Murf AI Review: Transforming My Post into Video

MURF

MURF simplifies the complex process of creating voiceovers and editing multimedia projects. This review will delve into MURF’s key features, capabilities, ease of use, and more, drawing from my personal experience as a regular user of the platform.

MURF’s prowess lies in its text-based audio editor, which accommodates both voice-based and text-based inputs, offering a high level of customization. It stands out for its diverse AI voices library, which continues to grow and improve in its selection of natural-sounding voices. With capabilities that extend to creating content for a range of projects, from podcasts to public announcements, and impressive video editing tools, MURF offers a holistic solution for content creators.

Its intuitive interface, coupled with the ability to fine-tune voices and make real-time adjustments, makes MURF an accessible tool for users of varying experience levels. While the voice selection can involve some trial and error, the overall output quality is consistently professional, making it a cost-effective solution for various multimedia projects.

Beyond voiceovers, MURF excels in its ability to integrate audio with videos and background music, enhancing the overall appeal of the final output. Lastly, its multi-user and access control features, making it an excellent choice for team-based projects or large-scale productions. Despite some minor bugs and a learning curve with the voice selection, MURF’s ease of use, extensive customization options, and versatility make it a strong contender in the realm of AI-based content creation tools.

Curious about the underlying mechanics of these tools? Here’s a piece on how text-to-video AI tools work in general. And to see how MURF stacks up against the competition, have a read of our comprehensive review of the best text-to-video AI tools.

My Experience Creating with MURF

Let’s journey into the world of Murf and bring those creative ideas to life in video!

Step 1. Begin at Murf’s Doorstep

First, visit the website murf.ai. If you’re new, sign up for a fresh account.

Step 2. Let’s Start Something New

Once you’re in, spot the ‘Create Project’ button and give it a click.

Step 3. Naming Your Baby

Now, you’re going to give your project a catchy name. This helps you identify it among others later on.

Step 4. Pick Your Canvas

Here’s where you decide the look and feel of your project. Choose a template that suits your goal. For this tutorial, I’m using the ‘explainer video template’ because I’m making a video about ‘GetIMG’, an image generation platform.

Step 5. Dive Right In

Click on ‘Create Project’ again and watch your workspace come to life. You’ll see a menu on the left, a timeline below, and a blank area in the center. This center space is where you’ll be placing the text for each scene of your video.

Step 6. Type or Paste Away

Get your script ready! Paste the text for your first scene right in the middle.

Step 7. More Scenes, More Stories

See the ‘add a block’ button? Click it each time you want to introduce a new scene in your timeline.

Step 8.  Fill in the Scenes

Continue adding the rest of your script to the different scenes. Sometimes, Murf may ask about how you’d like your text grouped. I like to keep each scene’s script as its own paragraph.

The finished text pasting looks like this

Step 9. Let’s Hear It!

Click on the play button below to get an audio sneak-peek of your scenes. It helps to visualize the final product.

Step 10. Voice Magic with AI

Not feeling the default narrator voice? On the left, find ‘Explore AI voices’. Browse through and select one you resonate with. 

I personally vibed with ‘Ethan’.

I went with Ethan on this step. 

Step 11. Lights, Camera, Action!

Time to make your video dynamic. Click on ‘Add media’ on the right. 

Then, pick ‘My Uploads’ at the top left and put up any relevant files, like clips you have from using GetIMG.

Step 12. Timeline Twists

With your timeline below, find the ‘+’ sign next to a video icon. Tap it. This lets you select and insert clips from your media library into the project.

Step 13. Melodies and Tunes

Add some rhythm to your video! On your timeline, spot the ‘+’ next to a musical note. Clicking this lets you add background tunes. There’s a vast variety under the stock music section to set the mood.

Step 14. Sneak a Peek

Curious about your progress? Hit ‘Play preview’ to see your video taking shape.

Step 15. The Grand Finale

Satisfied with your creation? Head to the top right and click ‘Export’. This will finalize your video, ready for the world to see.

Share 16. Sharing is Caring

Now, show it off! Share your video on social media and with anyone you’d like to impress.

Tips and Tricks for Mastering Murf

• Consistent Naming: Always maintain a consistent naming convention for your projects. This helps in quickly searching and sorting through projects later.
• Experiment with Voices: Murf’s AI voices offer a range of tones and accents. Play around until you find one (or a few) that fit different video moods!
• Use Templates Wisely: While templates provide a head start, don’t hesitate to customize. You want your video to stand out.
• Keep Scenes Concise: Avoid lengthy scenes. Keep them crisp and to the point for better viewer engagement.
• Backup Your Media: Always keep a backup of your uploaded media. Technical glitches, although rare, can happen.
• Regular Previews: Frequently preview your video during creation to ensure the flow is smooth and the transitions are seamless.
• Feedback is Gold: Before finalizing, share a preview link with a colleague or friend. Fresh eyes might spot something you missed.

Audio & Video Creation Capabilities

Text-Based Audio Editor

The power of MURF is unlocked in its versatile text-based audio editor. This editor accepts both voice-based and text-based inputs, thus empowering you to upload an audio or text file and have it instantly converted into any voice from the vast AI voices library. The level of customization that MURF offers is remarkable, ranging from voice parameter tuning to bulk uploading of text or script files in various formats. As someone who values detail, I find the ability to add emphasis to specific words and standardize pronunciations quite advantageous, bringing a unique and realistic tone to my projects.

Premium AI Voices Library

MURF’s AI voices library is a treasure trove of diverse, natural-sounding voices. As a regular user, I have observed a consistent growth in the voice selection, which now includes African American AI voices. This level of variety gives a fresh touch to each project, making it possible to select the perfect voice for any script or content.

Audio Capabilities

From podcasts and audiobooks to e-learning modules and public announcements, MURF provides extensive tools and options to create professional-grade audio projects. The intuitive and efficient interface allows me to produce high-quality audio content with ease, and the flexibility to make future edits saves me invaluable time.

Video Capabilities

The video capabilities of MURF are just as impressive, catering to a wide range of projects such as training videos, explainer videos, product demos, and even video games. The process is straightforward, allowing you to sync voiceovers with the timing of your visuals. The ability to seamlessly integrate stock or custom videos, images, and music into the timeline, akin to Adobe Premiere Pro, makes the platform a fully-fledged multimedia studio. Moreover, the options for video resolution and the ability to automatically add subtitles are invaluable for creating professional videos.

Customization and Usability

MURF doesn’t stop at offering a multitude of voices and styles; it further allows you to fine-tune the pitch and speed of your selected voice, add custom pause durations, and emphasize specific words. The platform even offers pronunciation suggestions and customization options to ensure the output is just as you imagined. However, as with any tool, finding the right voice can be a trial-and-error process. Certain voices might struggle with specific phrases, but the extensive library offers enough alternatives to get the perfect result.

Integration with Videos and Music

MURF’s capability to integrate audio with videos and background music enhances the overall appeal of the output. You can choose from open source platforms like Pexels or upload your custom videos, aligning them perfectly with your audio on the timeline. The voice changer is another impressive feature, allowing you to adapt the voice from other video sources and match the pacing seamlessly.

Output Quality

While some voices may sound a bit robotic initially, experimenting with different voice options leads to quite satisfying results. I’ve had success with the ‘Ethan’ and ‘Nate’ voices for my use cases. The flexibility to adjust audio levels across different tracks and add subtitles automatically creates a polished and professional end product.

In my experience, MURF offers a quality and cost-effective solution for creating professional audio and video content. Its vast library of voices, advanced editing tools, and excellent integration capabilities make it a reliable partner for authors, podcasters, educators, animators, or anyone involved in multimedia content creation. Its extensive audio and video creation capabilities truly make it more than just a text-to-speech converter.

Ease of Use and Interface

Starting with MURF

Getting started with MURF is a straightforward process, designed to be accessible even for those with little prior experience with similar software. From the moment you create a new project, the user interface is both clean and intuitive. You’re presented with the option to begin from scratch or leverage numerous ready-made templates, such as podcast intros, product demos, business promos, and more. I particularly appreciated this feature, as it facilitates quick and easy creation for a range of different project types.

Once a selection is made, you’re transported to an editing page where the main features are neatly organized in tabs at the top of the page. This layout makes navigation simple and efficient. This area provides you the option to add videos or images and make the necessary edits, creating a smooth workflow.

Navigation and Editing

Creating a voiceover in MURF is an intuitive process. You’re given the freedom to type or paste your script into audio blocks, choose from a wide variety of voice options, and adjust the voice styling as per your preference. Additional features, such as volume control, adding pauses, emphasizing specific words, and syncing the voice with visuals provide a comprehensive editing experience. The highlight is the “Build Video” button that renders the video effortlessly.

However, it’s worth noting that although the user interface is well-designed and straightforward, some users have reported occasional bugs, such as issues with tooltip movement. Although these are minor issues, they may impact the overall user experience.

Multi-User and Access Control

MURF shines as a collaborative tool. You can add multiple users, create workspaces, delegate tasks, and control access to different sections of your projects. This feature is especially valuable for team-based projects or larger-scale productions, providing a streamlined workspace that promotes productivity.

Voice Customization

The voice customization options provided by MURF are extensive, offering a choice of over 120 different voices in multiple languages and styles. Each voice comes with suggested use cases, providing guidance on the best scenarios in which to utilize them. The ability to tweak the pitch, speed, and emphasis for each voice adds to the flexibility of the platform.

However, during my use, I found that the resulting voices could sometimes sound robotic and overly excited. The voice selection process can involve some trial and error, but when the right voice is found, the results can be impressively human-like.

Video Editing

MURF’s timeline-based interface allows users to seamlessly crop, merge, and edit audio segments, along with adding video and background music. This feature, reminiscent of professional video editing software like Adobe Premier Pro, can give your projects a professional touch.

You’re provided with a variety of stock music, images, and videos from the open-source website Pexels, or you can choose to upload your own content. The addition of a voice changer feature adds an extra level of customization.

Resolution and Audio Levels

MURF provides several resolution options for your project, giving you control over the quality of your output. The audio levels for the audio track, video, and background music can all be independently adjusted, allowing for precision and balance in the final product. Additionally, MURF’s ability to automatically add subtitles enhances accessibility and broadens the potential audience for your project.

MURF provides a user-friendly and versatile platform for creating voiceovers and video projects. Despite some minor bugs and a learning curve with the voice selection, the platform’s ease of use and extensive customization options make it a strong contender in the realm of AI-based content creation tools.

Versatility

MURF sets itself apart by the sheer level of versatility it offers. Whether it’s the extensive range of languages and styles, or the various ways in which users can manipulate the voices, MURF’s versatility makes it a valuable tool in a variety of industries and use cases. 

Extensive Voice Range

MURF supports over 120 voices in a multitude of languages and styles, meaning there is a voice to suit nearly every requirement. Whether it’s creating voiceovers for explainer videos or providing a voice for educational robots, MURF’s extensive range ensures that the perfect voice is just a few clicks away. 

This is complemented by the capability to customize the chosen voice in a variety of ways. Users have the power to adjust the pitch and speed of the voice, add emphasis to specific words, and even change pronunciations. This level of customization adds another layer to MURF’s versatility, as it allows users to shape the AI voice to their specific needs.

Language and Accent Diversity

MURF’s platform isn’t limited to English. It offers voices in 20 different languages, enabling it to cater to a global audience. Users can select from young adult, middle-aged, and kids’ voices in a variety of languages and accents. This language and accent diversity underscores MURF’s versatility and broad user appeal.

Real-Time Adjustments

Versatility is further enhanced by MURF’s user-friendly interface, which allows users to make adjustments in real time. Whether it’s altering the pronunciation of a word or changing the emphasis on a specific part of the script, the ability to make changes on the fly adds a level of flexibility that sets MURF apart from its competitors.

Versatile Use Cases

In terms of practical applications, MURF can be utilized across numerous industries. From education and corporate training to content creation and accessibility, MURF’s versatility shines through its wide range of use cases. The tool’s ability to facilitate team collaboration also makes it a powerful asset for projects that require global input and cooperation.

Project Type Selection

Upon starting a project, users can choose between audio or video projects, with each category offering a variety of specific project types. This allows users to tailor their MURF experience to their particular needs, further highlighting the platform’s versatility.

Voice Customization and Tuning

Once a project is initiated, MURF offers extensive voice customization options. Users can select from 120 different voices, tune the pitch and speed, add pauses, and change pronunciations. The platform even provides smart suggestions for different dialects or custom pronunciations. This level of detail enhances the overall user experience and allows for a truly tailored end result.

Video and Audio Editing Capabilities

MURF doesn’t stop at voiceovers. The platform also offers a suite of video and audio editing tools, including the ability to crop and merge audio segments, add video and background music, and adjust audio levels. Users can also choose from a range of resolution settings, adding another layer of versatility to the platform.

Subtitle and Voice Changer Features

In addition to its editing capabilities, MURF also offers a voice changer feature and the ability to automatically add subtitles to videos. This is particularly useful for creating accessible content or for when you need to match the voice from a different video.

In summary, MURF stands out as an AI tool due to its extensive versatility. Its wide range of voices, diverse language options, real-time adjustments, and in-depth customization options make it an adaptable tool for a myriad of industries and use cases.

AI Features and Functionality

MURF stands out from the crowd of voiceover tools due to its extensive range of AI features, which collectively aim to deliver a seamless and customized voiceover experience. This section provides an in-depth look at the primary AI features and functionalities that MURF offers.

AI Voice Generator

One of MURF’s prime features is its AI Voice Generator, a sophisticated tool that offers an extensive collection of voices and accents. This diversity permits the tailoring of voiceovers to cater to a myriad of demographics and regional preferences. With just a simple click, users can transcribe their recorded audio and convert the text into one of MURF’s many AI voices. However, I noticed that despite the vast array of voice customization options, some of the AI-generated voices still had a slight robotic undertone.

AI Voice Changer

MURF’s AI Voice Changer stands as a testament to its innovative approach. This feature allows the transformation of basic voiceover recordings into professional-quality AI voices, opening up new creative possibilities for users. Leveraging natural language processing and machine learning technologies, MURF makes it possible to instill the desired personality and tone into voiceovers.

Text-Based Audio Editor

MURF also boasts a text-based audio editor, which simplifies the process of refining audio content. Users can edit voiceovers as easily as they would edit a text document, an innovative approach that streamlines the voiceover editing process.

Voice Customization and Additional Effects

When it comes to voice customization, MURF outshines many of its competitors. Its advanced AI technology facilitates adjustments to voice pitch, speed, and tone, enabling users to achieve their perfect voiceover. Furthermore, MURF goes a step further by incorporating unique voice filters, such as monster voices and helium voices, to enhance its functionality and provide an additional layer of customization.

Pronunciation Suggestions

MURF’s smart pronunciation suggestions feature is another demonstration of its advanced AI capabilities. This tool is not frequently seen in similar platforms, making it a significant advantage for MURF users. Despite occasional struggles with more complex words or phrases, this feature generally proved to be a reliable and efficient solution to potential pronunciation challenges.

In conclusion, MURF’s broad range of AI features and functionality offers a comprehensive toolset for creating and editing high-quality, customized voiceovers. However, there’s room for improvement in terms of voice naturalness and handling complex pronunciations.

What We Like

• Versatility in Project Types: Whether it’s an audio or video project, MURF presents a diverse array of options. From e-learning modules to entertainment videos, MURF provides versatility and allows for comprehensive adaptability across different mediums.
• User-friendly Interface: With a neat dashboard and a central chat box for inputting text, MURF offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that simplifies the process of creating audio or video content.
• Flexible Voice Options: The tool offers a staggering array of over 120 distinct voices. These voices span across various languages and styles, providing a wealth of choices to users. Further, the software provides the flexibility to choose between male and female voices, as well as different age groups.
• Customization of Speech: MURF goes beyond basic text-to-voice conversion, offering the ability to adjust pitch and speed for each block of text. Users can add pauses and emphasize certain words. In addition, MURF’s unique feature of changing pronunciations based on smart suggestions or custom inputs provides an exceptional level of control to the user.
• Robust Editing Tools: The platform offers advanced tools like the ability to crop and merge audio segments, add video and background music, and zoom in/out on the timeline. This level of control over the final output is impressive and highly beneficial to the user.
• Integration with Stock Media and Custom Uploads: MURF allows users to pull stock music, images, and videos from open-source websites like Pexels or upload their own content. This provides tremendous flexibility in enhancing the audio or video project.
• Voice Changer: The voice changer is a powerful tool that maintains the pace and tone of the selected voice, providing an additional level of customization.
• Resolution Options: MURF offers multiple resolution options, ensuring that the output can be tailored for various platforms and use cases.
• Audio Level Adjustment: The ability to adjust the audio levels of the audio track, video, and background music provides more control over the final output’s sound quality.
• Subtitle Addition: The addition of subtitles automatically to the video is a significant plus, especially for accessibility reasons.
• Integration with Google Slides: This unique feature adds to the software’s versatility, allowing users to generate voiceovers directly from their presentations.
• Data Protection: MURF’s robust security protocols and compliance with data privacy regulations provide peace of mind to the users about their data’s safety.

What We Don’t Like

• Robotic Voice Quality: Some voices sounded robotic, detracting from the natural, human-like quality we expected, even after using the tuning settings.
• Trial and Error Required: Finding the right voice for a specific application can be a time-consuming process, requiring much trial and error.
• Phrasing Difficulties: Certain voices struggled with some phrases, particularly “AI-powered”, which could impact the effectiveness of the voice-over.
• Limited Customization Options: While the tool offers a considerable level of control over how the text is pronounced and emphasized, it still lacks depth in customization options.
• Transcription Accuracy: The tool struggles with accurately transcribing content with a lot of background noise or multiple speakers, limiting its use in some contexts.
• Poor Quality of Some Voices: Not all voices offered are of high quality. Some do not sound very good, detracting from the overall user experience.
• Issues with Tooltip Movement: There are issues with tooltip movement when inserting pauses in large chunks of text, which can be a nuisance.
• Limited Availability of Pro Voices: The availability of pro voices is restricted to the higher plans, which could be a hindrance for users on a budget.
• Pricing: The main drawback of MURF is its pricing. While there is a free version, it offers limited capabilities. The premium versions, while feature-rich, can be costly, especially for individual users.
• Complexity of Advanced Features: While the software is generally easy to use, some of the more advanced features can be confusing for novices. This learning curve may deter users from fully utilizing all that MURF has to offer.

Other Versions of MURF

The versatility of MURF AI manifests in the different versions it offers to cater to varying user needs. Whether you’re an individual user, a small team, or a larger organization, there’s a MURF version suited for you. Each version has unique features and capabilities, with higher plans offering more comprehensive suites of tools. Let’s delve deeper into each of these versions.

MURF Free

For users who are just getting their feet wet in the world of AI voice generation, or for those who only require a basic set of features, MURF offers the Free version. It includes up to 10 minutes of voice generation and transcription, which can serve as an introduction to MURF’s capabilities. While this version might lack the advanced features found in other versions, it provides a glimpse into the power of MURF’s AI, at no cost.

Basic Plan

The Basic Plan is a step up from the Free version, tailored more towards individual users and smaller teams. At a reasonable price of $19/month or a discounted $13/month when paid annually, the Basic Plan offers unlimited downloads, 24 hours of voice generation per year, and access to a diverse array of 60 voices. This plan is ideal for those who need more extensive voice generation capabilities, but do not necessarily require the more advanced features offered in higher plans.

Pro Plan

For users seeking more advanced tools, MURF offers the Pro Plan. Costing $39/month or $26/month if paid annually, this plan features an innovative voice changer and recorded voice editing capabilities. The Pro Plan offers an enhanced level of control and customization, making it an excellent choice for users with more sophisticated needs.

Enterprise Plan

At the top of the range is the Enterprise Plan, which is tailored to cater to larger organizations with more extensive needs. This plan offers the most comprehensive suite of tools, including all the features of the Pro Plan and additional enterprise-level capabilities. Pricing and features for this plan are not specified in the information provided, but given MURF’s tiered approach to its other plans, it can be inferred that it offers a higher level of service and support, along with more extensive access to MURF’s features.

To summarize, MURF’s different versions are carefully designed to match a wide range of usage requirements, from individual users to large corporations. Whether you’re starting with the Free version or subscribing to an Enterprise Plan, MURF promises a platform tailored to your needs.

The Competition

In assessing MURF’s position within the AI tool landscape, we need to consider several noteworthy competitors. These contenders range from direct rivals in voiceover production to more broadly defined AI text-to-speech and video editing platforms.

Video Editing Tools

Synthesia

One direct competitor that stands out is Synthesia. This platform excels particularly in the domain of video editing. Unlike MURF, Synthesia offers over 40 avatars, each with a unique aesthetic that can be selected to fit the context and tone of your content. Furthermore, the availability of a variety of backgrounds in Synthesia allows for enhanced customization and creative freedom.

Text-to-Speech Offerings

The text-to-speech arena is teeming with competition. Google’s Text-to-Speech, Amazon Polly, and Microsoft’s Azure Text-to-Speech represent key contenders in this market.

Google’s Text-to-Speech

Google’s offering presents a range of voices and language options. Its reach and robustness make it a formidable competitor. However, the choice to use it often depends on the user’s specific requirements and budget.

Amazon Polly

Amazon Polly mirrors Google in offering a plethora of voice and language choices. The flexibility it offers, combined with the reliability of Amazon’s infrastructure, makes it a strong contender.

Microsoft’s Azure Text-to-Speech

Azure Text-to-Speech, Microsoft’s contribution to the market, also offers a variety of voices and languages. Known for its seamless integration with other Microsoft tools, this service can be a good fit for users embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Voiceover Production Tools

Despite MURF’s effectiveness in creating voiceovers, a few alternatives are also worth mentioning. Tools such as Descript, Logic Pro X, and Synthesia each bring unique features and price points to the table.

Descript

Descript stands out for its transcription services and the ability to edit audio by editing text. This unique feature can be a real time-saver for users requiring heavy editing of voiceovers.

Logic Pro X

For users with more complex audio production needs, Logic Pro X provides a comprehensive set of features, including sophisticated audio editing tools and plugins, which can provide a higher level of control over the final output than MURF.

Synthesia

In addition to its aforementioned video editing capabilities, Synthesia also shines in the voiceover space. It offers an integrated approach, blending video and voiceover production in one platform, which can streamline the creative process for some users.

The choice between these competitors and MURF often boils down to the user’s specific requirements and budget constraints. The selection is broad and the features diverse, offering a competitive and innovative landscape for users to navigate in their search for the optimal AI tool.

Conclusion

In reflecting upon my experience with MURF AI, I find it to be an impressive tool that strikes a fine balance between quality and user-friendly design. The array of features offered, including a diverse selection of voices and accurate transcription capabilities, genuinely stand out. However, it’s crucial to be aware that the real depth of the tool’s potential can only be explored with a subscription. This positions MURF AI as an excellent choice for professionals who rely heavily on voiceovers or regularly produce such content.

Despite its many merits, MURF AI does come with some room for improvement. Its voice customization could be expanded, and its ability to handle content with multiple speakers or significant background noise could be enhanced. These are areas where potential enhancements could catapult MURF AI from being a good tool to a great one.

In light of these findings, I would recommend MURF AI as a reliable and efficient tool, particularly for content creators, educators, and businesses. Its ease of use, coupled with its high accuracy levels, makes it a powerful ally in the generation of voiceover content. Regardless of its minor drawbacks, the benefits it offers significantly outweigh the potential inconveniences. Ultimately, MURF AI stands as a formidable player in the arena of artificial intelligence voiceover tools.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q: How many AI voices does Murf offer?

A: Murf continuously updates its voice library, offering a plethora of AI voices in various tones and accents. For the most current count and varieties, visit their official site.

Q: Can I upload my own background music?

A: Absolutely! While Murf offers a great stock music selection, you have the freedom to upload custom tracks that fit your video’s vibe.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of scenes I can add?

A: There might be restrictions based on your subscription plan. For detailed information, check Murf’s pricing and plan details.

Q: Can I collaborate with team members on a project?

A: Yes, Murf provides collaborative features. However, the specifics may vary based on your subscription type.

Q: Are videos created with Murf watermarked?

A: Free versions might have watermarks, but premium subscriptions generally allow for watermark-free exports. Always double-check the plan details.

Q: How long does it take to export a video?

A: The export time depends on the video’s length and complexity. However, Murf is designed for speed, ensuring you won’t wait too long!