Audio Narration

Audio narration is a core part of effective eLearning. When the AI agent generates a course, it can also produce narration audio and synchronised subtitles for each slide — turning static content into a guided, multimodal learning experience.

Why Audio Matters in eLearning

Synchronised Learning

The primary value of narration is pedagogical. When learners hear an explanation at the same time as they see the corresponding content appear on screen, the two channels reinforce each other. This synchronisation between what you hear and what you see reduces cognitive load and helps learners build stronger mental models of the material.

Multimodality

Audio adds a second modality to your course. Instead of relying on text alone, learners can process information through both visual and auditory channels simultaneously. This opens up new thinking pathways — a concept that might not click from reading can become clear when heard in context alongside a diagram or illustration.

Engagement and Pacing

A narrated course guides the learner through the material at a deliberate pace. Rather than skimming or rushing through slides, learners follow the narrator's rhythm. This pacing is especially valuable for complex topics where each step builds on the previous one.

How It Works

When you ask the AI agent to generate a course with narration, it writes the narration script for each slide, generates the audio, and produces synchronised subtitles — all in one step. The agent uses the slide content, the template's design instructions, and your goals to decide what each slide's narration should say.

During Course Generation

Include narration as part of your initial prompt:

Create a 6-page eLearning course on data privacy for new employees. 
Include narration audio and subtitles for each slide.

The agent generates everything together — slide content, images, narration audio, and subtitles.

Adding Narration Later

You can also add narration to an existing course:

Add audio narration and subtitles to all slides in the course.

Changing Narration

Ask the agent to adjust narration for specific slides:

Rewrite the narration on the "Key Principles" slide to be 
shorter and more conversational.

Language Support

Audio narration supports tens of languages, both for text-to-speech and for subtitle generation. You can generate a course in one language and then translate it — including re-generating all narration audio and subtitles — in a single step. See the eLearning Course tutorial for an example of this workflow.

Translate the entire course into French, including the 
narration audio and subtitles.

Supported Providers

Impact Learning uses two audio generation providers:

ElevenLabs

Premium text-to-speech with:

• Natural-sounding voices
• Multiple voice options
• Excellent for long-form narration

OpenAI TTS

GPT-powered text-to-speech with:

• Instruction-following capability
• Tone and emotion control
• Good for conversational content
• Quick generation
• Non-English languages may have a noticeable English accent

Best Practices

Writing for Audio

The AI agent writes all narration scripts automatically — just ask for narration and the agent generates both the script and the audio together. If you prefer, you can provide your own script by including it in the prompt.

When writing your own scripts, keep in mind what sounds good when read aloud:

• Use short, clear sentences
• Write conversationally — as if speaking to one person
• Include natural pauses through punctuation
• Avoid jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms that don't read well aloud

Synchronisation

In eLearning, narration works best when elements appear on screen at the moment they are mentioned in the audio. The AI agent estimates timing automatically, but you may need to fine-tune after generation — especially after translating to a language where audio lengths differ. See the synchronisation section in the eLearning Course tutorial for guidance.

Quality Checks

Always preview generated audio to check:

• Pronunciation of technical terms and proper nouns
• Natural flow and pacing
• Appropriate tone for the content
• That subtitles are synchronised with the audio

Subtitles

Every narrated slide includes synchronised subtitles by default. Subtitles serve a dual purpose: they reinforce the audio for learners who benefit from reading along, and they make the course accessible in situations where audio cannot be played.

Audio Credits

Audio generation uses credits from your plan. Each narrated slide costs approximately 0.5 credits. See Plans and Credits for details.

Troubleshooting

Audio sounds robotic?

• Try rephrasing the text more conversationally
• Add punctuation for natural pauses
• Request a different voice style

Mispronunciation?

• Spell out acronyms phonetically
• Use common spellings for unusual words
• Break compound words with hyphens

Audio too fast or slow?

• Adjust sentence length
• Add or remove punctuation
• Request specific pacing in your prompt