AI Text To Speech Voice Tags – Powtoon Business

Directing Your Voiceover with Audio Tags in Powtoon Text-to-Speech

What are audio tags?

Audio tags are short instructions written in square brackets inside your voiceover script. Instead of hearing a flat, neutral read, you can steer the voice's emotion, volume, pacing, and character, one line at a time.

Note: Audio tags can only be used with voice actors that have the Next Gen tag. Other voice actors will not respond to tags.

Example:

[calm] Welcome to the team. [brief pause] [excited] We're so glad you're here!

Without tags, the voice reads in a neutral tone. With tags, the delivery changes depending on where you place them.

How to use tags

Select Text to Speech. Type or paste the text you want to convert into a voiceover.
From the Voices Library, select a voice actor with the Next Gen tag.
Once you've selected a Next Gen voice, click Apply.
Add audio tags directly into your script where you want to change the delivery. For example:
[confident] Let's get your first project set up. [brief pause] It only takes a minute.
Click Generate to create the voiceover.
Listen to the generated voiceover to make sure the delivery sounds the way you want.
Click Save Voiceover.

Writing tips

Choose a Next Gen voice actor first. Tags only work with voice actors that show the Next Gen tag.
Place the tag right before the text it affects. A tag shapes the words that follow it.
Pair a physical cue with an emotion (for example, a whisper plus nervous) for more natural results.
Don't over-tag short lines. One or two tags in a sentence is plenty.
Test, then adjust. The same tag can sound different from voice to voice. If a tag doesn't work, try a similar one.
Use punctuation too. Commas, ellipses, and dashes also influence pacing.

Tag reference

Use this as a starting palette. Results vary by voice and language, so preview each line.

1. Emotion

Goal	Tags to try
Positive	`[happy]` `[excited]` `[hopeful]` `[grateful]` `[relieved]` `[confident]`
Negative	`[sad]` `[angry]` `[frustrated]` `[disappointed]` `[worried]` `[lonely]`
Calm or serious	`[calm]` `[serious]` `[reflective]`
Uneasy	`[nervous]` `[anxious]` `[tense]` `[uneasy]` `[skeptical]`
Wistful	`[nostalgic]` `[bittersweet]` `[melancholic]`
Driven	`[determined]` `[triumphant]`

Adding intensity: describe how strongly the feeling shows, such as [slightly nervous], [quietly emotional], [overjoyed], or [deeply sorrowful].

2. Human sounds and reactions

Goal	Tags to try
Laughter	`[chuckles]` `[giggles]` `[laughs softly]` `[laughs loudly]` `[nervous laugh]` `[snorts]`
Breath	`[sigh]` `[gasp]` `[deep breath]` `[exhale slowly]`
Throat and mouth	`[clears throat]` `[gulps]` `[swallows]`
Attitude	`[scoffs]` `[groans]` `[mutters]`

3. Volume and energy

Goal	Tags to try
Quiet	`[whispering]` `[softly]` `[hushed tone]`
Everyday	`[conversational tone]` `[casual tone]`
Loud	`[loudly]` `[shouting]` `[energetically]`
Shifts	`[voice rising]` `[voice lowering]` `[voice trembling]`

4. Pacing and pauses

Goal	Tags to try
Speed	`[slow and deliberate]` `[picks up pace]` `[rushed]`
Pauses	`[brief pause]` `[long pause]`
Hesitation	`[hesitates]` `[trails off]` `[stammers]`

5. Emphasis and delivery style

Goal	Tags to try
Stress key words	`[emphasized]` `[strong emphasis]` `[soft emphasis]`
Understated	`[deadpan]` `[dry tone]`
Persuasive	`[earnestly]` `[passionately]`
Authoritative	`[firmly]` `[assertively]` `[commanding tone]`

6. Character and style

Goal	Tags to try
Age	`[childlike tone]` `[elderly voice]`
Roles	`[teacher voice]` `[news reporter voice]` `[storyteller voice]` `[radio host voice]`
Genre	`[documentary narrator]` `[audiobook narrator]` `[thriller narrator]`
Business	`[commercial voice]` `[corporate presentation tone]`

7. Accents

Examples to try: [British accent], [Australian accent], [Irish accent], [Southern US accent]. Accent results depend heavily on the chosen voice and may be inconsistent.

8. Advanced performance cues

Goal	Tags to try
Hidden feelings	`[masking fear]` `[forced calm]`
Physical state	`[out of breath]` `[exhausted voice]` `[in pain]`
Social situations	`[polite tone]` `[awkward politeness]`

Example scripts

Product walkthrough

[confident] Let's get your first project set up. [brief pause] It only takes a minute.

Training video

[serious] Safety comes first. [slow and deliberate] Always check the equipment before you begin. [calm] Let's go through the steps together.

Promo

[excited] Big news! [energetically] Our new feature is here. [laughs softly] And yes, it's as good as it sounds.

Customer service scenario

[polite tone] Thank you for calling. [forced calm] I understand the system has been down all morning. [calm] Let's fix that right now.