Give your employees a quick way to catch up on internal updates — even when they don't have time to read. With Text-to-Speech, you can add a Listen button to most emails. When recipients click it, an AI-generated audio summary plays directly in their browser. No app downloads, no account required.
You can preview the audio, read the transcript, and edit what's read aloud before you send.
See a click-through tour of how this works here.
Before You Start
- The audio is an AI-generated summary of your email — not a word-for-word reading
- You can preview and edit the summary before sending. The transcript can be up to 2,500 characters
- All recipients hear the same audio
- Dynamic Content emails are not supported
- If your campaign has multiple language versions, each version gets its own audio summary
- Available on: Grow, Enterprise 2.0, and Legacy Enterprise plans
- The feature must be turned on by an Admin or Owner in your org settings before you can use it
How to Enable Text-to-Speech (Admin)
- Click your name at the top right of the ContactMonkey dashboard
- Select Settings → Email Settings → ContactMonkey AI
- Toggle on Text to Speech
If you don't see this option, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or support@contactmonkey.com.
How to Add a Listen Button to Your Email
- Build your campaign as usual in the Email Builder
- Insert the Text to Speech content block at the top of your draft
- (Optional) In the block settings, change the button label and choose an icon from the list.
When the campaign sends, ContactMonkey automatically generates the audio summary and links it to the button. Recipients just click and listen.
Note: Summaries are only generated for emails that are sent using Send & Track/Send now. Using Send Test/Send a test email will result in a dead link.
How to Preview and Edit the Audio Summary Before Sending
You can listen to the audio summary and read its transcript in the Email Builder before you send. Previewing is optional.
- Open your campaign in the Email Builder and select the Text to Speech content block
- Click Generate audio
- Play the audio and read the transcript
- To change what's read aloud, edit the transcript and regenerate the audio. Transcripts can be up to 2,500 characters. A counter shows how many characters you've used.
If you change the email copy after generating the audio, the editor shows that the preview is out of date. Regenerate the audio so recipients hear the latest version. If a name or acronym is mispronounced, spell it the way it sounds in the transcript, then regenerate.
Customize the Listen Button
You can change the Listen button's label in the audio transcript settings by selecting the Icon drop-down. The button color can't be changed.
What Recipients Experience
- They receive the email as normal with a Listen button
- Clicking the button opens the audio summary in their browser, with no plugin, app, or login needed
- The summary captures the key message of the email in a natural, conversational way
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the audio an exact read of my email?
No. The audio is an AI-generated spoken summary that captures the key message, similar to how a colleague would give you the quick version. You can preview and edit the summary before sending.
Can I edit what the audio says?
Yes. Open the audio preview from the Text to Speech block, edit the transcript, and regenerate the audio. Recipients hear your edited version.
How long can the transcript be?
Up to 2,500 characters. Long emails are summarized rather than read in full.
Do I have to preview the audio before sending?
No. If you skip the preview, the audio is generated automatically when the campaign sends.
Can I change the Listen button?
Yes. You can change the button label and choose an icon. The button color can't be changed at this time.
What voice is used?
All campaigns use George, an AI-generated voice from ElevenLabs. The voice isn't customizable at this time.
Can I use my own voice or a branded voice?
Not currently. We may explore this in future updates.
Does every recipient hear the same audio?
Yes. The audio is generated once when the campaign is sent, so all recipients hear the same summary.
Does this work with Dynamic Content campaigns?
Not yet — Text-to-Speech is currently supported for standard campaigns only.
Does it work in multiple languages?
Yes. If your campaign has multiple language versions, each version gets a separate audio summary in that language.
Does adding the Listen button affect email deliverability?
No. It's a standard button element and won't impact deliverability.