How to Use Speechify — Full Guide

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Speechify (https://speechify.com/)is a text-to-speech / AI voice / AI podcast / voice-agent platform. The practical usage splits into three paths:

  1. Listen​ — Speechify Reader (web, Chrome extension, iOS, Android, desktop)
  2. Create​ — Speechify Studio (AI voice overs, dubbing, podcasts, avatars, transcription)
  3. Build​ — Speechify API & Voice Agents (embed TTS / conversational voice AI into your product)

Explore all of Speechify’s features right from the homepage. Find what fits your workflow and try it out — one of them will be just right for you.

Head to the site, open the top menu, and click “Use Cases.” You can test all four features without an account. Like what you see? Pick the one that fits your workflow, sign up, and dive into the full feature set.

If you select “Text to Speech,” you’ll be taken directly to the interface below.

Below is a quick overview of everything you care about — Speechify’s key features, pricing, ratings, and more.


1. Speechify Reader — Listen to Any Text

Web app

  1. Go to speechify.com and sign up / log in.
  2. Click New​ or +.
  3. Choose:
    • Local document​ → upload PDF / DOCX / TXT / EPUB
    • Paste text​ → paste an article or script
    • Paste link​ → import a web page
    • Cloud import​ → Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive
  4. Open the item.
  5. Pick a voice (200+ AI voices, 30–60+ languages).
  6. Set speed (commonly 1.0x → 1.5x → 2.0x–3.0x).
  7. Press play — text highlights word-by-word.

Chrome extension

  1. Install Speechify​ from Chrome Web Store.
  2. Pin the icon.
  3. Open any article or online PDF.
  4. Click the Speechify icon → blue play button.
  5. Speechify extracts the article and reads it aloud.

Mobile (iOS / Android)

  • iOS: copy a URL → open Speechify → tap + → Paste Link; or use Safari Share → Speechify.
  • Android: tap + → Paste Link / File / Drive.
  • Library + playback position sync across web, mobile, and desktop.
  • Background playback, lock screen controls, and CarPlay are supported.

Beginner tip: start at 1.0x, move to 1.5x​ for news, 2.0x–3.0x​ for familiar content, and slow back to 1.0x​ when proofreading.


2. Speechify Studio — Create AI Voice Content

Use this for YouTube narration, course audio, podcast episodes, multilingual dubbing, and AI avatar videos.

AI Voice Over

  1. Open Speechify Studio.
  2. Click New Project → Voice Over.
  3. Click Import​ and paste/upload a script.
  4. Split by paragraph or sentence on the timeline.
  5. Pick a voice; assign different voices to different blocks.
  6. Adjust:
    • Speed
    • Pitch
    • Volume
    • Speaking tone / emotion (on “Expressions” voices)
    • Pronunciation library
    • Manual pauses
  7. Generate → preview → Export MP3 / WAV / OGG.

AI Podcast

  1. Write a conversational script.
  2. Choose one host voice or multiple speakers.
  3. Generate episode audio.
  4. Add intro/outro music.
  5. Export and publish to your podcast host.

AI Dubbing

  1. Upload a video or paste a YouTube link.
  2. Choose target language(s).
  3. Speechify translates + regenerates natural-sounding narration.
  4. Export localized video/audio.

Voice Cloning

  • Record a clean 10–30s sample (consent required).
  • Clone your voice or a verified speaker voice.
  • Use it across supported languages/voices where the plan allows.

Transcription

  • Upload audio/video or paste a YouTube URL.
  • Get text, subtitles (.srt/.vtt), and editable blocks.
  • Repurpose into blog posts, show notes, or social clips.

3. Speechify API — Add TTS to Your Website / App

Best for: “🔊 Listen to this review” buttons, multilingual audio, voice assistants, IVR, and SaaS products.

Quick start

pip install speechify-api
# or
npm install @speechify/api

Set your key:

export SPEECHIFY_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Minimal TTS call:

curl -X POST https://api.speechify.ai/v1/audio/speech \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPEECHIFY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "input": "Hello from Speechify API.",
    "voice_id": "geffen_32",
    "audio_format": "mp3",
    "model": "simba-3.2"
  }'

Use cases:

  • File synthesis​ → audiobooks, fixed clips, IVR prompts
  • Streaming​ → voice agents, live read-aloud, chatbots
  • SSML​ → pauses, pitch, rate, emphasis
  • Speech marks​ → word-level highlighting / captions

4. Speechify Voice Agents — Conversational Voice AI

A Voice Agent bundles:

  • a system prompt
  • a voice
  • an LLM
  • STT + TTS pipeline

Example agent payload:

{
  "name": "Support Bot",
  "prompt": "You are a friendly support agent for a SaaS product.",
  "first_message": "Hi, this is Sabrina with support. How can I help today?",
  "voice_id": "sabrina",
  "language": "en",
  "llm_model": "gpt-4o-mini",
  "temperature": 0.7
}

Flow:

  1. Create agent via API or console.
  2. Start a conversation → Speechify provisions a LiveKit room.
  3. Caller connects with a short-lived token.
  4. User speaks → STT → LLM → TTS response.
  5. Inspect transcripts and post-call evaluations in the console.

Note: agent voices use a smaller curated catalog (sabrina, carly, dominic, lyla). Personal/cloned voices are usually TTS-only.


5. Typical Workflows

GoalPath
Listen to AI tool reviews while walkingSpeechify Reader + Paste Link
Turn blog post into podcastStudio → AI Voice Over / AI Podcast
Localize YouTube videoStudio → AI Dubbing
Add “Listen” button to AIBestNavSpeechify API
Build voice assistant for your siteSpeechify Voice Agents
Make course audio in your own voiceStudio → Voice Cloning

6. Plans & Pricing (2026)

ProductFreePaid
Speechify ReaderLimited voices, standard speedPremium ~$29/mo
Speechify StudioDrafts only, no export on freeBasic ~69/mo,Pro 99/mo, Enterprise custom
Speechify API50K chars/mo, 60 agent minsStarter 10,Pro99, Scale $499, Enterprise custom

Important: $139 is usually the annual Reader price, not monthly.​ Reader, Studio, and API are billed separately.—–Prices vary by platform. Web annual total is $138.96; iOS shows $139.99/yr; Android $99.99/yr. Always check the checkout screen before paying.


7.Speechify Ratings & Reviews

Speechify does not​ have one single “official star rating” — scores vary by platform. When writing a review, don’t just quote 4.7; break it down by source.

7.1 Ratings by Platform (2026)

SourceRatingSample SizeWhat It Reflects
Apple App Store4.7 / 5500K+ ratings (officially “500K+ 5-star”)Mobile listening experience; accessibility users love it most
Trustpilot4.7 / 5~6.6K reviewsSupport, refunds, subscription experience — highly polarized
Google Play4.0–4.2 / 5280K+Android: more Kindle / Drive / PDF pausing issues
Capterra4.2 / 5Smaller sampleWork/education; natural voices praised, support criticized
Chrome Web Store4.6 / 521K reviewsExtension text-selection reading
G2Rarely listed separatelyNot Speechify’s main battleground
Official claim“1M+ 5-star reviews”MarketingNot an independent review

7.2 Overall Score

  • By platform: App Store 4.7 · Trustpilot 4.7 · Google Play 4.2 · Capterra 4.2 · Chrome 4.6
  • Editorial aggregate: 4.3–4.5 / 5
  • One-liner: “High marks for voice quality; deducted points for subscriptions and refunds.”

7.3 Why the High Scores

Natural voices, cross-platform, high value for dyslexic / ADHD / visually impaired / commuting learners, 2025 Apple Design Award, Chrome Extension of the Year.

7.4Why the Low Scores

$139 annual one-time charge, trial auto-converting to paid, hard cancellation, slow refunds; Android PDF/Kindle stuttering; robotic free-tier voices; unclear celebrity-voice commercial licensing.


Speechify scores 4.7/5 on App Store (500K+ ratings)​ and 4.7/5 on Trustpilot (~6.6K reviews), but 4.2/5 on Google Play​ and 4.2/5 on Capterra. Voices and accessibility are loved; billing, cancellations, and Android stability are the main complaints. Aggregate editorial score: 4.4/5.

8. Who Should Use Speechify ✅

User TypeWhy Speechify Fits
Students​ (especially dyslexic / ADHD)Listening while text highlights improves comprehension & retention; AI quizzes/summaries for exam prep
Busy professionalsConverts reports, email threads, Google Docs into audio for commutes & workouts
Avid readers with eye strainListen instead of reading — gives your eyes a break
Visually impaired usersPolished, reliable TTS with OCR; supported by DSA / Access to Work programs
Language learners & multilingual users60+ languages and regional accents
Content creators (light use)Studio: AI voice overs, AI podcasts, dubbing, voice cloning from scripts

9. Who Should Skip Speechify ❌

User TypeWhy Not
Casual / occasional listenersFree browser/OS TTS handles 80% of needs; $139/yr is overkill
Professional content creatorsCore product isn’t built for high-end voiceover — ElevenLabs, Murf, Play.ht​ are stronger
Developers needing an APISpeechify has limited public API vs ElevenLabs API, Amazon Polly, Google Cloud TTS
Budget-conscious usersNaturalReader / built-in OS features are cheaper
Non-English heavy usersChinese, Arabic, etc. have fewer voices and less natural intonation than English
Offline-only usersWeb app + Chrome extension need internet; mobile supports offline only after pre-loading

10. Main Competitors

ToolPrimary FocusPrice (from)
ElevenLabsHighest-fidelity voice generation & cloning (creators/developers)$6/mo
Murf AIStudio-grade voiceovers, timeline editor (corporate video / e-learning)$19/mo
NaturalReaderBudget-friendly document reading, 100+ languages, MP3 exportFree / ~$99/yr
Play.htLarge voice library, dialogue mode, podcastingFree / $31/mo
LovoVideo creation + voice acting~$25/mo
DescriptVideo & podcast editing with TTS
Built-in OS TTS​ (Edge Read Aloud, Apple Spoken Content, Google Read Aloud)Basic casual listeningFree

11. Head-to-Head Comparison

Speechify vs NaturalReader (closest direct rival — both for consuming content)

FeatureSpeechifyNaturalReader
Price$139/yr~$99/yr (Pro)
Premium voices1,000+1,000+
Celebrity voices
Languages60+90–100+
OCR scanning
Browser extension
MP3 export✅ (Premium)
API access✅ (higher tiers)
VerdictBetter mobile app & celebrity voicesSave ~$40/yr, more languages & API

Speechify vs ElevenLabs (different use cases — consume vs create)

FeatureSpeechifyElevenLabs
Primary useListening to contentCreating audio content
Voice cloning✅ (20-sec sample)✅ (industry-leading)
API access✅ (developer-first)
Emotional controlLimitedExtensive
Price$139/yr$5–$330/mo
VerdictListen to your emailMake podcast intros & voiceovers

Speechify vs Murf / Play.ht

FeatureSpeechifyMurfPlay.ht
Best atCross-platform readingStudio voiceovers + video syncVoice library & dialogue
Price$139/yr$19–99/mo$31–99/mo
VerdictReader wins on accessibility/mobileCreator wins on production toolsCreator wins on API/podcasting

Speechify vs Free Alternatives

ToolWhat It Covers
Microsoft Edge Read Aloud / Immersive ReaderFree, decent voices
Apple Spoken ContentiOS/Mac built-in, surprisingly good
Google Read AloudFree Chrome extension
Kokoro (open-source)Free, offline, natural voices (needs setup)
Browser built-in TTSReads selected text

12. The Verdict in One Line

Speechify is the best all-in-one TTS reader for daily listening and accessibility; for professional voiceover production, choose ElevenLabs or Murf instead.

13. Beginner 10-Minute Start

  1. Install Speechify Chrome extension.
  2. Open an article you were going to read.
  3. Click Speechify → play.
  4. Set speed to 1.5x.
  5. Save 3 articles to “Read Later”.
  6. Tomorrow: paste a blog post into Speechify Studio → generate a 2-minute voice over.
  7. Next: export MP3 and embed it in your post as “🎧 Listen to this review”.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you.

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