You’ve heard it a thousand times.
That slightly robotic yet strangely expressive voice narrating viral TikToks.
It’s everywhere.
But where did this voice come from?
And how do creators use it to boost engagement?
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The Origin of TikTok’s Text-to-Speech Voice
Back in 2020, TikTok introduced text-to-speech (TTS) as a built-in feature. The goal was simple: accessibility. They wanted to help their users with visual impairments or those who preferred listening over reading.
But what started as a simple tool quickly turned into the most used AI voice in all of social media. At least for a period of time. Since 2020, the voice has been popping up less and less frequently.
But there's a bit of a turbulent backstory to TikTok's AI voice. It actually belonged to Canadian voice actor Bev Standing. She later sued TikTok, claiming her voice had been used without permission. After the legal battle which ended with a noteworthy settlement for Bev, TikTok swapped it out for a new AI-generated voice, with one of the most recognizable voices today belonging to Kat Callaghan. This Canadian radio host has become the sound of millions of TikToks.
Why Did This AI Voice Take Over Social Media?
It could just be a case of when you drill something into your mind enough times, that you'll start singing along to it. Or maybe there's something about the cadence that makes it a go-to. It could be that the AI voice is easy on the ear, or perceived as relatable to the majority of people who watch content on socials.
Or, it could just be that it's one of TikTok's default AI voices, and a lot of people use it because they can. Beyond entertainment, this feature makes content creation easier. Not everyone enjoys recording their own voice, and some prefer the anonymity AI narration provides. For those who want to keep videos fast and efficient, text-to-speech keeps things moving without extra effort.
How Creators Use It to Their Advantage
There are many ways to use AI voices, and this built-in TTS voice has become a storytelling staple. People use it for daily vlogs, list videos, reaction content, and even scripted sketches. It's still robotic, but the voice has some expressive nature that lets creators experiment with tone, and pronunciation, and even express a level of emotion. A serious message can sound sarcastic. A joke can feel even more absurd. That contrast is what makes the feature so engaging.
1) Perfect for Faceless Content
This tool has changed the game for faceless content creators. Many YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagram Reels creators prefer to keep their identities private, whether for personal comfort, branding reasons, or to focus entirely on the content itself. So the advent of AI features has allowed a large subset of content creators to make money on YouTube without even making videos. Text-to-speech narration allows them to tell stories, share facts, or even build full-fledged channels without ever recording their own voices or faces.
2) Voiceovers Without a Mic
Not everyone has access to high-quality recording equipment. A crisp, professional-sounding voiceover often requires a good microphone, proper soundproofing, and editing skills. Text-to-speech technology removes those barriers, allowing creators to generate clear and engaging narration with zero recording experience. This has been a game-changer for educational content, commentary videos, and niche explainer accounts.
3) Fun Fact: AI Narration Boosts Engagement
The numbers back it up. TikTok’s engagement rates are some of the highest in social media, and videos featuring TTS are among the most popular. A study analyzing over a million social media posts found that AI-assisted content achieved a median engagement rate of 5.87%, compared to 4.82% for non-AI-assisted posts. On TikTok specifically, AI-assisted videos saw engagement rates rise from 4.17% to 6.14%. The robotic narration may sound simple, but it’s keeping viewers hooked.
4) Brands Are Jumping on the Trend
Big names in fashion, tech, and food saw the potential of this tool early. Companies like Burger King have used TikTok’s AI voice to create relatable, native-feeling content that blends seamlessly into users’ feeds. They started using TikTok’s AI voice to make their content feel native to the platform. Unlike traditional ads, which can feel out of place on TikTok’s fast-moving feed, text-to-speech narration makes promotional videos blend seamlessly with user-generated content. The result? More views, better engagement, and a higher chance of going viral.
How to Make AI Voices for Free with Podcastle
TikTok’s voice is great, but... It has limits. If you want something unique, Podcastle gives you more creative freedom. Whether you need a custom AI voice or a high-quality narrator, you can shape your content exactly how you want.
Step 1) Start an AI Voices Project
Open up Podcastle and kick things off by creating a new AI Voices project. This is where you’ll generate your AI voiceover, so make sure you have your idea or script ready.
Step 2) Pick your AI Voice
Browse through the available AI voices and choose one that matches the tone you’re going for, whether it’s professional, casual, or anything in between. With a list of over 200 voices, you can pick gender, accents, and even types of characters based on the project you're working on.
Step 3) Write your Script and Generate
Type or paste your script into the editor. Once it’s ready, hit generate, and the AI will turn your text into speech. Adjust as needed before moving forward. You can also add multiple speakers, so you can have a full dialogue between different AI voices.
Step 4) Refine your Voiceover and Export
Listen to the generated voiceover and tweak anything that sounds off by refining your script or using AI-powered tools to improve the quality even further. Once it’s good to go, export the final version and use it however you need.
The Next Step in AI Voiceovers?
AI narration is evolving, and rather quickly too. More voices, better realism, and greater flexibility mean creators have more tools at their fingertips. That basically means you don’t have to rely just on TikTok’s built-in options anymore. With tools like Podcastle, you can shape your own sound, whether for TikToks, YouTube videos, podcasts, or any other type of content for free.
Ready to experiment? Check out Podcastle and see what’s possible.
