Text to Speech SOftware

[hGandham]

Hi All,

I have created a Course.

It is almost done.

But I have used TextToSpeech Software.

Is it allowed?

As per the information which I have, it is not allowed on Udemy.

Are there any exceptional cases where voice generated from text to speech softwares are allowed?

[MariaG]

Hi @hGandham 

I suggest contacting policy@udemy.com so they can explain to you further what is allowed and what isn't in your course. 

[FrankKane]

From https://support.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/229232367-Audio-Standards-and-Choosing-a-Microphone : 

"Text to speech software is not allowed; students want to hear directly from you as an instructor to build trust."

No exceptions are mentioned. 

[Gokul]

It is allowed or not is a second thing, first is, do not make such kind of content. Students will not like that at all and your efforts will all be wasted. 

[VladimirsKarols]

My course was just blocked because I used text to speech. That's ridiculous. The latest AI engines do it better than myself. That requirement probably comes from an old era when it was just unpleasant to listen to those. But these times have passed. If no one tells you, you will only realise that it's robotic after a few paragraphs if not slides. And after you will enjoy listening, wondering how fast technologies evolve. Now I have to spend hours per lecture setting it up and re-recording hundreds of times. Because I don't like the intonation, then I don't like my accent, then my gf makes a noise in another room etc. The funny thing is that the quality might actually deteriorate as a result, as sooner or later I might give up trying to make it perfect. But nothing to do, will have to go for it, don't want to lose the time already invested.

[RajGupta]

@VladimirsKarols There are many excellent reasons why Instructors should not be using text to speech but here are two key reasons.

Udemy courses are designed by experts and expert instructors should be explaining content in their own voices. Udemy is not YouTube.

If you use text to speech you may get several instructors using one type of voice. This is not good either.

Udemy is primarily a learning platform with real live instructors teaching courses. Very similar to Universities.

[MichaelPog]

The majority of Udemy instructors have an accent. Including myself. I don't know anyone who likes their own voice, but AI can only replace human voice when no one can tell it's AI. If after just a few paragraphs one can tell that it's not a person then it's not better than your voice.

[VladimirsKarols]

I'm afraid to ask, but is Doodly allowed? Or it's too inhuman and I need to draw it all myself on a flipchart? And do I need to bring an orchestra for background music or mp3 is fine?

[RajGupta]

@VladimirsKarols Doodly, Videoscribe, Vyond and Toonly and Raw Shorts and others are all video creation software so you can use them as long as you have a business use subscription.

I have taught at Universities so for University videos I used an academic subscription.

For Udemy Videos however I have a separate business subscription.

The voice speaking in any videos even if created on Doodly has to be your own as per Udemy rules.

[VladimirsKarols]

In my first course, I used text to voice for a couple of lectures. It was 2 years ago, at that time, you could really immediately hear it's robotic. That's why I didn't use it more than that, just to add some extra pitch to the course. Then I only had one comment saying that it was annoying. After, I asked a few other students and they said it was fine for them.

Just for reference: 

"Aldila Yanri3:03 AM

Hi Vlad, the automated voice was fine to me. That was clear. I didn't have any problem with that."

That course had around 300 students since it became paid, and the rating was 4.55.

Just one more recent comment for reference:

"Neha Tyagi2:08 PM

Hi Vlad,I am almost switching my carrer from banking to Auditing. So its a perfect course for me. I was looking for something which clear my basic concept and it really does. Within few hours learnlot" - sorry I kept the grammar issues in the quote.

The course was also added to Udemy for Business. Now the course is blocked. And since I lost the original raw files used for creating videos, the course is gone, just a useless disc space on Udemy servers. I'll explore alternative platforms to publish it there.

In my new course, I used a new AI-based tool and it's amazing, unbelievably realistic. You just need to put extra commas and pauses here and there to make it sound fully natural.

These should be customers who make the choice. If they don't like it they will be putting low ratings and ask for the money back.

[VladimirsKarols]

Yes, and I'm also using Grammarly to check my texts, hope it's not a crime.

[ThomasMitchell]

I don’t like a lot of what Udemy does, but it’s their platform and their rules. 

[VladimirsKarols]

One reason why I would agree to this is that for sure people would start abusing - just copy-pasting ready texts from the internet or textbooks and producing courses this way.