Managing Text-to-Speech (TTS) Voice Availability in Twilio Studio IVR – Twilio Support

Overview

Twilio Studio’s “Say a Message” widget allows you to use Text-to-Speech (TTS) to deliver dynamic, natural-sounding IVR prompts without the need for pre-recorded audio. Twilio offers a wide selection of voices and languages, powered by leading TTS providers such as Google and Amazon.

A common concern for businesses relying on a specific TTS voice is the long-term availability of that voice, especially when it is business-critical for customer interactions.

What You Need To Know

Can Twilio Remove or Change Available TTS Voices?

Twilio partners with third-party TTS providers to offer a variety of voices. While it is rare, there are circumstances where a specific voice may be deprecated or removed by the provider. This can occur due to:

Provider updates or deprecations
Licensing or contractual changes
Technology upgrades or replacements

Twilio strives to provide advance notice and guidance if a voice is scheduled for removal. However, because these changes are sometimes outside Twilio’s direct control, indefinite availability of any specific voice cannot be guaranteed.

Best Practices for Business-Critical TTS Voice Usage

To minimize disruption and ensure business continuity:

Maintain a List of Backup Voices: Identify and test alternative voices that could serve as backups if your primary choice becomes unavailable.
Monitor for Announcements: Stay informed about updates to Twilio’s TTS offerings by subscribing to product update channels or monitoring the Twilio Changelog .
Notify Twilio of Critical Dependencies: If your business relies on a specific voice (e.g., [Google] - it-IT-Chirp3-HD Aoede), inform Twilio Support. This helps Twilio keep you updated about any planned changes affecting your setup.

Pricing for Premium and Generative Voices

Some voices, such as Google’s “Generative” tier (including [Google] - it-IT-Chirp3-HD Aoede), may have different pricing from standard voices. As of this writing:

Generative voices: Pricing starts at $0.0032 per 100 characters converted to speech, in addition to standard Twilio call charges.
For the most current rates, refer to the Twilio Text-to-Speech Pricing page .

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my preferred voice is deprecated?

Twilio will provide advance notice and guidance to help you transition to an alternative. It’s recommended to have a backup voice ready.

How can I be notified of changes to TTS voices?

Inform Twilio Support of your business-critical voice dependencies and monitor the Twilio Changelog for updates.

Are there additional costs for certain voices?

Yes, some premium or generative voices have higher rates. Always check the latest pricing documentation.

Conclusion

Twilio offers a wide range of TTS voices, but cannot guarantee indefinite availability of any specific voice.
Proactively maintain backup options and stay informed about product updates.
Notify Twilio if you have business-critical dependencies on a specific voice.
Review pricing for premium voices to avoid unexpected charges.

For further questions or to report a business-critical dependency, reach out to Twilio Support.