Although research regarding text to speech software began emerging in scholarship several decades ago, the applications of text to speech software have emerged more recently. While the initial applications of this software were not as fluid as they could be, they did mark an important advancement in communications: the ability for individuals and institutions to have access to voiceovers in the absence of a professional artist’s availability.

As time has passed, this software has improved, becoming significantly more lifelike in nature, with an additional focus on accents in recent years. For instance, Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, offers British and Australian accents in addition to American, and these accents are accessible to anyone with an iPhone. In a similar vein, British text to speech software offers consumers and organizations the chance to record videos, presentations, and other activities needing voiceovers with a British flair.

Digital Diversification

A major aspect of the digital world is its profound diversification, both in terms of the software and hardware associated with the digital world, as well as the diversity of end-users in the digital space. People’s transition from desktop to mobile represents the most significant advancement in the diversification of hardware, a transition that initiated with smartphones. Now, most people demonstrate a strong preference for mobility due to its ease of use and flexibility of location, which has further enhanced the need for “on-demand” services, which can now include voiceovers.

As technological advancements have gradually suffused the public and private spheres, people from around the world have arguably become more interconnected than ever. For instance, Facebook, the most successful and widespread social media platform to date, boasts of having billions of users all over the world. Given this unprecedented global presence, Facebook’s platform is offered in a host of different languages to accommodate different users.

Language Actualization

Given the aforementioned diversity that comprises an inherent feature of the digital world, it has become increasingly important for text to speech software to actualize voices effectively not only in terms of the language, but in variations of the language that vary, region by region. For instance, marked differences exist between Arabic in the Gulf Region and Arabic in Northwest Africa, to the extent that two native Arabic speakers from totally different regions may have immense difficulty understanding one another.

Consequently, effective text to speech software should take major linguistic variations into account, in particularly British and American English. Whereas American English may dominate business applications in the Americas, British English remains a powerful influence in much of the world, including Asia and Eastern Africa. In addition, British English often features different pronunciations than American English, as well as different words for the same objects or services.

Therefore, British text to speech software could be used for primarily British audiences, whereas American text to speech or Australian text to speech software could be used primarily for American and Australian audiences, respectively. For instance, Delta Airlines may incorporate American text to speech software for its safety announcement before the flight, whereas British Airways could use very similar language in its own safety announcements, given the universality of flight safety regulations, yet the voiceover software would be more reflective of the passengers’ needs.

Final Considerations

Ultimately, British text to speech software represents another exciting development in text to speech software, a technology that will continue evolving over time and serving increasingly diverse populations and needs. In general, text to speech software can offer companies an additional competitive advantage, particularly in terms of cost savings and flexibility. As time passes, text to speech software just might become as persuasive as human voices, if not more so.