How to Do Text-to-Speech on TikTok

Ever scroll through your TikTok For You Page and hear that same robotic, Siri-like voice narrating everything from cooking tutorials to videos of cats doing hilarious things? That's the text-to-speech feature, and it has become one of the platform's most recognizable and effective tools. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add text-to-speech to your own videos, step-by-step. We'll also cover the different voice options and creative ways to use them to make your content genuinely stand out.

Why Use Text-to-Speech on TikTok? (It's More Than Just a Funny Voice)

Before jumping into the "how," let's quickly touch on the "why." Using TikTok's text-to-speech feature isn't just a trend, it's a smart strategic choice that can make your content more effective for several reasons:

• Accessibility is Huge: It makes your content accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. It also helps an enormous portion of your audience who watch videos on mute - whether they're in a quiet office, on public transit, or just scrolling at night. The voiceover delivers your message even when the sound is off.
• It Adds Personality and Humor: The default text-to-speech voice has become a character in its own right. Its deadpan, robotic delivery can add a layer of ironic humor or sarcasm to your videos that you might not be able to achieve with your own voice.
• Great for Storytelling: It's a super simple way to provide context or narrate a story without recording your own voiceover. This is perfect for creators who are camera-shy, can't record audio in a noisy environment, or simply want a different narrative style.
• It Grabs Attention: In the fast-paced world of the "For You Page," that familiar voice immediately signals a certain type of video style, grabbing a viewer's attention and encouraging them to stick around and see what happens.

How to Do Text-to-Speech on TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding a text-to-speech voiceover to your video is surprisingly straightforward. Just follow these steps, and you'll be narrating anything and everything in no time.

Step 1: Record or Upload Your Video

First things first. Open the TikTok app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen to start a new creation. You can either record a new video right there in the app by holding the red record button, or you can tap the "Upload" button to choose a video you've already recorded from your phone's camera roll. Once your clips are in place, tap the checkmark to move to the main editing screen.

Step 2: Add Your Text

On the editing screen, look for the toolbar on the right side of your screen. Tap the "Text" icon (it looks like "Aa"). A text box and keyboard will appear. Type out the words you want the voice to say. You can change the font, color, and add a background highlight here, just as you would with any other text on TikTok.

Step 3: Activate Text-to-Speech

Once you've typed your text, don't tap "Done" just yet. Instead, tap on the text box you just created. You'll see a small menu pop up with a few options. Look for the icon that looks like a person's head with sound waves coming from their mouth and tap it. This is the text-to-speech button. After you tap it, you'll hear an audio preview of the computer-generated voice reading your text.

Step 4: Choose Your Voice (Optional but Recommended)

Often, after you enable text-to-speech, TikTok will present you with several different voice options that appear above your keyboard. The default is the classic robotic female voice many people associate with the feature, but you typically have others to pick from. Scroll through voices with names like "Jessie" (a more upbeat female voice), "Trickster" (a deep, booming voice), or "Vibes" (a chill male narrator). Tap each one to preview how it sounds with your text. Select the one that best fits the tone of your video, then tap "Done."

Step 5: Set the Duration of Your Text

This is an important step that many people miss. After adding your text and voiceover, you probably don't want the words to stay on the screen for the entire video. To control this, tap your text box on the video preview screen one more time. A menu will appear again. This time, choose "Set duration."

This will open a timeline editor at the bottom of the screen. You can drag the red bars at the beginning and end of the text's timeline to adjust exactly when it appears and disappears on screen. Align the text with the timing of your video clips for a more polished look. Once you're happy with the timing, tap the checkmark.

Step 6: Finalize and Post

You're all set! Now you can continue editing your video - add a trending sound, apply effects, write your caption and add relevant hashtags. When you're ready, hit "Post," and your text-to-speech narrated masterpiece will go live.

Creative Ways to Use Text-to-Speech in Your TikToks

Now that you know how it's done, here are a few popular and effective ways to use the text-to-speech feature to elevate your content:

1. Narrate "Day in the Life" or "Get Ready With Me" Videos

This is a classic for a reason. Instead of speaking directly to the camera, let the electronic voice guide viewers through your routine. It's a chill, low-effort style that content consumers really enjoy. Example: As you pour a cup of coffee, the voice says, "First things first, we must caffeinate."

2. Add Witty Inner Monologues or Sarcasm

Use the feature to say what you're *really* thinking. The flat, emotionless tone of the voice is perfect for delivering sarcastic commentary or expressing an inner thought that contrasts hilariously with what's happening in the video. Example: A video shows a massive pile of laundry. The voice chimes in with, "I love being an adult. This is so fulfilling."

3. Give a Voice to Your Pets or Inanimate Objects

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking when he stares at a squirrel? Or what your coffee machine would say if it could talk? Text-to-speech lets you bring them to life. This style is endlessly entertaining and turns simple moments into funny skits. Example: A cat is perched on top of a bookshelf, looking down. The voice says, "From this vantage point, I can survey my entire kingdom."

4. Explain DIYs, Recipes, or Tutorials

Showcase a project or a recipe without having to talk. Use the text-to-speech feature to spell out clear, step-by-step instructions. This creates a really clean, easy-to-follow tutorial that people can watch with or without sound. It's especially useful for creators who prefer to stay off-camera or behind the scenes.

5. Create Dialogue for Skits

Use different text-to-speech voices to represent different characters in a short skit. You can create entire scenes and conversations where the voices do all the heavy lifting, delivering lines with perfect comedic timing.

Troubleshooting Common Text-to-Speech Problems

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are fixes for a few common issues you might run into:

"I can't find the text-to-speech button!"

First, make sure your TikTok app is updated to the latest version, as features can change. Second, remember that you have to tap the text box you've written before hitting "Done." The menu with the text-to-speech icon will only appear then. If it's still not there, the feature may not be available in your region yet, as TikTok rolls out features at different times globally.

"The voice isn't working or I can't hear it."

Check the simple solution first: is your phone's media volume turned up? If it is, try restarting the app. Sometimes clearing TikTok's cache can help (you can do this in your phone settings). Finally, double-check the duration of your text clip. You may have accidentally shortened it so much that it disappears before the audio has a chance to play.

"Why are the cool voices my friend has missing on my app?"

TikTok is always adding new voices and sometimes retiring old ones. The voice selection can also differ by region and even by device. A popular voice you saw last week might be replaced by a new one this week, so it's good to experiment with the options you have available.

Tips for Making Your Text-to-Speech Content More Engaging

Using the tool is one thing, using it well is another. Here are a few final tips to get the most out of it:

• Keep It Short and Punchy: The robotic voice works best for short, clipped sentences. Don't write huge paragraphs of text. Break up longer narrations into several smaller text boxes timed to appear throughout your video. This flow feels much more natural and engaging.
• Play with Punctuation and Spelling: The voice AI reads your text literally. A comma will create a slight pause, while a period creates a full stop. You can game this to control the cadence of your narration. You can also occasionally spell things phonetically to trick the AI into saying names or words correctly - or intentionally mispronouncing them for comedic effect.
• Match the Voice to the Vibe: Not every video needs the classic, snarky robot voice. If you're sharing a heartfelt story, a more natural and friendly voice like "Jessie" might work much better. Match your narrator to the mood you're trying to create.
• Add Commentary, Don't Just Describe: The most engaging text-to-speech videos use the voice to add a new layer to the story, not just to describe exactly what viewers are already seeing. Use it for witty jabs, inside jokes, or an unexpected perspective.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it - a full guide to using TikTok's text-to-speech feature, covering everything from the fundamental steps to creative strategies that will help your videos connect with viewers. What might seem like a simple gimmick is actually a powerful tool for adding accessibility, humor, and personality to your content. Get started and have fun with it!

Making compelling TikToks is one piece of the puzzle, but keeping your content organized and staying active across multiple social platforms is a different kind of challenge. We actually built Postbase because we were wrestling with complicated tools that weren't designed for video-first content like TikToks, Reels, and Shorts. Our simple visual calendar and reliable scheduling let you plan and publish your videos headache-free, so you can spend more of your valuable time on creating great content instead of just trying to manage it.