Android apps are getting a major text-to-speech upgrade

Google is upgrading its Speech Services by Google speech engine, in a move it says will provide “clearer, more natural voices” for Android users using its text-to-speech services.

All 421 voices in 67 languages have apparently been upgraded with a new voice model and synthesizer, “built using fresher speaker data.” 

This update will be rolling out to all 64-bit Android devices via the Google Play Store over the next few weeks as part of the Speech Services by Google APK.

How can I upgrade? 

If you already use text-to-speech or any of the other Speech Services supplied by the Google engine, there is nothing to do – everything will happen behind the scenes once you have automatically downloaded the latest update. 

If you are interested in checking out what this upgraded audio sounds like, you can head here, where Google has supplied some samples.

The company explained that the introduction of a new voice model and synthesizer for 64-bit is the reason behind the improved audio quality.

Google’s text-to-speech capabilities are used in a variety of tools including Google translate as well as Google Play Books.

The firm has also been active this year in terms of launching accessibility updates in other contexts.

Rather than having the same accessibility settings universally across office software products such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings, you’ll now be able to set preferences for each product individually. 

Google Workspace representative say they expect the change to help users of screen readers, braille devices, and screen magnifiers ensure their accessibility settings are personalized to best meet their needs. 

• We’ve also put together a guide of the best speech-to-text services available

Via 9to5Google