Guide, updated October 21, 2026
AI voice over for YouTube videos: typed, timed, on your PC
Some people record tutorials in silence because they dislike their voice, speak English as a second language, or work where they cannot talk. A typed voice over fixes that, if each line lands at the right moment of the video and the rules of YouTube are clear. Here is how it works in Ciakko and what YouTube actually asks.
In one glance
- How: write each line on the timeline where it should be said; a Microsoft Azure voice reads it there.
- Sound: recorded sound, clips and music duck under the voice while it speaks.
- Names: a pronunciation list fixes product names once for every video.
- Included: 50,000 characters a month, about an hour of speech.
What YouTube says about AI voices
Two policies matter. The first is disclosure of AI content: creators must disclose AI content that seems realistic, such as making a real person appear to say something they did not, altering footage of a real event or place, or generating a realistic scene that did not occur. A narrator reading over your own screen recording is not one of those cases, though YouTube may add a label for AI generated audio in the expanded description. The second is the monetization policy, which since July 15, 2025 calls repetitive or mass-produced content inauthentic. The voice is not the test there. The content is.
Record in silence, write the narration after
Record the screen without talking and do the task at a calm pace. In the editor, open the Voice over tab, move the playhead where a sentence should start, press Add narration and type it. Each line is anchored to a moment of the recording, so "Open the settings" plays when the settings open. Generate voice over turns every new line into audio. Each line says whether it Fits before the next one, is Tight or Overflows, and Space out segments moves the ones that overlap. Cuts and speed changes never stretch a line.
Make it sound like a person
- Voice: pick one from the Azure catalogue, including multilingual and HD voices, and keep it across the channel.
- Pace: from 0.7 to 1.3. Slightly slower than you think works better for tutorials.
- Pronunciation: respell a product name once and it is read right in every take.
- Ducking: the recorded sound, clips and project music go down to a quarter while a line speaks, with soft ramps.
- Short lines: one idea per line, written for the ear, not copied from the documentation.
Captions from the same text
Captions for a voice over need no speech model: the words are already known, so Ciakko lays them on the generated voice word by word. Choose one of the six styles, or keep them only in the .srt file that comes with every export.
What it costs and what leaves your PC
A Ciakko license includes 50,000 characters a month, about an hour of speech. Only the lines whose text, voice, pace or pronunciation changed are generated again. The text of the lines goes to Microsoft Azure Speech to be read; the server keeps no audio, and your recording stays on your PC.
When another tool fits better
If you want an AI copy of your own voice, or a voice for a video that is not a screen recording, a dedicated voice service is the right tool. Ciakko uses catalogue voices and narrates its own recordings.
Questions about AI voice over
Can I use an AI voice for YouTube videos?
Yes. YouTube's disclosure rules target realistic AI content: making a real person appear to say or do something they did not, altering footage of a real event or place, or generating a realistic scene that did not happen. A narrator reading over your own screen recording is not one of the cases YouTube lists. YouTube may still show a label for AI generated audio in the expanded description.
Will an AI voice get my channel demonetized?
YouTube's monetization policy speaks of content that is repetitive or mass-produced, which it calls inauthentic content since July 15, 2025. The policy text does not name a synthetic voice as a reason by itself. A tutorial that shows your own work with a typed narration is original content.
How do I add an AI voice over to a screen recording?
In Ciakko, open the take, go to the Voice over tab, move the playhead where a sentence starts, press Add narration and type it, choose a voice and press Generate voice over. Each line is read at its place and the rest of the sound goes down while it speaks.
Does Ciakko clone my voice?
No. You choose a voice from the Microsoft Azure catalogue. It is not a copy of anyone's voice.
How much narration is included?
50,000 characters a month with a Ciakko license, about an hour of speech. Only lines you change are generated again, so editing a script does not spend the month.
What leaves my PC?
The text of the lines goes to Microsoft Azure Speech to be read aloud. Ciakko's server keeps no audio, and the recording itself never leaves your PC.