Instagram wants to offer users the option of converting text into speech and then adding effects to its short video format “Reel”. Meanwhile, TikTok is announcing well-known voices from Disney characters for its equivalent function – available since the end of 2020.
Features not available to everyone
After Instagram integrated the short video option Reel on its platform, the operators themselves declared that they were in direct competition with TikTok and YouTube. Therefore, numerous imitations by Meta’s social media service are not surprising. With the “Text-to-Speech” function, some TikTok users have previously been able to have texts read aloud by one voice – this should now apparently be possible with Reel.
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In order to provide a video with artificially spoken language, users have to open the Instagram app, upload or film a video as a reel and add a text to it. Using the “Text” field at the bottom left, users should then be able to select a voice that will read the text aloud. Furthermore Instagram writes in a post about additional effects for the votes like “robot”, “giant”, “announcer”, “helium” or “singer” to read the text aloud. In the German version 213.0, however, heise online has not yet been able to test the new functions.
TikTok and Disney
Shortly after Instagram announced the introduction of the speech synthesis function, it started TikTok launched an action with new voices for its text-to-speech function for the Disney Plus anniversary in the USA. In cooperation with Disney, voices such as those of Chewbacca will be available for some from November 12th, who will then read written texts – with the exception of swear words – to the TikTok community.
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video> TikTok: User video to activate the voices of various Disney characters (Those: https://www.tiktok.com/@actordanielross/video/7030119180867259695)
As the US medium The Verge reports that different characters could be unlocked through posts with certain hashtags. Disney left it unclear until when the campaign would still run.
(mack)
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