---
title: "What is text-to-speech?"
description: "Text-to-speech synthesizes spoken audio from text."
url: "https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech"
updated: "2026-09-29"
vertical: "Audio"
doc: "https://docs.pixeltable.com/howto/cookbooks/audio/audio-text-to-speech"
---

# What is text-to-speech?

Text-to-speech synthesizes spoken audio from text.

Updated: 2026-09-29


## On this page

- [How it works](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech#how-it-works)
- [What it is not](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech#what-it-is-not)
- [Comparison](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech#comparison)
- [Where Pixeltable fits](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech#where-pixeltable-fits)
- [Questions](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-text-to-speech#questions)

## How it works {#how-it-works}


- A column holds the text.
- A speech model writes audio.
- The audio can be stored on the same row as the script.

## What it is not {#what-it-is-not}

It is not transcription, and it is not cloning a private recording without a speech model.

## text-to-speech: this, and the thing it is confused with {#comparison}

|  | This | Not this |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Direction | Text to audio | Audio to text |
| Output | A waveform or file | A transcript |
| Stored with | The script row | A separate media bin |

## Where Pixeltable fits {#where-pixeltable-fits}

Pixeltable can assign a speech computed column that writes audio from a text column.

## Questions {#questions}

### How does text-to-speech work? {#faq-1}

A column holds the text. A speech model writes audio. The audio can be stored on the same row as the script.

### What is text-to-speech often confused with? {#faq-2}

It is not transcription, and it is not cloning a private recording without a speech model.

## In the blog

- [Automated Video Translation Pipeline: From Audio Transcription to Multilingual Voiceover in Minutes](https://pixeltable.com/blog/automated-video-translation-voiceover-pipeline)

## Related

- [Documentation](https://docs.pixeltable.com/howto/cookbooks/audio/audio-text-to-speech)
- [Automated Video Translation Pipeline: From Audio Transcription to Multilingual Voiceover in Minutes](https://pixeltable.com/blog/automated-video-translation-voiceover-pipeline)
- [text-to-speech](https://pixeltable.com/tools/text-to-speech)