Balabolka

Balabolka is a software program which allows you to convert text to speech. It comes in handy for saving the audio recording afterward using a different tool, and integrating it as narration into a video that will be uploaded to YouTube (e.g. tutorial), for example.
The utility supports multiple file types for the input, such as TXT, EPUB, CHM, DOCX, DOC, HTM and HTML, so you can either import files or write the text directly.

User-friendly and neatly organized UI

The GUI is clean and pretty intuitive. The only available voice is Microsoft Anna, so you can input the text, make a selection, and read it aloud. During this time, it is possible to adjust the speech rate, pitch, and volume level.

Resort to handy tools and settings

In addition, you can read the Clipboard content aloud, skip to the text or previous paragraph or line, as well as reset the rate and pitch. What's more, Balabolka can find pairs of rules and names in text, and you can also view modified text.
The software application provides a Clipboard monitoring tool, batch file converter, text extractor from files, file comparison function, subtitle converter, Google translator, and magnifier. You can enable a spellchecker and view a list with spelling errors, repeat words, sentenced or entire paragraphs throughout the text, and create bookmarks.
Continuing the list of available options, it is possible to resort to a search function, edit ID3 tags, split and convert tracks to other audio formats (e.g. WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA), undo actions, replace numbers with words, find homographs, or insert audio clips. The UI supports multiple languages and you can customize font formatting settings.

Evaluation and conclusion

We have not encountered any problems during our testing, as Balabolka did not freeze, crash or pop up error dialogs. It leaves a small footprint on system performance, using low CPU and RAM. Taking into account its generous set of features and configuration parameters, Balabolka should meet the requirements of most users looking for a reliable and multi-talented text-to-speech software application.