Play.ht is a startup that focuses on using state-of-the-art AI technology to provide high-quality text-to-speech synthesis and audio accessibility solutions. Their platform offers realistic and natural-sounding male and female voices in over 60 languages worldwide. It is an easy-to-use text-to-audio editor used to create speech, and it helps individuals and businesses create audio versions of their written content, making it easier for people with visual impairments, dyslexia or other disabilities to access content.
TLDR
Play.ht is an AI-driven text-to-speech platform that provides high-quality audio and accessibility solutions. With over 570+ voice options in over 60 languages, users can customize their audio to fit their preferences and needs, ensuring consistency and uniqueness. Play.ht offers a variety of features, including an easy-to-use Text-to-Audio editor, accessibility solutions, integrations with different platforms, and a remote and innovative team.
They offer flexible pricing options, catering to the needs of individuals, small and large teams. Play.ht's AI voices are highly realistic and customizable, making it a perfect solution for those looking to streamline their audio production process.
Company Overview
Play.ht is a startup that is focused on using state of the art AI technology to provide high-quality text-to-speech synthesis and audio accessibility solutions. They believe that speech is the next frontier for user experience since it is the second most consumed format on the internet. Their mission is to empower individuals and businesses to create the most natural speech content possible by leveraging state of the art AI voices.
The company offers solutions designed to aid everyone, from creative individuals to high-performance teams and large enterprises globally. They offer their services using the most realistic AI voices in almost every language spoken worldwide. Play.ht started in 2016 as a chrome extension that would read out Medium articles.
The idea came about out of necessity since the founders were busy, and they thought it'd be a neat idea to build an extension that would read articles to them. It turned out that a whole lot of people wanted the extension too. In fact, they were featured on Product Hunt for having one of the best products.
By late 2017, the company pivoted their focus to offering Play.ht as a tool to help individuals and businesses create realistic audio content for their applications. Their services include making articles accessible with audio and providing an easy-to-use Text to Audio editor for creating speech. They have been focused on these use cases ever since and have helped some of the largest companies globally create high-quality text to speech for their applications.
The company continues to improve its platform, ensuring a fast and delightful experience for users of Play.ht. They also take feedback from their users very seriously.
Play.ht has a growing team that is entirely remote. They're always working on something new, and interested individuals can check out their public roadmap for an overview of what they're currently working on. For any issues or inquiries, individuals can reach out to them via email at [email protected] or by sending them a message from the chat.
Features
AI-Generated Natural Voices
Realistic and High-Quality Audio
Play.ht utilizes state of the art AI technology, such as Google Wavenet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson, and Microsoft Azure to provide a vast library of over 570+ high-quality male and female voices in over 60 languages worldwide. These voices sound natural and human-like, making it easier to engage and keep listeners interested, enhancing the overall user experience.
Customization Options
With Play.ht, users can easily customize the gender, tone, and speed of the audio, making it easier to fit personal preferences and use cases. These features ensure that the audio is consistent and unique to the user's needs, thereby enhancing the brand's overall identity.
Flexible Audio Export
Play.ht provides the option to generate audio files in MP3 or WAV formats, making it convenient and efficient for users to use the audio files in any type of project. Once generated, the audio files can be used for videos, podcasts, or any other type of audio-related projects.
Text To Speech Conversion
AI-powered Text-To-Speech Technology
One of the most impressive features of Play.ht is its AI-powered text-to-speech technology. The platform uses advanced algorithms to generate natural and human-like voices that are accurate and easy to understand. This feature saves the user money and time looking for the perfect voice-over artist, as it automates the voice production process.
Instant and Easy Audio Creation
Play.ht provides an easy-to-use Text to Audio editor that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to create realistic audio content for their applications. The process is quick, and users can create audio clips for podcasts, radio ads, and other types of audio projects using their articles' text. The platform also offers a freemium business model, making it accessible to users with any budget.
Accessibility Solutions
Play.ht helps individuals and businesses create audio versions of their written content. By doing so, they make their content accessible to a wider range of people, including those with visual impairments, dyslexia, or other disabilities. Additionally, making audio versions of written content enhances the overall user experience, making it more engaging and easier to consume content.
Integrations and Distribute Audio
Zapier Integration
Play.ht is continually working to make audio more accessible through their extensive list of integrations coming soon. With their Zapier integration, they are making it possible for users to integrate Play.ht across thousands of applications. This feature makes it easier to use audio across multiple platforms and enhance users' overall experience.
Podcast Hosting and Sharing
With Play.ht, users can publish their audio content to all major platforms using the Podcast Hosting feature. They can then submit their new podcast to iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, among others, reaching millions of active listeners worldwide. Play.ht's SEO-friendly embedded audio players along with RSS podcast feeds make it easier to embed and distribute audio content, making it more accessible to users worldwide.
No Limits
Play.ht provides users with a platform where they can listen to their text without using up their word credit as many times as they want. There are no limits to how many times a user can listen to the audio, which enhances the overall user experience, making it more efficient, convenient, and accessible.
Remote, Innovative and Customer-centric Startup
Remote and Innovative Team
Play.ht has a growing team that is entirely remote, focused on new and innovative ways of making audio more accessible worldwide. They have public roadmaps that showcase what they're currently working on and are always eager to improve their platform's overall user experience.
Customer-Centric Approach
Play.ht is focused on providing users with a fast, delightful experience, making them one of the best text-to-speech synthesis platforms in the market. They take user feedback seriously, always striving to improve their platform to meet the needs of their users. Individuals and businesses can reach out to them at any time via email or chat, and their customer service team is always eager to help.
Flexible Pricing Model
Play.ht offers a freemium business model, providing users with access to some of their services for free. They have flexible pricing options, making it easy for individuals and businesses to choose a plan that fits their budget and needs. Additionally, they provide a 14-day free trial for individuals and businesses to try out their services before committing to a plan, making it easier for users to make an informed decision.
Pricing
Looking for a hassle-free and upfront pricing system that suits your needs? Play.ht offers just that. With our flexible subscription plans, you can easily upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time without any worry.
Plus, you can test everything out for free for a month before making a commitment!
For individuals and small teams, the Basic Plan offers 600,000 words per year at the pricing of USD $35 per month billed annually. This is ideal for podcasters, YouTubers, and bloggers who require AI-generated podcasts, video voice-overs, and articles to be created on a regular basis.
Looking for even more? Our Pro Plan offers 1.2 million words per year at USD $59 per month billed annually. This plan is suitable for those who require more words and additional features, such as SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) and Audio Hosting, which are not available on the Basic Plan.
For those looking for custom enterprise plans, we’ve got you covered. Please contact us to let us know your requirements, and we will work with you to create a plan that caters to all of your needs.
At Play.ht, we value our customers, and that’s why we offer enterprise special discounts as part of our Enterprise Plans. Furthermore, if you’re a student, an educator, or a non-profit organization, we offer a flat 20% discount, so don't hesitate to get in touch with us to see if you qualify.
And with over 100 AI voices in almost every language in the world, we’ve got you covered. Our voice styles include Newscaster, Conversational, Customer Support, and Cheerful, so you can select the perfect context for your content. However, note that voice styles are not available for all languages.
Get started with Play.ht today and create better voiceovers effortlessly!
FAQ
What is Play.ht?
Play.ht is an AI voice generator and text to speech synthesis platform that provides online tools to convert text to high-quality audio, embed the audio, and distribute it. Play.ht caters to both individuals and businesses.
What does Play.ht offer?
Play.ht offers a freemium business model, allowing users to try the product and its voice options for free. A subscription is required to unlock all the features and access more word credits. Play.ht also offers a chrome extension for Medium writers to convert their articles to audio and a WordPress plugin to convert blog articles into audio.
For further queries, please contact [email protected]
What languages does Play.ht Support?
At present, Play.ht supports 25 different languages. These include English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, among others.
What is Play.ht's pricing model?
Play.ht offers a freemium business model, presenting a free version with limited features and providing subscription plans to unlock additional features, languages, and word credits. Subscription plans range from $9.99/month for 10,000 words to $299.99/month for 1,000,000 words.
Does Play.ht provide an API?
Yes, Play.ht does have an API, but it is an internal one. Please get in touch with the Play.ht team via [email protected], and they can grant API access.
Alternatives
If you are looking for alternative AI tools that provide similar services as Play.ht, the following options may be worth considering:
Google Text-to-Speech
Google Text-to-Speech is an AI-based tool that supports over 60 languages and provides natural sounding voices to make your audio files clear and easy to understand. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface that allows smooth integration into different platforms, and it works on both Android and iOS devices. Google Text-to-Speech also provides multiple pronunciation options and supports various audio formats.
IBM Watson Text-to-Speech
IBM Watson Text-to-Speech is a reliable and efficient AI tool that offers high-quality audio conversion services for different languages and accents. It provides hyper-realistic voices and offers a wide range of customization options to give your audio files a unique touch. IBM Watson Text-to-Speech also supports multiple audio formats and offers offline and online processing modes.
NaturalReader
is a popular AI tool that offers multiple services, including text-to-speech, OCR, and document conversion. It provides a wide range of premium-voice options with clear and accurate pronunciation, along with multiple playback speeds and other customization tools. NaturalReader also supports numerous languages and offers integration with different software applications and web browsers.
SpeechKit
SpeechKit is an efficient and powerful AI tool that provides text-to-speech services to enhance the audio experience of your website or application. It allows you to convert your written content into high-quality audio files with realistic human-like voices. SpeechKit is easy to use and offers a wide range of customization tools such as control over audio length, language, accent, and more.
Moreover, it provides fast and reliable audio conversion for different formats.
