Unleashing Creativity with Text-to-Speech: A Guide for Music Producers
Discover creative ways to use Text-to-Speech in music production. Learn how Kits AI empowers producers with advanced TTS tools for storytelling, sound design, and more.
When you think about Text-to-Speech (TTS), what comes to mind? Maybe an AI assistant reading out your emails, or an audiobook narration. But for us music producers, TTS opens a whole new universe of creative possibilities. Whether you’re crafting a futuristic track, adding a unique layer of storytelling, or simply experimenting, TTS tools can inject a fresh spark into your productions.
Let’s break down some of my favorite ways to use TTS!
Voiceovers and Spoken Word Interludes
Want to tell a story with voiceover in your music? TTS can be your go-to solution. Use it to create:
Narrative interludes: Add a spoken word section to guide your listeners through the theme of your album or track.
Dynamic storytelling: Modern TTS tools can deliver natural-sounding speech with customizable tones, making your narratives feel authentic and engaging.
Spoken samples: Generate phrases, quotes, or even random text to use as ear-catching snippets in your track.
How Kits AI Helps: With Kits AI, you can quickly generate professional-grade spoken lines in a variety of tones, from soothing narration to high-energy callouts–perfect for dynamic storytelling.
Check out the results I got from typing in a portion of Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address:
“Four score and seven years ago our father brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Full-bodied American Male speaking model:
Female American Articulate model:
Pro Tip: Run your TTS audio through effects like reverb, delay, or distortion to give it personality and blend it seamlessly into your mix.
Vocal Layering for Unique Textures
TTS isn’t just for standalone vocals. Use it to add new layers and textures to your track:
Textural layers: Combine a natural vocal take with TTS to create unique timbres.
Backing voices: TTS can emulate additional voices for spoken word or ambient tracks.
How Kits AI Helps: Kits AI allows you to tweak and customize voices with precision, making it easy to add a polished, expressive layer to any mix. Explore a variety of options from our in-house royalty-free models to our Community Voice selections. Whether you’re working on a cinematic interlude or experimental soundscapes, you’ll find a voice that matches your production seamlessly.
Pro Tip: You can manipulate pitch, timing, and effects to transform the TTS voice into something that complements your production’s vibe.
Here’s a quick track I whipped up using a variety of our royalty-free speaking models:
3. Lyric Experimentation
Got writer’s block? Try using TTS as a lyric tool:
Instant feedback: Input your lyrics and hear them performed by different TTS voices to evaluate flow and cadence.
Collaborative feel: Experiment with phrases and ideas to inspire your vocal lines.
It’s like having a virtual collaborator who’s always ready to perform your lyrics with precision and consistency.
How Kits AI Helps: Kits AI simplifies lyric testing with flexible, high-quality voices that help you hear your ideas instantly and refine them on the spot.
Character Creation
TTS shines when you’re building worlds in your music. For concept albums, soundtracks, or immersive tracks, TTS can:
Create characters: Design personas with distinct voices for storytelling, with the ability to adjust emotion and tone.
Add dialogue: Integrate conversations between AI characters or narrators directly into your compositions.
How Kits AI Helps: Kits AI offers customizable voice models that you can use to bring any character to life–ideal for cinematic music or experimental storytelling.
Producers working on game scores or cinematic projects can push this further by assigning voices to different moods or scenes.
Glitchy, Experimental Sounds
TTS can be deconstructed into raw material for:
Granular synthesis: Chop and manipulate snippets into rhythmic patterns or experimental textures.
Sound design: Layer TTS with effects like vocoders, pitch shifters, or bitcrushers to create futuristic audio landscapes.
This approach is perfect for experimental genres or adding unexpected elements to any production.
Check this out:
How Kits AI Helps: Kits AI models can generate clean, consistent speech, which makes it easier to manipulate and glitch into entirely new sonic textures.
Wrapping Up
Text-to-Speech is no longer just a utility tool–it’s a creative powerhouse waiting to be unleashed in your music. Whether you’re adding texture, storytelling, or a splash of experimental flair, TTS can elevate your productions in ways you might not expe
With tools like Kits AI, you can take TTS to the next level–customizing expressive, high-quality voices to bring your music to life
Read to experiment? Dive in, get weird, and let TTS bring a fresh voice to your music.
-SK
Sam Kearney is a producer, composer, and sound designer based in Evergreen, Colorado.