iSpeech, Inc. provides two types of services called Text-to-Speech (TTS) and Automated Speech Recognition (ASR). Text-to-Speech lets users send us text and we will provide thoses users with computer-generated speech. ASR allows users to submit audio data from a microphone or a file and we return a transcription of what was said.
iSpeech provides TTS and ASR services on various mobile, computer, and web platforms. For example, we support:
| Mobile | Desktop/Server | Web |
|---|---|---|
| iOs | Java | Javascript (TTS) |
| Android | .NET | Flash/Flex/Air |
| BlackBerry |
Developers can build programs that use iSpeech services by using the correct iSpeech SDKs. iSpeech is capable of developing applications for paying customers who would rather pay us to create their app.
iSpeech's services are reachable with the correct identification code called an Application Programming Interface (API) key. The key is a token to access our TTS and ASR services. Currently, iSpeech has 3 types of API keys with over 100 different options.
The three types of API Keys are:
The iSpeech mobile development server is used as a "sandbox" environment that you can use to test your application before releasing it to the public.
| Mobile Development | Mobile Production | Web/Other Production |
|---|---|---|
| For development only | For public use | Required paid access |
| For websites, desktop apps, servers |
In order to build a mobile application that uses iSpeech, you should download the appropriate package by using the "Getting Started" menu. The download will contain an iSpeech SDK library, documentation, and source code for a sample program.
The sample applications must be opened in the appropriate integrated development environment (IDE). For BlackBerry and Android, you should use Eclipse. For iPhone, you should use XCode. The sample applications can be executed as-is without changing the API key and server type.
Once you get the sample application working, try changing your API key and the production flags. In the BlackBerry application, open the Main package and the iSpeechSample class and set the following two variables.
The desktop/server SDKs for Java and .Net are only available on request. These SDKs are very useful for integrated voice recognition (IVR) phone systems. These SDKs require a general API key and are not compatible with mobile API keys.
You can create a general/web key under My Account -> My API keys. The web/desktop type API key requires credits which you must purchase.
Many developers are interested in integrating TTS and ASR into websites. There are two main requirements for using iSpeech web services. The first requirement is that you submit the text for TTS or audio data for ASR to the iSpeech servers using the HTTP protocol. The second requirement is that you must have a way to receive and present the data to the user.
For TTS by default, you will receive an MP3 that you can play with flash and/or javascript. For ASR, you must use a browser plugin that has access to the microphone such as Flash or a Java applet.
For the web platform, you can use HTTP GET requests rather than POST because it requires fewer packets. However, GET is limited by maximum URL length.
You can improve download speeds and save credits by downloading one sentence at a time in a playlist. The time that it takes to convert one sentences causes natural sounding short pause.
The frequently asked questions (FAQ) page is available to answer common questions. For other questions, you can ask your question by posting on the iSpeech Forums or with the support contact form .
Your application will require an internet connection. If there is a problem with your internet connection, iSpeech services will become unreachable.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for BlackBerry lets you Speech-enable any BlackBerry App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a 50KB footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for free-form dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech iOS SDK lets you add human quality Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) to Speech-enable any app. iSpeech's Mobile SDKs support 27 TTS and ASR (defined grammar) languages and 15 languages for free-form dictation voice recognition. .
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for Android lets you Speech-enable any Android App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for free-form dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for Java lets you Speech-enable any Java App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for free-form dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
Speech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for JavaScript lets you Speech-enable any JavaScript application quickly and easily with the iSpeech Cloud. The SDK is open source and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for free-form dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for .NET lets you Speech-enable any .NET App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for free-form dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for PHP lets you Speech-enable any PHP App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for freeform dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for the Flash lets you Speech-enable any Flash, Flex, or Air App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for freeform dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for Python lets you Speech-enable any Python App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for freeform dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for Ruby lets you Speech-enable any Ruby App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for freeform dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
iSpeech Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition (ASR) SDK for Perl lets you Speech-enable any Perl App quickly and easily with iSpeech Cloud. The SDK has a small footprint and supports 27 TTS and ASR languages and 15 for freeform dictation voice recognition.
The iSpeech Android SDK can be tested with this API key: "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey".
The "developerdemokeydeveloperdemokey" API key has a 100 word limit. It's meant to be used in debug mode.
To get your own API key, you need to register.
Why Text-to-Speech as a service?
iSpeech's Text-to-Speech WebService puts the power of our TTS clusters anywhere, anytime. Our "zero-footprint Text-toSpeech" leaves traditional embedded solutions and TTS servers at a loss for words.
How fast is iSpeech?
iSpeech is as fast as you need it. iSpeech has a unique, patent-pending multi-threaded, multi-core method for running a single Text-to-Speech conversion. This allows us to attack one single Text-to-Speech conversion with an unlimited number of processors simultaneously. So a Text-to-Speech conversion that would normally take 30 minutes can be done in less than 30 seconds.
Don't want to deal with the overhead of audio files?
We can take care of that for you. Ask us about using our SAN to store and access your files. Our TTS Web Service automatically recognizes files that have already been converted by a unique hash and pulls them through the SAN, so nothing needs to be converted twice. iSpeech is completely efficient.
Want to try iSpeech, but don't want to commit?
All of our Text to Speech options are pay-as-you-go. We want to earn your business, and we'll never take you for granted. We even have a free, ad-supported TTS voice that you can try without paying. The free Text-to-Speech voice will help you get a feel for our service at no cost.
What if I need help implmeneting Text-to-Speech in your application?
The iSpeech Team will get you running TTS conversions fast. If you feel like our Text-to-Speech API is too much for you to handle, we also have a simple, easy to use, TTS conversion user interface. The UI allows for you to manually upload word documents, Adobe Acrobat PDFs, PowerPoint, HTML, RSS feeds, and more.
What if I need some functionality that iSpeech doesn't seem to have?
Ask us. If it would help you, chances are we will implmenet it in a hurry. If you need a custom Text-to-Speech solution, we will build it for you. iSpeech is here to help you speech-enable your website or application.
What is the largest Text-to-Speech conversion you guys can handle?
To optimize our servers, we have limited conversions to 100,000 words. If you need to convert more words, we suggest you break up a TTS conversion into separate parts. For instance, if you have a book convert the individual chapters separately. It also makes it easier to navigate and play the MP3 files. Chapters will act much like chapters on a DVD.