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Generate Voiceover

Placeholder Voiceover.
Generated Locally.

Type a script, click Generate and EditLint AI produces a WAV file using your system's built-in text-to-speech (Windows SAPI or macOS say) and places it on your audio track. Zero cloud, zero API cost.

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How Local TTS Works

Windows SAPI and macOS say. Nothing sent anywhere.

EditLint AI's voiceover generator uses the text-to-speech engine built into your operating system. On Windows this is Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) with the installed voice pack. On macOS it's the say command using whichever voice you have configured in System Preferences.

The generated WAV file is saved to a temporary folder and immediately imported into your NLE project. The clip is then placed on a dedicated voiceover audio track at the playhead position or at the start of the sequence.

  • Windows: uses SAPI with all installed voice packs
  • macOS: uses system say command with selected voice
  • Output: 48kHz 16-bit mono WAV
  • File saved to your project folder and imported automatically
  • Nothing sent to any network service
Voiceover Generator Panel
SCRIPT
Welcome to the product overview. In this video we'll cover the three key features that make our platform stand out from the competition...
Voice Microsoft David (en-US)
Speed 1.0×
Placement At playhead
Use Cases

Fast, placeholder and offline narration.

System TTS voices are not broadcast quality — they lack the warmth, inflection and naturalness of a human VO artist or a premium neural TTS service. But that's precisely the point for several important workflows where speed and zero cost outweigh production quality.

  • Placeholder voiceover — time the edit to a script before recording the real VO. Clients can review pacing and content without waiting for recording day.
  • Explainer video scaffolding — build the full animated explainer edit against the placeholder, then drop in the final VO when it's ready.
  • Quick-turn internal promos — some internal presentations only need functional narration, not broadcast quality. System TTS is perfectly acceptable for all-hands decks and internal training videos.
  • Offline / no-internet production — no cloud dependency means you can generate placeholder VO on location without a connection.
Limitations

When to use professional VO instead.

System TTS has clear limitations that make it unsuitable for client-facing deliverables requiring broadcast quality or emotive performance. Understanding when not to use this feature saves time in the long run.

  • Client-facing brand videos — hire a professional VO artist
  • Content requiring emotional range or character — system TTS cannot perform
  • Broadcast or streaming deliverables — system TTS does not meet technical specs
  • Non-English content — voice quality varies significantly by language pack

For high-quality neural TTS without sending audio to a cloud service, consider integrating a local neural voice model such as Piper TTS, which EditLint AI supports as an optional local engine upgrade.

How It Works

Type. Generate. Place.

1

Type or Paste Your Script

Open the Voiceover panel in EditLint AI and type or paste your script. Select a voice from the list of installed system voices, set the speaking speed and choose where the generated clip should be placed — at the current playhead or at the start of the sequence.

2

Generate the WAV

Click Generate. EditLint AI passes the script to the system TTS engine (SAPI on Windows, say on macOS) and captures the output as a 48kHz WAV file. For a 60-second script, generation typically takes 2–5 seconds depending on hardware.

3

Clip Placed on Timeline

The WAV is saved to your project's audio folder, imported into your NLE project bin and placed on a dedicated voiceover track at the configured position. You can then trim, adjust levels and eventually replace it with the real VO when it's recorded.

Related features

Add Background Music

Pair placeholder voiceover with auto-ducked background music for a fully mixed edit that gives clients an accurate feel for the final pacing.

Explore Add Music →

Captions

Generate captions from your placeholder voiceover WAV using the same Whisper transcription that drives all other caption features.

Explore Captions →

Podcast Auto-Edit

Podcast editors can use voiceover generation for quick ad-read placeholders while finalising the conversation edit in parallel.

Explore Podcast Auto-Edit →

Placeholder VO on the timeline in under 5 seconds.

No cloud. No API key. No waiting. Type your script and it's on the timeline — locally generated using your system's built-in voice engine.

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