Text To Speech for Mac: Whether you want guides to read to you while you are busy or trying to grab a new foreign language or for specially-abled students. So, TTS (stands for text-to-speech) has proved to be very essential.
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List Of TTS (Text To Speech) For Mac
macOS TTS
Before we start downloading or installing third-party apps. It is very unimportant to know that macOS comes with a built-in TTS and you can then use it anywhere on your PC from the Notes app to any browser.
If you want to get begin, highlight, or choose the text which you like to be read and then right tap. Head over to Speech and then initiate Speaking. However, your Mac should begin to read the text to you. Also, it supports many other languages rather than English and there are many voices to select from in all the languages. To modify the language option just head over to Accessibility > Speech. Although some voices are quite robotic, there are some which sound more like a human.
But the text-to-speech is far from perfect. It is very barebones or basic and lacks options like pause/play, choosing up from a selected word quickly, and much more.
Quick Tip: The native TTS on Mac compatible be converting your text into audio files. Just choose the desired text, right-tap, and head over to Services > Add to iTunes as a spoken track. However, the text will also be converted to an audio track and then added to your iTunes library.
Pros:
- Built-in system-wide
- Many voice options
- It can convert text to iTunes track
Cons:
- No Pause/Play
- Have to choose manually all the words to be read
- No quick pickup
Last Words:
Well, the TTS also comes with macOS is very barebones without all the whistles or bells and should be best for somebody searching for a basic TTS experience without even purchasing or downloading any third-party software.
Invicta TTS
Invicta TTS is a very simple, clean, or free Text To Speech app that is available on the Mac App Store.
Whenever you open the app, a text box appears where you can enter or paste any kind of text which will be converted into speech. The app is very minimal or lightweight in nature with everything being to the point.
Although the app is very basic, besides the built-in TTS of Mac OS, it can also add the option of pausing or playing the audio which becomes crucial while listening to articles or long texts. The voice settings can’t be modified but the inbuilt voice does the job pretty good enough.
Pros:
- Light or Minimal
- Play/Pause Option
Cons:
- It can’t read documents automatically
- It can support English only
Last Words:
If you want a light or simple TTS app and might be listening to a long guide, Invicta TTS does the best job but make sure it can only read English.
Text To Speech for Mac -> Natural Reader
The other app on our list is Natural Reader. The app is extremely strong TTS software available not just on Mac OS but also on iOS, Windows, Android, and even has an online reader.
The app comes in many flavors, each with its complete share of features for the price. The free model comes with basic TTS features with the ability to directly read from file formats like PDF, ePub, Docx, and Txt. Also, it has a floating bar that can be used to read text while you are in other apps. The other option or the Personal version enables you to read web pages directly, easily convert text to audio files and syncing everything between your phone applications. Also, there are Ultimate or Professional versions that add OCR support and a lot of natural voices.
Pros:
- Compatible with file formats
- Convert to audio files
- Cross Platform
- Support OCR
Cons:
- Expensive
- No instant pickup
Last Words:
All the amazing features of Natural Reader definitely come at a high price and you must be able to plan whether it is a suit for you with respect to your investment in TTS. But also for a naive user, the free version works quite well. The natural reader is not just the best TTS software with natural voices, but it can also support PDF. Also, it’s the best choice for those who are searching for PDF Voice Reader for macOS.
Click Here: Download Natural Reader from here
Text To Speech for Mac -> Read Aloud
Read Aloud is a stand-alone Mac app but rather than a Chrome extension which appeals to some people. Just check how many articles or posts are read on the internet every day, we had to include Read Aloud.
The app is completely free and whenever you install it, its icon will appear in the extension bar that you can use to read any webpage or any online guide. All you need to do is to tap on it. During working, you’ll get a play or pause button with a rewind or forward button which can be used to backtrack or advance paragraphs. The voice options are very good and it feels natural.
Pros:
- Best natural voice
- Rewind or forward by paragraphs
- Listen to webpages
Cons:
Works only on Google Chrome
Last Words:
Recommending Read Aloud is very simple or straight forward. Well, if you are the one who reads a lot on the internet and you wondering for a free TTS software for that, nothing beats Read Aloud.
Click Here: Download Read Aloud from the Chrome Store
Capti Voice
Capti Voice is another well-rounded or most polished TTS software that is available for the Mac. However, Capti Voice uses your browser for the app to function normally rather than a stand-alone Mac app. Don’t fret, you can also use it while you are offline as it saves all its data personally or locally I have had no issues.
Capti Voice provides a subscription-based version and also the free version has much more to offer from different file format supports to text search. But the premium versions add features such as OCR Support, creating playlists, and intelligent dictionary lookup.
Quick Tip: Keep in mind you must use the Chrome extension which lets you store webpages or articles to be read later by Capti Voice.
Pros:
- Cross platform with android apps
- It create Playlists
- Dictionary lookup
- Shortcuts to get around
Cons:
- No need for a standalone app
- Syncs only when you want to add to cloud storage
Last Words:
Well, Capti Voice is a compelling app with amazing features wrapped to the brim and is quite identical to natural Reader. But using a subscription-based version. It is really one of the best TTS experience you can ever get on Mac OS.
Click Here: Capti Voice
Text To Speech for Mac -> Honorable Mentions
CereProc on the other hand provides natural-sounding PC speeches available on the market. However, you can use it to replace the default voice on your Mac. There are many high-quality voice packs to select from and each cost around $35.
Zamzar is another free online service that you can use to change your text to audio files or mp3s. Besides the iTunes spoken track that you can use only on Apple devices, you can also use it on any platform without any difficulty.
Conclusion:
So these were some of the amazing TTS software for Mac. I hope now you can make your decision very easy. If you are the one who reads occasionally on the internet, then Read Aloud is one of the best choice for you. Also, the built-in TTS feature looks to work just fine, but it can be a hassle for long texts or long guides for which there is Invicta which is also free.
Capti Voice or Natural Reader both are brilliant TTS apps with many plans to select from, but I think what it comes down to is the paying version. A natural reader is much better if you feel you will be invested in TTS for a long time. On the other hand, Capti Voice follows a subscription-based version with a one-week free trial. Thanks for reading this article. Let us know your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section below!
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