Adding voices to the speak track

[Chip Douglas Mosley]

Hi everyone! Longtime user here with a question about the Microsoft Desktop voices. I am currently using Microsoft Zia Desktop voice but would like to find a better voice that I can add to the RadioDJ program.

Where can I find other voices? How do I add them into the RadioDJ program? I'm using Zia to announce song titles and artists, but one of my listeners complained that it sounds too mechanical. Please help me find a better AI voice I can use.

TIA to everyone in the RadioDJ family!

[Kai]

Hi,

I'm using 'Ivona Voices' for that. The problem is, that you can not get them free on legal ways.
Another problem is for example, you installed an english Ivona-Voice, and you have a song-title in another language, it sounds like an english annoncer, who never heard of that foreign language and don't know how to pronouce it.
There are also better so called sapi5 TTS-Voices, but they are all expencive.
What you can do, search Google for the keywords 'Ivona-Voices alternative' or 'free tts-voices'.
But don't expect to much from the free tts-voices.

A page, that is offering single 'Ivona Voices' is https://harposoftware.com/en/
They are also offering a program with 'Ivona-Voices' with that you can create your own announcments as WAV- or mp3-files.

As for you question how to integrate tts-voises in RadioDJ:
'Ivona Voices' and other tts-voices are installed like programs and integrated in Windows. So after installing them you can choose them like your Zia in RadioDJ. (or by changing the 'NowPlaying.xml' inside the 'Plugins\Plugin_TTS' directory of RadioDJ.)

[Kai]

It's me again.

Here is my NowPlaying.xml using a male and a female Ivona-Voice as an example how to integrate them in RadioDJ.
The line '<Tracks2Speak>5</Tracks2Speak> declares, that every 5. title an annonucement will be played.

Code Select Expand

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Table>
  <Settings>
    <Tracks2Speak>5</Tracks2Speak>
  </Settings>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Joey OEM</Voice>
    <tts>It's $now-hour$ and $now-minute$ minutes now, and we are listening $artist$, with the title $title$ from $year$'s album $album$. Enjoy!</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Amy OEM</Voice>
    <tts>Well, it's a beautiful weather outside and you are still listening Rockradio Emden! That's great! Now, we are listening $artist$, with the song $title$ from $year$'s album $album$</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Joey OEM</Voice>
    <tts>Now, we will listen $artist$, right here on Rockradio Emden, stay tuned for more great music!</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Amy OEM</Voice>
    <tts>This was a great song, but now it's time to move to another great artist: $artist$ and to listen the track $title$ from $year$'s album $album$.</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Joey OEM</Voice>
    <tts>You're listening the best station on earth: Rockradio Emden! Music for your brain.</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Amy OEM</Voice>
    <tts>Wow, you are still listening? Now we play $artist$ with $title$ from the $year$'s album $album$</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Joey OEM</Voice>
    <tts>The only music to get through night and day: Rockradio Emden!</tts>
  </Message>
  <Message>
    <Voice>IVONA 2 Amy OEM</Voice>
    <tts>Welcome to Rockradio Emden, the station that plays the best of rock and blues music. Our music is not just for your ears, but also for your brain. Tune in to our station and let the music take you on a journey. We hope you enjoy listening to our station as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.</tts>
  </Message>
</Table>

[897PFM]

That's an excellent question, Chip. It's something I have yet to figure out, although I do use voices from Eleven Labs (elevenlabs.io) for my weather forecasts and temp announcements. And the voices, while not perfect, are quite good.  How to integrate them into RDJ:  THAT is the question!  A bit off topic, but Jeff -- "The Radio DJ Dude" -- has a ton of great videos on YouTube with a lot of tips and
Best tricks to enhance and expand your RDJ experience and the sound of your station. Hope you get the answers you seek ... it would help me too!!
Best of luck,
Rich

[Copper007]

Tried to do also (used in W7 Kendra voice from IVONA), but the voices who worked in W7 don't seem to work in W10...

Is there some sort of trick / bypass to have them work in W10?

Grtz,

Krid 

[RadioDJ Dude]

Thanks, Rich, for the shout out! Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck with integrating these voices. Personally, they're not worth the hassle. Most sound like garbage and don't add any value to my station. Unless the voice sounds real, it's not worth delivering a sub-par experience to the listener. BUT, that's just my nutty opinion.

[Vanlen]

Hey Chip,

There is a new OPEN SOURCE Text to speech application that is pretty awesome and it is free.

It's AI but the software is on YOUR computer and the voice sounds are amazing using the voice cloning feature.

Might be an option for you.

Cheers