Gain Greater Control with VisionStory’s New “Preview Audio” and “Pause” Features

Producing high-quality video content often comes down to the finest details—like the way a word is pronounced or the timing of a dramatic pause. At VisionStory, we’re excited to introduce two new features—Preview Audio and Pause—that give you more precision and flexibility before you use your credits to generate a full video.

Why Use Preview Audio?

Preview Audio is a breakthrough for anyone who wants to ensure their text-to-speech (TTS) narration sounds just right before spending credits on video generation. Previously, you’d go straight from writing your script to producing the final video. While this was convenient, it left little room for fine-tuning—and if you noticed a small error, your credits were already used. With Preview Audio, you can:

1. Check Pronunciation & Tone
   Listen to the full audio generated from your text and confirm it matches your intended style.
2. Save Credits
   Spotting an error in the audio before rendering the video helps you avoid unnecessary credit usage.
3. Avoid Streaming Artifacts
   When audio is generated in real time to sync with video (a “streaming pipeline”), some AI voices may have slight volume inconsistencies at the start or end. By using Preview Audio first, you can avoid these issues and achieve a more polished result.

Common Pitfalls & Text Tips: While TTS technology has advanced, certain complexities can still present challenges. Pay special attention to:

• Specialized or Technical Terms: Medical, legal, or scientific terms may need extra punctuation or spelling tweaks.
• Abbreviations: Make sure TTS expands or pronounces them correctly.
• Currencies & Numbers: The narrator may read numbers in an unexpected way or skip over currency symbols.
• Heavy Punctuation: Periods, commas, and colons can affect how TTS handles intonation and pacing.

If you notice any issues, simply revise your text, run Preview Audio again, and confirm it’s perfect before clicking “Generate Talking Video.”

Introducing the Pause Feature

Sometimes you want to slow things down for dramatic effect, highlight a phrase, or handle tricky words with care. Our new Pause option—accessible via the “⏱ +0.5” icon—lets you insert a short pause anywhere in your script. For a longer pause, just add multiple pause icons in your text. This manual pause can:

• Improve Clarity: Break up long sentences so your audience can easily follow each part.
• Enhance Emphasis: Build anticipation before a key statement or punchline.
• Override Default TTS Pausing: If the text-to-speech engine doesn’t pause where you want—or adds an unwanted break—manually adding pauses ensures the narration flows exactly as you intend.

Important Tips

Preview Audio uses a character-based quota, which resets monthly based on your subscription plan. As a general guideline, 1 minute of speech is about 1,000 characters:

• Free: 500 characters (~0.5 min of audio)
• Lite: 1,000 characters (~1 min of audio)
• Pro: 10,000 characters (~10 min of audio)
• Advanced: 50,000 characters (~50 min of audio)
• Ultra: 100,000 characters (~100 min of audio)

Tips for the Stopwatch (Pause) Feature:

• Each stopwatch icon adds a 0.5-second pause. You can use them consecutively for longer pauses, up to a maximum of 3 seconds.
• Note: Avoid using more than two consecutive pauses within a single text segment, as this may cause the AI to produce unexpected sounds or artifacts.

Use Cases & Real-World Benefits

• Marketing & Advertising
  Marketers can create curiosity with short, impactful lines—often followed by a well-timed pause. Now you can refine your brand messaging and preview different deliveries without wasting credits.
• E-Learning & Instructional Videos
  Educational content often includes complex terms or acronyms. Quickly preview how they’re pronounced, insert the right pauses, and ensure learners can easily follow along.
• Storytelling & Narration
  Dramatic voiceovers rely on precise pacing. A well-placed pause can convey suspense or emotion—something auto-generated TTS pacing may not always achieve.
• Professional Presentations
  When you need to make a point—such as in financial reviews or business pitches—mispronounced names or numbers can affect credibility. Previewing and adding pauses helps ensure a smooth, professional narration.