Steven Bartlett, creator of the podcast The Diary of a CEO, recently launched 100 CEOs, a podcast entirely generated by artificial intelligence, including the voice. A first in the business podcasting world, sparking both fascination and skepticism š¤
And for good reason: turning text into a podcast is now within everyoneās reach, thanks to a new generation of increasingly powerful text-to-speech tools. But this evolution raises real questions: is it truly relevant? For what purposes? And with what limitations? š§©
In this article, weāll explore this trend together. Without judgment or pressure, weāll give you an overview of the most concrete use cases, potential benefits, current limitationsā¦ and the tools you should know about if you ever plan to turn your texts into audio content šļø
Podcasting is no longer just a āliveā or embodied format. Thanks to voice synthesis tools, itās now possible to start from a written piece, an article, a product sheet, a study, a script, and generate a fluid, natural audio version ready to be distributed on all platforms š
This changes the production logic: you no longer need to write in order to record, you can write in order to publish. This shift paves the way for shorter, more frequent, more automated, and therefore more scalable audio formats āļø
Many professionals would love to launch a podcast but are held back by technical hurdles (equipment, software, editing) or by discomfort with their own voice. By automating the audio side, podcasting becomes accessible to those who donāt want to (or canāt) go through the vocal recording stage š§
Itās also an opportunity for marketing and communications teams to produce audio content without depending on a host or a studio. Text becomes the raw material for multichannel distribution, without adding operational overload š
If you already have a blog, a newsletter, or a rich set of documentation, youāre sitting on a goldmine. These contents can be adapted for audio, then turned into coherent podcast episodes that make sense for your audience, with no extra creative effort š
The result: you increase your messageās reach, improve the accessibility of your content (especially for a mobile audience), and strengthen your presence on audio platforms, without multiplying internal resources š”
Some tools now make it possible to generate natural-sounding AI voices in more than 20 languages. This means you can translate your existing content, automatically vocalize it, and offer a podcast in a language you donāt even speak š£ļø
Itās a powerful strategy for testing an international audience, creating regional variations of your podcast, or reaching an expatriate community without building a new team. Audio becomes a tool for scaling up globally š
Even with the most realistic voices, the result is still computer-generated. It lacks the quirks of a human voice: a trembling intonation, a spontaneous laugh, a sigh of frustration, a surge of energyā¦ all those micro-signals that tell a story beyond the words. The result: even when well-written, a generated podcast can feel flat, standardized, and therefore less memorable for the listener š
In a traditional podcast, the voice creates a form of intimacy with the listener. It embodies a point of view, a personality, an emotion. In a text-generated podcast, that emotional connection is largely weakened, or even absent, which can harm audience loyalty and the building of a community around the show š¤
Audio generation tools are effective for reading structured text but struggle with more dynamic or interactive formats: interviews, multi-voice conversations, stories with tone changes. Itās impossible, for example, to simulate a spontaneous interview with its silences, interruptions, or real-time reactions. The result would be too rigid or artificial. This naturally limits the use of such tools to certain highly structured formats šļø
Contrary to what one might think, automating the voice does not reduce editorial work, it transforms it. A text intended to be read aloud is not written like a blog article. You have to think about oral rhythm, intonation, narrative structure. Without this adaptation, the result is monotonous and unengaging. Automation doesnāt replace editorial rigor, it simply shifts it š ļø
Using generic voices can create a sense of distance from your brand identity. By standardizing the tone, you risk erasing what makes a podcast unique: its style, its color, its distinctive relationship with the listener. If the tool is not integrated into a broader reflection on editorial and sound identity, it can end up costing you more than it delivers š§¬
Several tools now make it possible to turn text into podcasts, with varying levels of vocal quality and customization. Some are designed for solo creators, others for teams or large-scale productions. Hereās an overview of the most interesting solutions to know if you want to explore this approach.
Wondercraft AI is one of the most comprehensive tools on the market for turning a written script into a fully produced audio episode. It offers a selection of realistic voices, automatic addition of music and sound effects, as well as translation and dubbing features. Itās particularly suited for narrative, informational, or professional formats. Steven Bartlett has even recommended it as the future of audio production š«
Descript is a text-based audio editing platform that also includes an advanced voice generation engine. You can transform a script into a voice-over using one of the available AI voices, or clone your own voice with the Overdub feature. The tool makes it possible to produce episodes, correct audio errors, or create entire segments without re-recording āļø
Podcastle is a platform for creating audio and video content that includes a text-to-speech feature. Users can generate voice-overs from written scripts, choosing from a catalog of AI voices. The tool also offers basic editing features and works well for simple formats such as narrative podcasts, audio notes, or explainer videos š
Play.ht is a tool specialized in generating speech from text. It offers a wide range of synthetic voices in multiple languages, with customization options such as emotion or style. The interface lets you paste or write a script and generate an exportable audio file. Itās often used to produce short formats, multilingual versions of the same content, or automated capsules šļø
Turning text into a podcast is no longer science fiction. The tools available today make it possible, in just a few clicks, to generate coherent, fluent, and shareable audio content. But this technical ease shouldnāt make us forget the essentials: a podcast, even automated, is still an editorial project in its own right š§
Text-to-speech can prove useful in very specific situations: short formats, multilingual distribution, enhanced accessibility, or large-scale repurposing of existing content. It does not replace the emotion, spontaneity, or human connection that an authentic voice creates, but it can support a well-thought-out audio content strategy š§
Ultimately, this approach isnāt for every project, nor for every creator. But it deserves to be explored, understood, and tested, not as a miracle solution, but as one strategic option among others, to activate if it makes sense for your audience, your formats, and your goals šÆ
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