Voices

Every voice in ActOnCue falls into one of three categories: Dramatic, Consistent, or My Own Voice. Each gives you a different level of control over how your scene partner sounds during rehearsal.

Quick comparison

	Dramatic	Consistent	My Own Voice
Setup time	Fastest	Medium	Most setup
Expressiveness	High (context-aware)	Lower (faithful to text)	Your recording
Customization	Speech tags + instructions	Audio references (record yourself)	N/A (your recordings)
Best for	Quick rehearsal, expressive scenes	Precision, self-tape prep	Rehearsing against a specific read

Picking the right type depends on how much setup you want and how predictable you need the delivery to be.

Dramatic voices

Emotionally expressive voices that understand context and feeling. They interpret the script and perform on their own, so you can start rehearsing immediately with no audio input required.

These voices analyze the text, punctuation, and context to deliver lines with natural emotion and pacing. They are the fastest to set up and work well for most rehearsal sessions.

Higher variance means the delivery can surprise you. Sometimes that is exactly what you want. Other times, you may need to regenerate a line to get a read that fits the scene.

When to use Dramatic voices

• You want to start rehearsing quickly without extra setup
• You want emotionally expressive delivery that responds to the text
• You are okay with occasional unexpected reads (you can always regenerate)
• You want to add speech tags inline for moment-to-moment control
• You want to add speech instructions per line for overall scene context

Consistent voices

Faithful voices that read exactly what is on the page. Lower variance, controllable tone, and you can supply an audio reference for the voice to match.

These voices prioritize reliability. You get a predictable, even delivery every time. If you need precision, this is the type to use.

You can also record yourself speaking a line, and the voice will adapt its tone, pacing, and delivery to match yours. This gives you direct control over how every line sounds.

When to use Consistent voices

• You need reliable, predictable delivery for every line
• You are working on a scene where pacing and tone must be exact
• You want to supply audio references to control how the voice sounds
• You are preparing a self-tape and need consistent reads across multiple takes

My Own Voice

Upload or record your own voice snippets to use as the voice for each line. The system plays back your actual recordings instead of generating speech.

This is ideal when you have recordings from a scene partner or coach, or when you want to rehearse against a specific read you have already captured.

When to use My Own Voice

• You have recordings from a scene partner or coach
• You want to rehearse against a specific read you have already captured
• You need the most realistic version of your scene for self-tape prep

Switching between voice types

You can change voice types at any time during your rehearsal process. Start with Dramatic voices for quick setup, then switch to Consistent or My Own Voice for lines that need more precision.

Voice customization

Every voice in ActOnCue responds to cues in the text. But when the delivery does not match what you need, you have several ways to steer it. The options available depend on which voice type you are using.

Punctuation

Punctuation matters for all voice types. Without it, the voice may guess wrong.

Bad:

Better:

Ellipses create pauses. Exclamation marks add energy. Question marks shift intonation. The more clearly your text signals the rhythm, the better the delivery.

Speech tags

Works with: Dramatic voices

Speech tags are inline markers you place directly in the script text. The voice reads them and adjusts its delivery on the fly. This is the quickest way to shape a performance without leaving the script.

Add a tag in square brackets before the text it should affect:

Tags can control emotion, physicality, and pacing:

Category	Examples
Emotion	[excited], [sad], [angry], [hopeful]
Physical	[sighs], [laughing], [whispering]
Pacing	[pause], [rushed], [drawn out]

You can use multiple tags in the same line. Each tag affects the text that follows it until the next tag or end of line.

For a full overview of what speech tags can do, see the voice library page.

Speech instructions

Works with: Dramatic voices

Speech instructions give you a different kind of control. Instead of tagging individual moments in the text, you set the overall context for how a line should be delivered.

Open the line settings (...) on any dialogue line and type a direction in the Speech instructions field.

Examples:

• "She just found out she got the part"
• "Cold and distant, holding back tears"
• "Late night, exhausted but relieved"
• "Rushed, overlapping with the previous line"

Speech instructions describe the scene or mood rather than marking up the text. They work well alongside speech tags: use tags for moment-to-moment shifts, and instructions for the overall tone.

Audio references

Works with: Consistent voices

You can record yourself speaking a line, and the voice will adapt its tone, pacing, and delivery to match.

Step 1: Select a Consistent voice

Choose a voice marked with the "Consistent" badge from the voice selection menu.

Step 2: Open line settings

Each dialogue line has a settings button (...) on the right side. Click it to access individual line settings.

Step 3: Record your reference audio

Find the Add audio reference button and record yourself speaking the line.

Speak at your desired pace, tone, and emotional intensity. When you finish recording, click "Trim" to apply the reference.

If you want the voice to speak faster, speak faster in your recording. If you want more intensity, bring that energy into your reference. The system matches your delivery.

Step 4: Preview and adjust

Use the play button to preview how the voice sounds with your reference. Delete and re-record if you need to dial in the delivery.

Customization quick reference

Technique	Voice types	What it controls
Punctuation	All	Rhythm, pauses, intonation
Speech tags	Dramatic	Inline emotion, physicality, pacing
Speech instructions	Dramatic	Overall scene context, mood, energy
Audio references	Consistent	Tone, pace, delivery style

Still not getting the right delivery?

If a voice consistently feels off for your needs, consider:

• Trying a different voice. Each voice has a unique natural rhythm.
• Switching voice types. Sometimes Dramatic works better for expressive scenes, and Consistent works better when you need control.
• Regenerating the line. Dramatic voices can vary between runs, so regenerating may give you a better read.

For more help, see Voice & audio troubleshooting.

What's next?

• Rehearse - start using your configured voices
• Self-tape - use consistent voices for recording

Troubleshooting: voice & audio