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# How do I use basic voices for Playback?

|| 📝 NOTE: This article describes the basic voice configuration workflow in **Scriptation 6.0 and later**, where voices are managed in Playback Mode. If you're on **5.1.16 or earlier**, voices are configured within Read, Rehearse, or Record Mode — see [What is Read Mode?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-read-mode-r2rpf5/) for the walkthrough.

**Basic voices** are your device's built-in offline voices — the ones Apple installs with iOS and macOS, plus any Enhanced or Premium voices you've downloaded. When you enter [Playback Mode](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-playback-mode-dg5uqr/), Scriptation automatically distributes these voices across your characters so you can press play and hear a multi-voice readback right away. This article walks through how to fine-tune those assignments — change which voice each character uses, set their language and dialect, and adjust speaking rate or volume per character.

|| 📝 NOTE: Basic voices work entirely offline and don't require any subscription. For natural-sounding voices that need an internet connection and a separate subscription, see [How do I use premium AI Voices for Playback?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-use-premium-ai-voices-for-playback-zic7cr/).

### Setting Voices for Your Characters

When you open the Voices panel, you'll see every character in your script listed under **Characters**, with their currently assigned voice on the right. The **Narrator** has its own entry at the top under **Script** — see [Setting the Narrator Voice](#setting-the-narrator-voice) below for the extra control it includes.

1. **Touch** or **click** the blue **waveform icon** on the Playback control bar to open the Voices panel;

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/6/0/8/1/60818aeea8717000/playbackvoicespng_axnbo3.png =400x149)

2. At the top of the Voices panel, confirm **Default Voice Quality** is set to **Basic**;
3. **Touch** or **click** the character you'd like to set up;
4. Under **Language & Dialect**, choose the language and regional accent;

| 💡 TIP: Set **Language & Dialect** before choosing a voice on a character's page — switching the dialect afterward can reset your voice selection.

5. Under **Voices**, **touch** a voice to preview and assign it;
6. **Touch** the back caret (`<`) in the top-left to confirm your selection;
7. Repeat for each character;
8. When you're done, **touch** anywhere outside the Voices panel to dismiss it.

|| 📝 NOTE: Your selections save automatically — there's no Save button to tap.

| ✅ TIP: You can preview voices freely — nothing locks in until you tap the back caret to leave the character page. Just remember that switching the **Language & Dialect** will reset your voice selection.

###### The character ⋯ menu shortcut

If you just want to change a single character's voice or speaking rate without walking through the full character page, use the **three-dot menu** (**⋯**) next to that character's name in the script. It opens a two-option popover:

* **Voice** — jumps straight to that character's voice page (same as tapping the character);
* **Line speed** — opens the character's speaking-rate slider inline, so you can nudge them faster or slower without leaving the panel.

This is the fastest way to make a quick adjustment mid-session.

###### Setting the Narrator Voice

The **Narrator** sits at the top of the Voices panel under **Script**. Setting the Narrator works the same way as setting a character voice, with one additional control:

1. From the Voices panel, **touch** **Narrator**;
2. Toggle **Narrator reads everything** on or off, depending on how much of the script you'd like the narrator to read aloud;
3. Set **Language & Dialect**;
4. Choose a voice under **Voices**;
5. **Touch** the back caret to confirm.

###### Fine-Tuning Speaking Rate and Volume

To adjust how fast or loud a specific character speaks, open that character's page and **touch** the **gear icon** in the top-right corner. The **Advanced** settings let you set **Speaking Rate** and **Volume** for just that character.

|| 📝 NOTE: This gear icon adjusts settings for just this character. To open the main **Playback Settings** (with global preferences and Saved Voices), use the gear icon in the top-right of the **Playback** window instead — not the one inside a character's voice page.

### Saving Voices for Recurring Characters

If you work on the same show or with recurring characters across multiple scripts, you can save your voice assignments and pull them into future scripts. The flow is the same for both basic and AI voices — see [How do I save and reuse character voices across scripts?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-save-and-reuse-character-voices-across-scripts-vmmont/) for the full walkthrough.

|| 📝 NOTE: Saved Voices is an [Industry Pro](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-scriptation-industry-pro-1jfjecg/) feature.

### Getting Better-Sounding Voices

Apple's default voices are functional but can sound robotic. For richer offline voices, you can download **Enhanced** or **Premium** voices for free from your device's Settings — see [Are there better Playback voices available?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/are-there-better-playback-voices-available-wbbvl2/) for the walkthrough.

For the most natural-sounding readback overall, upgrade to [AI Voices](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-use-premium-ai-voices-for-playback-zic7cr/).

# What's Next

[How do I use premium AI Voices for Playback?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-use-premium-ai-voices-for-playback-zic7cr/)
[How do I save and reuse character voices across scripts?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-save-and-reuse-character-voices-across-scripts-vmmont/)
[Are there better Playback voices available?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/are-there-better-playback-voices-available-wbbvl2/)
[What is Playback Mode?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-playback-mode-dg5uqr/)