Several functionalities within Narrator enable it to extend text-to-speech functionalities already present in Mac OS, accessible. It may seem confusing, then, which specific functionalities make Narrator unique as a solution for creating audio presentations. This article will outline those functionalities.

Multiple Characters

Narrator allows for the configuration and assignment of multiple characters to a text. Characters can be assigned to begin speaking at any point in the text with character flags.

Controls for Presentation Configuration

• Character Controls - specify how each character should sound by changing any of the following voice settings:
  • Rate
  • Pitch
  • Inflection
  • Volume
• Casting Assistant - Cast Characters automatically based on cues entered into the text.
• Chapters - Manage text segments within a presentation.
• Substitution Dictionary - Configure Narrator to read substitute text for for terms you define. For example, you can instruct Narrator to read “Captain Hook” where “Capt. Hook” appears in your text.

Playback Controls

• Playback control button, to pause and restart playback within Narrator:
  • Start/ Stop
  • Pause/ Resume
  • Advance Position
• Narrator can be configured to begin playback at the text insertion point.

Export Options

• Settings in Narrator make it possible to set iTunes tags for exported presentations before they are exported to iTunes. Tags that can be configured include:
  • Playlist
  • Genre
  • Artist
• Export to file - In addition to exporting directly to iTunes, Narrator can export to .AAC file.

For a full introduction to Narrator’s functionalities, see this Knowledge Base article.