RadioActive wrote:

A veteran announcer friend of mine sent me this link about new software that's designed to replace voiceover artists with an A.I. that doesn't sound robotic. Take a listen at the link below.

I guess we all knew this was coming, but I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be here so soon. Although it is very impressive at first blush.

Still, I refuse to believe it will ever replace humans. 

Which doesn't mean some bean counter somewhere won't try. 

But can you imagine listener reaction if they found out that lilting voice they were hearing was only a machine? After a period of some fascination to hear it, I would think it would be an instant tune-out.

Instantly Transform Any Text Into A 100% Human-Sounding Voiceover with only 3 clicks!

I don't think listeners care, quite frankly. Many people are passive listeners - radio is just background noise to them and they certainly don't care about the announcers or if the voice they are hearing is real or computer generated. Active listeners might care (I certainly would!) if the voice was A.I. but if no one told them how would they know? I could see this being used for voice-tracking or newscasts for stations as a cost-saver if it hasn't already. 

I agree with Dale, the listeners won't care and how will they know anyway?  Stations are not going to promote the fact that most of the voices you hear on the commercials aren't human.  I doubt if the advertiser will even know.

Large radio conglomerates will like Speechelo since it lends itself to use in syndicated music shows, not so much mornings but other less important dayparts.

This program would work well with network radio newscasts. Eventually Speechelo and products like this will be a big hit with iHeart, Cumulus, Townsquare, Entercom, Associated Press Network Radio etc. Most of these US chains have been losing money or filed for bankruptcy over the last few years, and many of their stations have no local content other than commercials and weather.

In Canada, I can see smaller operations utilizing this program and the chains like Rogers, Pattison, Bell, Stringray etc. maybe a bit for some network shows, but nothing like the US radio chains, who generally have been in much worse financial shape over the past decade.

Didn't like the tacky heavy handed sales approach in this video.  Never a smart move to try and make the customer make a snap decision on the spot.  Does Speechelo plan on being in business for a long time?  Then why the stupid line about the price going up more every minute you wait.  It makes it look like they are hiding something. If the product is as good as you say, why would you resort to amateurish pressure sales tactics? 

The thing is, it sounds good on the demo, and even if this particular product has some flaws, others will refine the process and make it even better and likely cheaper in the months and years ahead.

No doubt the word about the computer voices will get out. But because they sound human most people won't care or notice. Many things that we in the business think are a big deal don't really register much with listeners.   The creative "real announcers"  may actually be able to have a lot of fun with this.  So there is an opportunity for what  personalities are left on the air. 

And for radio stations that don't go the "fake voice" route will be able to have some fun initially anyway poking fun at stations and "hosts" that have computer voices. But after likely a short time, most listeners won't really care.

Something similar happened with newspaper creative/production departments 10-12 years ago.  We thought when the word gets out about this, all hell would break loose with readers and advertisers....nope. 

Most of the ads you see in many newspapers are produced overseas in India and have been for years. Agency ads are still usually produced here, but local ads are created overseas.  So that local ad for Mom and Pop's Variety that has a special on corn and strawberries this week and a picture of mom and pop at the bottom of the ad was actually created and produced overseas.  

The newspaper I last worked at had a creative/production department of about 25 when I started, 20 years ago.   When I retired it was down to 3.  Other than agency or national ads, all of our creative and copy was sent overseas to be produced and the three remaining production people would do clean up of the ads or last minute changes and corrections.

Getting back to radio, unless the host is a personality who has a strong connection with listeners or the station is very local and out in the community,  I can't really see the average listener getting too worked up about this.  

This may be a golden opportunity for some stations to get back to what they should have been all along.  A local radio station with real hosts and personalities. But that will be the small exception and not the norm in my humble opinion.

paterson1 wrote:

No doubt the word about the computer voices will get out. But because they sound human most people won't care or notice. Many things that we in the business think are a big deal don't really register much with listeners.   The creative "real announcers"  may actually be able to have a lot of fun with this.  So there is an opportunity for what  personalities are left on the air. 

And for radio stations that don't go the "fake voice" route will be able to have some fun initially anyway poking fun at stations and "hosts" that have computer voices. But after likely a short time, most listeners won't really care.

Something similar happened with newspaper creative/production departments 10-12 years ago.  We thought when the word gets out about this, all hell would break loose with readers and advertisers....nope. 

Most of the ads you see in many newspapers are produced overseas in India and have been for years. Agency ads are still usually produced here, but local ads are created overseas.  So that local ad for Mom and Pop's Variety that has a special on corn and strawberries this week and a picture of mom and pop at the bottom of the ad was actually created and produced overseas.  

The newspaper I last worked at had a creative/production department of about 25 when I started, 20 years ago.   When I retired it was down to 3.  Other than agency or national ads, all of our creative and copy was sent overseas to be produced and the three remaining production people would do clean up of the ads or last minute changes and corrections.

Getting back to radio, unless the host is a personality who has a strong connection with listeners or the station is very local and out in the community,  I can't really see the average listener getting too worked up about this.  

This may be a golden opportunity for some stations to get back to what they should have been all along.  A local radio station with real hosts and personalities. But that will be the small exception and not the norm in my humble opinion.

I believe A.I. will be the norm at some point, except maybe for morning shows. Newscasts too.