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TTS AD: A Viable Solution for Audio Describing Content?

Audio Description Matters
Audio Description Matters
Episode • May 11, 2021 • 7m

TTS AD is the abbreviation for text-to-speech audio description. Now you may have heard text to speech and audio description as separate entities, but TTS AD is a relatively new concept that is starting to turn heads in the world of accessible media. Speed is the name of the game with TTS AD, as media professionals seek cost and time-effective solutions for making their programming accessible to low-vision audiences. 

So let's take a closer look at what TTS AD is, how it is made, and what role it will play in the future of accessible media.

TTS AD: A Viable Solution for Audio Describing Content?First, can you quickly explain to me what text to speech is?

Text to speech (TTS) converts written text into a synthesised spoken voice.

It is sometimes referred to as "read aloud" technology.

TTS is an increasingly popular accessibility feature on computers and phones for reading out digital text.

You can find TTS in many places today such as internet browsers, smart assistants, e-book readers, and word processors.

And what is audio description?

Audio description for film and television is a form of narration that uses verbal descriptions to provide information on visual aspects of a media production.

In other words, a pre-recorded voice over track describes what is happening in a video, TV show or film.

The audio description should be neatly intertwined with the production's original dialogue and soundtrack.

So TTS AD is a combination of the two?

That's right.

TTS AD is audio description that is read aloud using synthetic voices through text to speech.

Who is the audio description intended for?

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