Speech Studio Audio Content Creation (x) Content Format and Audio Export Fail

Question

I discovered https://speech.microsoft.com/portal, audio creation tile. (I think it should be the first one and described as "interactive batch TTS web interface.")

I uploaded a file named test.txt, which has two paragraphs.

For decades now, there has been no scientific doubt that we humans have been causing accelerating global warming and that the cost to humanity will be very large.  You, my reader, would have had to have lived behind the moon (not subject to climate change) to have missed this.  What you may not know is what we can do about it. We environmentalists have been lamenting every year for decades that the world should do more --- and the following year that it hasn't.  Lament-and-repeat. Lament-and-repeat. Lament-and-repeat.  And it's only been getting warmer every year.

I don't think that we need any more books explaining that the world has a big problem.  My book will not dwell on what you can find in most other books about climate change because there is little point.  There is no longer a great need to dwell *yet again* on the fact that we need huge cuts in fossil fuels.  We already know that they are killing millions of people every year, that they will kill many more millions in the future, and that we need to phase them out ASAP.  We can take this as given.

I successfully uploaded it. In "Manage Files", it shows an (x) for Content Format. Not sure why.

Now I try to have it spoken. Highlight, click export. I think this should be the "Export to Audio library". I select 24kHz mp3 and start it. It comes back with "export failed". No further information. Any idea why?

Answer 1

Hi @ivo welch

Thank you for using the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I tried to repro your issue, by pasting the 2 paragraphs given in the question and trying to upload in the "Manage Files" option in "Audio Content Creation" screen of the Speech Studio UI. See below:

I then clicked on the "Name" of the uploaded file, as the "Content format" was showing a "X". See below :

When I click directly on the "play" button below, it gives error, as the "Voice Name" was not set yet. See below:

I then set the "Voice name" and "Language", as shown below:

Note that, I haven't still clicked on the "Save" button and hence the "Billable Characters" is shown as "N/A". The moment I click on the "Save", the "Billable Characters" appear. Please see below:

I then tried to "Export", and it was successful, as shown below:

I hope with the above provided steps, you should be able to successfully create and download the Audio.

Thank you for understanding.

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Please don't forget to click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Answer 2

thank you, dupammi. interestingly, the file upload (Manage files, Content Format" still has an (X), but it has indeed uploaded the file.

Going on with questions on this:

1. do I have to pick a voice on each paragraph, or is it possible to have the same voice be reading the entire set of paragraphs?
2. how do I use the sliders on the right? I am using "Brian", which allows changing rate, pitch, and volume, but it doesn't seem to have an effect. Almost as if I have not typed "apply" somewhere.
3. is there a markdown the SSML converter somewhere? My text has headings, tables, etc. I guess I can write my own translator if need be.

Thanks for the help. (was a crazy week for me.)