AWS re:Invent 2016: Introducing Amazon Polly

Summary

Amazon Polly is a powerful text-to-speech service powered by deep learning that converts text into natural-sounding speech. Users submit text streams, such as a temperature reading, and Polly generates an MP3 audio stream with the spoken version of the text. The service intelligently handles awkward text, making the output sound smooth and natural. Polly offers 47 different voices and allows for caching of responses, making it ideal for repeated use. Known for its fast response times and cost-effectiveness, Amazon Polly is a fully managed solution for seamless text-to-speech conversion.

Takeaways

• 😀 Amazon Polly is a text-to-speech deep learning service.
• 😀 Polly converts text input, like a temperature reading, into an audio stream.
• 😀 The service produces an MP3 stream that repeats the input text.
• 😀 Polly's output audio is intelligent and natural, avoiding awkward pronunciations.
• 😀 For example, '75° F' would be read as '75° Fahrenheit' in a smoother, more natural way.
• 😀 Users can cache Polly's audio responses for repeated use.
• 😀 The service has fast response times.
• 😀 Polly offers 47 different voices for diverse user needs.
• 😀 It is a fully managed service, so users don’t need to worry about infrastructure.
• 😀 Polly is cost-effective, making it an affordable solution for text-to-speech needs.

Q & A

What is Amazon Polly?

Amazon Polly is a text-to-speech service that uses deep learning to convert text into lifelike speech. It takes a text stream as input and returns an MP3 audio stream as output.

How does Amazon Polly handle awkward text input like 'W' or 'F'?

Amazon Polly processes awkward text inputs like 'W' or 'F' and converts them into a more natural and understandable spoken form. For example, '75° F' is read as 'seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit.'

What kind of output does Amazon Polly generate?

Amazon Polly generates an MP3 audio stream that replicates the text provided in the input. This audio can be cached for repeated use.

Can Amazon Polly handle dynamic text streams?

Yes, Amazon Polly can process dynamic text streams, such as real-time data like temperature readings, and convert them into speech.

What are the benefits of using Amazon Polly in terms of response time?

Amazon Polly offers very fast response times, making it ideal for real-time applications where quick audio generation is necessary.

How many voices are available in Amazon Polly?

Amazon Polly offers 47 different voices, giving users a variety of options for different accents, languages, and tones.

Is Amazon Polly a managed service?

Yes, Amazon Polly is a fully managed service, meaning Amazon handles the infrastructure and maintenance, so users can focus on using the service without worrying about technical management.

How cost-effective is Amazon Polly?

Amazon Polly is designed to be cost-effective, making it an affordable option for businesses and developers who need text-to-speech capabilities.

Can the audio generated by Amazon Polly be cached?

Yes, Amazon Polly allows users to cache the audio responses. This feature enables repeated use of the same audio without needing to regenerate it every time.

What type of content can be input into Amazon Polly?

You can input any stream of text into Amazon Polly, including data streams like weather information, news, or other dynamic content that requires audio output.