Text-to-speech, Ondoku Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions

About usage

Can Ondoku be used for free?

Yes, you can use a certain number of characters for narration for free every month. If you wish to perform a large amount of narration, please consider a paid plan.

What is the number of characters available for free on Ondoku?

・Non-member (Free): 1,000 characters/month
・Free member (Light): 5,000 characters/month

Where can I check the remaining number of characters available for narration?

After logging in, please check your History.

Where can I check the next update date or my current plan?

After logging in, please check your Settings.

Will unused characters be carried over to the next month?

Unused characters are reset every month and therefore will not be carried over to the next month.

When is the character count updated?

It is updated on the next update date. To avoid overloading the server, characters are updated sequentially on the update date. We cannot provide an exact time.
For free members, the next update date is 30 days after registration. For paid plans, the next update date is approximately 30 days after the first payment, and payment and update occur simultaneously.
About when Ondoku character counts are updated and how to check remaining characters

Is there anything I must do when using it for free?

Yes, when using audio data for free, you must provide credit notation. If you use it for something where credit notation is not possible (such as answering machine services), please make sure to subscribe to a paid plan.

How should I provide credit notation?

Please provide notation so that it is clear that the audio being used is Ondoku. For details, please see "How to provide credit notation for Ondoku. Examples and precautions."

Is installation required?

No, installation is not required. Since it can be used on a web browser, you can use it anytime and anywhere as long as you have internet access.

Is there an app?

Currently, we are considering app support. For Android devices, you can use it like an app by choosing "Add to Home Screen." For details, please see
iPhone: How to use easily from the home screen like an app on iPhone [No installation required]
Android: "How to install the Ondoku app [Android devices]".

Can I use it for commercial purposes even for free?

Yes, it can be used for commercial purposes, but some usage methods are restricted. Also, for free plans, please be sure to provide credit notation. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is free or paid, there are some prohibited acts, so please check in advance. For details, please check About commercial use and prohibited items.

Do I have to join a paid plan if I use it on a monetized YouTube channel?

No, there is no obligation to join a paid plan. Regardless of whether there is revenue or not, please decide on a plan based on the number of characters you want to use.

Can one person (or one corporation) own multiple accounts?

Ondoku prohibits owning multiple free accounts. You may have multiple paid accounts. For details, please see here.

I accidentally created multiple free accounts. What should I do?

We will provide guidance, so please contact us via Inquiry.

A restriction was applied even though I haven't created multiple free accounts.

We will provide guidance, so please contact us via Inquiry.

I registered as an individual and use it for work. Other employees also registered individually and use it; is that okay?

If used for work or business, please use a corporate account. Even with individual registration, once it is used for work, it should be used as a corporation. At the point it is used for work, a contract with a corporate account is required.

Is it okay to use any method of utilization?

No, there are prohibited usage methods, so please check prohibited acts in advance. For details, please check About commercial use and prohibited items.

I cannot log in to Ondoku.

Please see here for solutions when you cannot log in.

A narration error occurred and I cannot narrate. What should I do?

The response depends on how the error is occurring. For details on solutions, please see "What to do if an error occurs in Ondoku and you don't know what to do."

I registered as a member, but the character count remains at 24 characters?

The "24 characters" count on the top page is the number of characters currently entered in the text box. This number fluctuates depending on the number of characters entered. It is different from the available narration character count.

Do the types of voices increase when I upgrade to a paid plan?

No, the types of voices do not increase.

Please tell me how to purchase a paid plan.

You can purchase from the pricing page. For details, please see "How to purchase Ondoku paid plans (Basic, Value, Premium, Business)."

Will the character count (paid plan) be reflected immediately after purchasing a paid plan?

Yes, for credit card and debit card payments, it will be reflected in about 1 to 3 minutes after purchase.
If a redirect error occurs due to closing the payment screen halfway, the reflection will not go smoothly.
If you cannot confirm the plan reflection even after several minutes of purchase, please contact us via inquiry. We will respond manually (in which case, it will be within 24 hours).

I used up all the characters while on a paid plan. What should I do if I want to purchase additional characters?

Please cancel your current plan once and then subscribe to your desired plan from the pricing plan page again.

I want to cancel the recurring billing for my paid plan.

You can cancel anytime after logging in from the Settings page. After cancellation, you will maintain the contracted plan until the next update date. For details, please see "How to cancel (deactivate) an Ondoku paid plan."

I want to cancel an annual contract paid plan. What should I do?

For bank transfers using an invoice: It is not an automatic renewal. If you do not wish to continue or want to cancel, it will automatically shift to a free plan when the expiration date ends. No special procedures are necessary.
For credit card and debit card payments: The one-year recurring payment is automatically renewed. If you do not wish for automatic renewal, please cancel after payment. Even if you cancel, you can use it until the expiration date.

After canceling the paid plan, can I continue to use the audio as a free member?

It depends on the details of your contract.
In the case of a regular paid plan, credit notation is required for continuous use even for audio data created during the paid plan period. If you cannot provide credit notation, please stop using the audio data. If you can provide credit notation later, you can continue to use it by providing the notation.
In the case of the Business Plan, audio data created during the subscription period can be used as is without credit notation.

I want to withdraw from membership, what should I do?

After logging into Ondoku, please proceed with the withdrawal procedure from the "Withdrawal" button on the Settings screen. Please note that after withdrawal, you will never be able to log in to Ondoku again. Also, if you withdraw, you cannot re-register with your current email address.
For details, see here: "How to withdraw from Ondoku / delete account"

About audio files and downloads

Can I specify the format when downloading audio files?

Only MP3 and WAV formats are supported. WAV format can be downloaded from the history.

Can I download by specifying the sampling rate and bit rate?

No, you cannot. This can be done with external online tools or software, so please make adjustments there.
We do not provide introductions to software, so please search for them yourself.

Please tell me the sampling rate and bit rate.

It varies depending on the speaker and language. We apologize for the inconvenience, but the most certain way is to download the desired audio and check it on your end.
You can check by right-clicking the file and selecting "Get Info" or similar.

Can I publish, distribute, or sell audio narrated from text written by others?

Using materials without the author's permission is not permitted by law. Please make sure to obtain the author's permission or consent before publishing, distributing, or selling.

Can I freely use the downloaded files?

Ondoku has prohibited acts. Please use them in a manner that does not violate the prohibited acts.

The downloaded audio file does not play properly.

We provide solutions here for problems where the downloaded audio file does not play properly or cannot be downloaded.

My favorite voice that I used until now has disappeared. Why?

Voices may be deleted without notice from the speech synthesis engine being used. This is an issue that our service cannot address. The types of voices deleted so far are:
・Danish: 1 type
・English (United Kingdom): 1 type.

About narration and functions

Does Ondoku use generative AI?

Generative AI (LLM: Large Language Models) is not used for Ondoku's voice service.
The AI in Ondoku's voice creation service generates voice using a speech synthesis engine, and we define this speech synthesis technology as "AI."
Speech synthesis refers to the technology of artificially creating human voices, and it is a technology already utilized in various situations such as in-car announcements for transportation, automated responses for call centers, and narration for e-books.

Is it a voice model trained illegally?

There are no voice models that have been trained illegally. Please use with confidence.

Do you illegally use voice actors' voices or violate voice actors' copyrights?

No, we do not. Please use with confidence.

I have spam settings, so I want to set up domain-specified reception. What is the domain?

Please set [@ondoku3.com].

I want to stop receiving the monthly newsletter. What should I do?

Uncheck the box on the Character Count Update Notification Settings page and press update. Please note that emails regarding contracts or password changes cannot be stopped as they contain important information.

An error occurred when I tried to narrate a long text of about 20,000 characters. Can long texts be narrated?

We recommend fewer than 10,000 characters for a single conversion.
If it exceeds that, it's not impossible to narrate, but server errors become more likely to occur. Please divide long texts into several parts for narration.

I want to make the intervals or pauses in the text a little longer. How can I do that?

If you want precise control, please use SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language). This is a method using tags like .
Usage of SSML is guided here.
How to adjust pauses and blank time

An error occurs when using SSML. What is the cause?

Causes vary. We introduce major errors and avoidance methods here.
Common errors and workarounds when using Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML)

I cannot narrate. Why?

There are various causes for errors.
・It is not plain text (no formatting)
・There is an issue with the usage environment
・Extra symbols are included
・The text is too long (over 10,000 characters)
・Includes characters that cannot be narrated
・Exceeds 3,000 characters when using SSML
Errors may occur due to your network environment or the browser used. Even with the same text, waiting a little and trying again may allow for successful narration.
What to do if an error occurs in Ondoku and you don't know what to do

If I delete narration history, will the data also disappear from the server?

Yes, when you delete past narrations from the history, the narrated text and generated audio data are deleted from the server. For more details on precautions regarding the history deletion function, please see here.

Can you tell me the storage period for text narrated in Ondoku and generated audio data?

The storage period and data handling are as follows:
・Non-member: Not saved
・Free member: Narrated text and audio data are saved for one month from creation
・Paid member: Text and audio data are saved during the membership period
・Business Plan member: Saved unless the member deletes the history themselves
When each storage period ends:
・Narrated text
・Uploaded images
・Generated audio data
All will be deleted from the server.
For more details on precautions regarding the history deletion function, please see here.

How are characters counted? What about English?

One character is counted as one character. Characters are counted at the moment the narration button is pressed. Whether it is downloaded or not does not matter.
Even with similar sentences, if you correct one character, or even with the same sentence, if you change even one setting like speaker, speed, or pitch, the characters will be counted. I want to avoid counting characters when making corrections.
In the case of English, it is counted by each alphabet character. For details, please see This is how Ondoku counts characters! What about punctuation? English? Chinese? How are they counted?.

I want to avoid counting characters when making corrections.

The specification is to count characters if:
Even one character of the narrated text changes,
Even one setting value such as speed or pitch changes,
You change the narration speaker,
Or if you have deleted it from the history or time has passed since narration even with the same text and same settings.
The reason for such a specification is explained in [Response to Request for Ondoku] I want to avoid counting characters when making corrections.

I don't know the language I want to narrate because it's not displayed in Japanese. Is Burmese available? Is there a list?

Burmese is available.
Each language that can be narrated is displayed in its local language. Please refer to the article below for a list displayed by country. 
List of languages that can be narrated in Ondoku, list of languages displayed on the HP

I want to narrate in a foreign language, but an error occurs and it does not narrate properly.

When narrating in a foreign language (e.g., Spanish or Vietnamese), be sure to enter the text in that foreign language (e.g., Spanish or Vietnamese).
Ondoku itself does not have a translation function. Even if you input Japanese and try to narrate with a foreign language voice, it will only sound somewhat like it and is not the foreign language (e.g., Spanish or Vietnamese).
Please input text translated using an external translation service and then narrate.
For details, please check "How to create audio in foreign languages."

Romanized characters are not read as intended. What should I do?

There are three ways to get Romanized characters read correctly.
   1. Use multilingual compatible voices
2. Use Japanese voices
3. Use phonics
For details, please check "Three ways to get Roman characters pronounced correctly by AI voice Ondoku-san."

Can intonation be adjusted?

Due to the characteristics of the speech synthesis engine used, intonation cannot be adjusted, but intonation can be slightly changed by the way it is written.
For details, please check "Methods to try when you want to adjust intonation and inflection."

Where can I check the number of characters available for narration?

After logging in, please check your History.

What is the "300 images" mentioned in the pricing plan?

It refers to the number of times the image-to-speech function can be used. The image-to-speech function is a "function that reads text from images and narrates the audio." It is a recommended function for those who want to narrate immediately from images without the effort of transcription.
You can check detailed usage and more here: "How to use the Image-to-Text Narration function."

Is there a function to add frequently used speakers or settings to favorites?

Yes, please use the "Speaker Registration" in the conversation function. In Speaker Registration, you can register language, voice, speed, and pitch, and call them up immediately.

What is the conversation function?

The conversation function is a feature that allows you to create audio like a dialogue between multiple speakers.
It is a very convenient function for creating dialogue between two or three people, or for voicing multiple languages such as Japanese and English at once.
You can check detailed usage and actual audio here.
How to use the Ondoku conversation/dialogue function

Where can I make an inquiry?

Please check the Inquiry page and contact us. Inquiries are handled by email only.
In inquiries, we answer questions regarding how to use the Ondoku service, handling errors and bugs, opinions, etc.
We will not reply to inquiries not directly related to the use of this service.

I would like to request audio production (converting specified text to MP3 with a specified voice); can you do it?

No, there is no service for audio production (converting specified text to MP3 with a specified voice). If you wish for such a service, please make a request to a production company or a corporation or individual that accepts outsourced work.
In that case, since it falls under business outsourcing, a Business Plan contract is required.

About payment

What kind of paid plans are available?

・Basic Plan (200,000 characters/month): 1,078 yen (980 yen) incl. tax/month
・Value Plan (450,000 characters/month): 2,178 yen (1,980 yen) incl. tax/month
・Premium Plan (1,000,000 characters/month): 3,278 yen (2,980 yen) incl. tax/month
・Business Plan (for business use)
There are others. For details, please see the Pricing Plans.

Can I use it immediately after payment?

For credit card/debit card payments: It will be available in about 1 to 3 minutes after payment completion. Details on card payments are here.
For bank transfers: Usually available within 24 hours after payment. (A lag of about 1 to 2 days may occur depending on business days.) Details on bank transfers are here.

Is there a minimum usage period?

There is no minimum usage period (contract period). You can cancel anytime.

Under what name will the deduction appear on the credit card statement?

The deduction will appear under the name "ST*Ondoku3".

Please tell me how to cancel.

Cancellation of paid plans can be easily done by clicking the Settings → Cancellation link after logging into Ondoku and submitting a cancellation application. You can cancel by yourself 24 hours a day.
Easy-to-understand cancellation methods with images are provided on this page.

I want a pricing plan based on the number of downloads rather than for each narration.

The speech synthesis engine used in this service incurs costs every time text is narrated. Therefore, we cannot provide a plan where charges are based on each download.
I want to avoid counting characters when making corrections

What payment methods are available?

There are two main types.
1. Credit card, Debit card, Link payment (Stripe)
2. Bank transfer (with estimate, invoice, and receipt issuance)
Bank transfers with issuance of estimates and invoices are only supported for annual contracts.

What is Stripe?

Stripe is an online payment system used by millions of companies in over 120 countries worldwide, from well-known giants like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Spotify to small and medium enterprises and individual business owners. Because payment information such as card numbers is managed by Stripe, you can pay safely and securely without the card information being known by the service provider.

What is the Business Plan?

This plan exempts some prohibited acts and allows use for embedding into products, use in broadcast media, use for outsourced work, use in products for sale, etc.
For costs and details, please see here.

I don't know which paid plan is best for me. Please tell me.

Points for choosing the optimal Ondoku free or paid plan are guided here.

I want to change my paid plan. What should I do?

Please cancel your current plan once and then subscribe to your desired plan from the pricing plan page again.

Is the automatic renewal of the paid plan not every 30 days?

When crossing months that have 28 days or 31 days, the payment will not be exactly every 30 days. Payment might be on the 29th day or the 31st day.
The exact next payment date will be stated in the "Subject: Thank you for your contract" email from our service or the email from Stripe sent at the time of purchase, so please check there.
If you "only want to use for one month" or "don't want to renew on the update date but want to use until the last minute," please cancel early. You can still use the current plan until the next update date even after cancellation.

What happens to the available character count after canceling a paid plan?

The current available character count will be maintained for about 30 days from the last payment. After that, it will reset to 5,000 characters.

I withdrew from Ondoku after canceling my paid plan. I can no longer log in?

Once you withdraw, you will never be able to log in to Ondoku with that account. If you wish to continue using it, please do not withdraw.

I was charged on my credit card even though I canceled the paid plan. Why?

There are two main causes.
1. Duplicate payment
2. You own multiple accounts, and because the account you thought you canceled was not the one using the paid plan, cancellation was not completed (e.g., A = free account, B = account with paid plan. You intended to cancel B but withdrew from A)
Recently, scenario 2 has occurred frequently. To avoid user confusion, please refrain from owning multiple accounts. Please be careful.
What to do when billing continues even after cancellation

Can I get an estimate or invoice?

We support estimate and invoice issuance only for those who wish to pay by bank transfer on an annual contract. Only Japanese is supported.
Estimates and invoices can be easily issued by the user. Please check the article below for detailed issuance methods.
How to issue an estimate/invoice for Ondoku

I created multiple invoices. How can I delete them?

Deletion or cancellation of invoices cannot be done by the user. If you accidentally created multiple invoices, please contact us via inquiry for a deletion request.

Can I get an estimate?

We only issue them for those who wish for an annual contract. For details, please see here.

Can I get an invoice?

For monthly contracts: Please use the invoice in the email sent from Stripe after payment.
For annual contracts: We issue them. For details, please see here.

Can I get a receipt?

Yes, we have them ready. In our company, the method of issuing a receipt varies depending on the payment method. For details on receipts, please see here.

Can I get a delivery note?

We are sorry. We do not issue delivery notes.

I paid by credit card or debit card. Can I get a receipt?

In the case of credit card or debit card payment,
・Usage statement and Receipt issued by Ondoku
・Receipt email sent from Stripe at the time of purchase
will serve as the receipt. For details, please check here.

I want to rewrite the name or address information on the invoice/receipt sent by email for credit card/debit card payment.

Due to the specifications of the payment service "Stripe," the invoice/receipt sent by email reflects the information at the time of payment. This information cannot be rewritten afterward.

Are you a Qualified Invoice Issuer?

Yes, we are. Please check here for details.
Notice of Qualified Invoice Issuer Registration Number

After canceling the paid plan, can I continue to use the audio as a free member?

It depends on the details of your contract.
In the case of a regular paid plan, credit notation is required for continuous use even for audio data created during the paid plan period. If you cannot provide credit notation, please stop using the audio data. If you can provide credit notation later, you can continue to use it by providing the notation.
In the case of the Business Plan, audio data created during the subscription period can be used as is without credit notation.

About corporate use

Can it be used by corporations?

Yes, it can be used.

Is any registration or action necessary for corporate use?

No, it is not necessary. However, use as a corporation is considered commercial use.
Please check the guidance on commercial use and prohibited acts and choose the optimal plan according to your purpose of use.

I want to know more; can I make an inquiry by phone or have a web meeting?

We are sorry. Inquiries are accepted by email only.

Can I request completion of a security sheet?

Yes, it is possible. There are two ways to fill out documents related to security.
1. Please fill it out yourself by referring to the security check sheet already filled out by us.
2. If content confirmation or filling out is required by us, we will accept it for a fee.
Please check here for details such as checking completed sheets and fees for paid options.
Can you fill out answers to security-related documents?
Security is also explained in detail in this article.
What is Ondoku's security like? Detailed answers on servers, etc.

Can I request mailing of documents?

We are sorry. we do not support the mailing of any documents. We only respond to filling out some documents via PDF transmission for those with paid plan contracts. Furthermore, we may decline multiple documents or unsupported documents. Please be aware of this in advance.

Can you provide logs?

We will provide logs if there is a court warrant.
We do not provide logs otherwise.

Do usage methods, rules, or fees differ between corporations and individuals?

Whether you are a corporation, a sole proprietor, or an individual, the usage methods, rules, and fees are the same.

What kind of companies have implemented it?

Manufacturers, advertising agencies, web production companies, system development companies, online shop operators, consultants, professionals (lawyers, accountants, etc.), housing/real estate, food service, education, universities, local governments/public organizations, general organizations, etc. It is used by various companies. The scale of organizations/groups is not just large companies with tens of thousands of employees, but many small and medium enterprises and small business owners have also implemented it.

Can I use it for company explanation or product explanation videos or PowerPoint?

Yes, it's fine. However, for free plans, please be sure to provide credit notation.

How should I provide credit notation?

Please provide notation so that it is clear that the audio being used is Ondoku. For details, please see "How to provide credit notation for Ondoku. Examples and precautions."

How many people can use one account for corporate use?

When sharing an account among employees, you can log in on up to 10 total devices with one account. Simultaneous login is also possible.

Can I share an account with group companies or subsidiaries? (Free / Monthly Paid Corporate Account)

No, you cannot. Group companies and subsidiaries are separate companies, so you cannot share your company's account. Also, sharing an individual account is a prohibited act.
Each company must create its own account. A corporate account can be shared on up to 10 devices per account, including head offices and branch offices. Owning multiple free accounts is a prohibited act even for corporate accounts. Multiple paid accounts can be owned.
Is it okay for multiple employees to share a company account?

Can I share an account with group companies or subsidiaries? (Business Plan)

Yes, you can share. For collaboration with group companies or subsidiaries in contracting, outsourcing, or other operations, you can share your account if you have a Business Plan.
Even with a Business Plan, sharing is limited to 10 devices per account.
Is it okay for multiple employees to share a company account?

Can I provide data I created with Ondoku to group companies or subsidiaries with a free plan or a 980-yen paid plan?

No, you cannot. Since group companies and subsidiaries are separate companies, it violates the prohibited act: "Creating and providing audio on behalf of content requested by a third party." Either the group company or subsidiary must create the data themselves, or you must subscribe to a Business Plan.

Can we create free accounts for each employee or department in one corporation? (Can we own multiple free accounts?)

Ondoku prohibits owning multiple free accounts. You may have multiple paid accounts. For details, please see here.

I accidentally created multiple free accounts. What should I do?

We will provide guidance, so please contact us via Inquiry.

A restriction was applied even though I haven't created multiple free accounts.

We will provide guidance, so please contact us via Inquiry.

Can I use it for commercial purposes even for free? Does anything change for corporations compared to individuals?

Yes, it's fine. The usage method is the same regardless of whether it's an individual or a corporation. However, for free plans, please be sure to provide credit notation. Also, please check in advance as there are some prohibited acts regardless of whether it's free or paid.

Which plan is the best?

Points for choosing the optimal Ondoku free or paid plan are guided here. If you are unsure, please fill out the template for "Inquiring about plans and usage methods" and contact us.

Can it be used for contracted work?

It cannot be done with a free plan or a regular paid plan. In the case of the Business Plan, it can be used for contracted work.

I only want to use it for a few months; can you handle it with a bank transfer?

We are sorry. We only support bank transfers for annual contracts. Please consider using an annual plan.

Can I get an estimate?

We only issue them for those who wish for an annual contract. For details, please see here.

Can I get an invoice?

For monthly contracts: Please use the invoice in the email sent from Stripe after payment.
For annual contracts: We issue them. For details, please see here.

Can I get a receipt?

Yes, we have them ready. In our company, the method of issuing a receipt varies depending on the payment method. For details on receipts, please see here.

Can I get a delivery note?

We are sorry. We do not issue delivery notes.

I want to rewrite the name or address information on the invoice/receipt sent by email for credit card/debit card payment.

Due to the specifications of the payment service "Stripe," the invoice/receipt sent by email reflects the information at the time of payment. This information cannot be rewritten afterward.

Are you a Qualified Invoice Issuer?

Yes, we are. Please check here for details.
Notice of Qualified Invoice Issuer Registration Number

Are there any agencies?

There are none. It is a direct contract between the user and our service.

Please tell me the operator information.

Publicly available information is posted on the Specified Commercial Transactions Act display page.

Please tell me the website of the operating company.

The operating company's website is here: "Kabushikigaisha San". Publicly available information is posted on the Specified Commercial Transactions Act display page. Other information is not made public.