variety, customization, and ease of integration, you’ll be better positioned to select a TTS tool that elevates your multilingual video production.