What Is The Best Voice To Text Software For Mac
Jul 12, 2017 To use voice dictation in an application on your Mac, first select a text field in an application. Next, press the Fn (Function) key twice or click the Edit menu and select Start Dictation. Speak to your Mac and the words you speak will start appearing in the text field. If you’ve set up Enhanced Dictation, they’ll appear immediately. There are also a few web-based voice recognition software that Mac users can use but they require a permanent internet connection in order to work. We have therefore also covered the best online voice-to-text recognition apps that Mac users can use in this article too. Apr 18, 2020 Apple Dictation Apple Dictation is one of the best speech to text software that uses Siri’s servers in order to dictate your voice on a sheet. The best part is that it has an enhanced dictation feature which allows you to create long content by just using your voice. Dec 24, 2018 Dragon is a leader in speech recognition, and if you're committed to dictation and hands-free computer use, it's worth the investment. Dragon's desktop software lets you compose text using your voice in just about any app, G Suite included. It also lets you navigate the web and control your computer.
- Voice To Text Software Reviews
- Best Voice To Text App For Mac
- What Is The Best Voice To Text Software For Mac Windows 7
- Best Speech To Text Software
- Best Voice To Text Software For Mac 2018
Contents List
- 1 Best Speech to Text Software List of 2020
Do you need a speech to text software, but don’t have enough money to spend on it? If yes, then you must read on this entire blog post. Luckily, there are a good number of tools available that allows you to convert your speech into text. These applications would allow you to enhance your productivity as well as makes your work easy and effective. You can stop wasting a chunk of your time and start saving it using the best speech to text software of 2020 which we are going to provide as follows:
Best Speech to Text Software List of 2020
1. Google Docs Voice Typing
In this modern era, a lot of people rely on Google Docs to do their work, then why not using the Google Docs voice typing for converting our speech to text. It has 100s of voice commands which lets you change the way you speak while using this software. Aside from that, you can add bullet points, format text and bold text using the tactics provided by them. In order to use speech to text tool, you just need to navigate to the tools option and then choose Voice Typing from there.
2. Speech Notes
Speech Notes is another best speech to text software of 2020 which allows you to convert your speech into text with almost 90% accuracy. The interface is quite simple, clean and easy to use that even a casual user can use it easily. The best part is that it automatically capitalize the first letter of the sentences. Aside from that, it saves your documents automatically to save your time and efforts. You can send your speech notes to an email address or print them directly.
3. Apple Dictation
Apple Dictation is one of the best speech to text software that uses Siri’s servers in order to dictate your voice on a sheet. The best part is that it has an enhanced dictation feature which allows you to create long content by just using your voice. Another interesting feature is that you can use it even when you don’t have a working internet connection access to your device. However, it’s a great speech to text software, but the downside is that you can only use it on a MAC.
4. Windows Speech Recognition
Windows Speech Recognition is an excellent inbuilt tool which comes pre-installed in almost every Windows device. It lets you control and dictate it on any browser or program. You can also activate the Windows personal assistant which will help you to use the Windows Speech Recognition tool. In order to set up the Windows Speech Recognition tool, you just need to go through Programs>Accesories>Ease of Access>Speech Recognition tool. Once you have set it up, then you can start using it for converting your speech into text.
3 Mirror onNow that everything is prepared, you’ll be able to begin mirroring your Android on your Mac:.
5. e-Speaking
e-Speaking is another best tool of 2020 which you can use to dictate your voice on your computer screen. Unlike other dictation tools, it has a lot of advanced tools and options to offer. It has 100s of commands like the open internet or open excel which makes your work even faster than before. Besides that, you can also add some more commands using the options provided to you. These options will help you to take more control over your projects which will eventually improve your overall performance.
Conclusion
That’s it! These are the best speech to text software of 2020 which you can use to convert speech into text. I hope this post will help you to find the best tool for yourself. If you liked this post, then share it with others who are still looking for the same. Also, if you face any issues, then let me know in the comment section below. We would be happy to help you again.
Whether you prefer articles read to you while you do something else or trying to grasp a new foreign language or even for specially abled students, TTS (short for text-to-speech) has proved to be very useful.
In our previous articles we saw some of the best text to speech apps for Windows and Android. And today, we take a look at some of the best TTS options available for Macs.
Text To Speech For Mac
Voice To Text Software Reviews
1. macOS TTS
Before we get too ahead of ourselves and start downloading third party apps, it is very trivial to know that macOS itself comes with a built-in TTS and you can use it anywhere on your computer from the Notes app to any browser.
To get started, highlight or select the text which you want to be read and then right click, go to Speech and then to Start Speaking; and your Mac should start reading the text to you. It also supports a lot of other languages other than English and there are a lot of voices to choose from in all the languages. To change the language option simply go to Accessibility > Speech. Although some voices are very robotic, there are a few which aren’t and sound more like a human.
But the TTS is far from perfect; it is very basic and barebones and lacks options like pause/play, picking up from a selected word instantly and a lot more.
Quick Tip: It blew my mind and might even blow yours to know that the native TTS on Mac also supports converting your text into audio files. Just select the required text, right click and go to Services > Add to iTunes as a spoken track. The text will be converted to an audio track and added to your iTunes library.
Pros:
– Built-in system wide
– Lots of voice options
– Converting text to iTunes track
Cons:
– No Pause/Play
– Have to select manually all the words to be read
– No instant pickup
Verdict:
Overall, the TTS that comes with macOS is very barebones without all the bells and whistles and should be perfect for somebody looking for a basic TTS experience without even buying or installing any third party software.
2. Invicta TTS
Invicta TTS is a very simple free Text To Speech app available on the Mac App Store.
Once you open up the app, it presents you with a text box where you can enter or paste any text which will be then converted to speech. The app is very lightweight and minimal in nature with everything being to the point.
Although the app is very basic, unlike the built in TTS of Mac OS, it does add the option of playing or pausing the audio which becomes crucial when listening to long texts or articles. The voice settings cannot be changed but the in built voice does the job pretty good enough.
Pros:
– Minimal and Light
– Play/Pause Option
Cons:
– Cannot read documents automatically
– Supports only English
Verdict:
If you need a simple and light TTS app and might be listening to long articles, Invicta TTS does the job pretty well but do remember that it can only read English.
Best Voice To Text App For Mac
Link: Get Invicta TTS on the App Store
Price: Free
3. Natural Reader
The next app on our list is Natural Reader which is an extremely powerful TTS software available not only on Mac OS but also on Windows, iOS, Android and even has an online reader.
The app comes in many flavours, each with its fair share of features for the price. The free version comes with basic TTS features along with the ability to read directly from file formats such as Docx, PDF, ePub and Txt. It also has a floating bar which can be used to read text while you are in other applications. The next option or the Personal version, at a steep $100, allows you to read web pages directly, converting text to audio files and syncing everything between your phone apps. There are also Professional and Ultimate versions which add OCR support and a bunch of natural voices.
Pros:
– Support for file formats
– Convert to audio files
– Cross Platform
– OCR Support
Cons:
– Pricey
– No instant pickup
Verdict:
All the features of Natural Reader definitely come at a price and you should be able to decide whether it is a suit for you with respect to your investment in TTS, but even for a casual user the free version works really well. Overall, Natural reader is not just best text to speech software with natural voices, but since it also support PDF, it’s also a good option for those who are looking for PDF Voice Reader for macOS.
Pricing Options: Pricing for Natural Reader
Link: Download Natural Reader from here
4. Read Aloud
Read Aloud is not exactly a stand alone Mac app but instead a Chrome extension which might appeal to some people. Considering how many posts and articles are read on the internet everyday, we had to include Read Aloud.
It is completely free and once you install it, its icon will appear in the extension bar which you can now use to read any webpage or any online article, just by a single click. When it is in work, you get a play/pause button along with a forward or rewind button which can be used to advance or backtrack paragraphs. Considering it is free, the voice options are really good and feel very natural and premium.
What Is The Best Voice To Text Software For Mac Windows 7
Pros:
– Great natural voice
– Forward or rewind by paragraphs
– Listen to webpages
Cons:
– Works only on Chrome
Verdict:
Suggesting Read Aloud is very straight forward; if you are someone who reads a lot on the internet and are looking for a free TTS software for that, nothing beats Read Aloud.
Price: Free
Link: Download Read Aloud from the Chrome Store
5. Capti Voice
Capti Voice is probably the most polished and well rounded TTS software available for the Mac and the award are only there to justify that. Starting off, Capti Voice uses your browser for the app to function instead of a stand alone Mac application. Don’t worry, you can still use it while you are offline as it stores all its data locally and personally I have had no issues.
Capti Voice has a subscription based model and even the free version has a lot to offer from various file format supports to text search while the premium versions add features like creating playlists, OCR Support and intelligent dictionary lookup. The voices offered across all the platforms are very high quality and commendable.
Quick Tip: Don’t forget to use the Chrome extension which allows you to save articles or webpages to be read later by Capti Voice.
Pros:
– Cross platform with mobile apps
– Create Playlists
– Dictionary lookup
– Shortcuts to get around
Best Speech To Text Software
Cons:
– No standalone app
– Syncs only when you add to cloud storage
Verdict:
Overall, Capti Voice is a really compelling app with features packed to the brim and is very similar to natural Reader but with a subscription based model. It is really the best TTS experience you can get on Mac OS.
Pricing Info: Pricing Options for Capti Voice
Link: Download Capti Voice from here
Best Voice To Text Software For Mac 2018
6. Honorable Mentions
CereProc has some of the most natural sounding computer speeches available on the market, which you can use to replace the default voice on your Mac (also available for other platforms). There are a lot of high quality voice packs to choose from and each costs around $35.
Zamzar is a free online service which you can use to convert your text to audio files or mp3s. Unlike the iTunes spoken track which you can use only on Apple devices, you can use it on any platform without any hassle.
Wrapping up: Best Text to Speech for Mac
So these were some of the TTS software available on the Mac and we hope we made your decision a little bit easier. If you are someone who reads mainly on the internet, Read Aloud is by far the best free option. Although a little limited, the built-in TTS feature seems to work just fine, but it can be a pain for long stretches of texts or long articles for which there is Invicta which is also free.
Natural Reader and Capti Voice both are spectacular TTS apps with a lot of plans to choose from, but I guess what it comes down to is the paying model. Natural reader is a one time purchase and should be better if you feel you will be invested in TTS for a long time whereas Capti Voice follows a subscription based model also with a one week free trial. Thanks for reading and do comment below which one is your favorite TTS app on Mac OS.
Read: Make your Devices Read Out Text, With Text to Speech