Text to speech for Mac, built into Spud
Spud puts text to speech on your Mac behind one shortcut. This page is for Mac users who want to hear text read back without digging through settings every time. Turn Talk on with ⌃T, copy anything, and your Mac reads it aloud at the voice and speed you choose.
Key takeaways
- Spud's Talk reads anything you copy aloud after you flip it on with ⌃T, so you skip the highlight step macOS asks for.
- Talk lets you pick the voice and set the speed, and it lives in the menu bar next to your clipboard, snippets, and workspaces.
- Talk is part of Spud Pro at $4.99/month, with a 10-day trial that needs no card and no sign-up.
How text to speech on Mac works, built-in vs. Spud
macOS already reads text aloud through a built-in feature called Read & Speak, named Spoken Content on older macOS: turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, then select text and press Option-Esc to hear it. By default, your Mac speaks selected text when you press Option-Esc. It works, but you have to enable it first, and you usually select the text you want before each read.
Spud's Talk removes both steps. Credit where it's due, the built-in tool is free and always there. Talk trades the setup and the highlighting for a copy-to-hear flow: toggle it once, then anything you copy is read back automatically.
How Talk works, three steps
Talk turns a copy into audio in three moves. No menus, no highlighting.
- Toggle Talk on with ⌃T.
- Copy any text with ⌘C.
- Hear it read aloud, then pick the voice and set the speed.
Talk lives in the menu bar alongside Spud's clipboard, snippets, and workspaces, so the shortcut is always one keystroke away.
Key benefits
Talk is built for people who read a lot and want their hands on the keyboard. Here is what you get.
- Reads anything you copy automatically, straight from your clipboard history.
- Voice and speed you control, set once and left alone.
- Keyboard-first, so you never touch the mouse or dig through a settings menu.
- Lives in the menu bar next to your clipboard, snippets, and workspaces.
Built-in macOS TTS vs. Spud Talk
Both read text aloud on your Mac. The built-in Read & Speak is free and always available; Talk wins on speed and the copy-to-hear flow. macOS Read & Speak has you select the text you want to hear, then press Option-Esc, while Talk reads whatever you copy.
| Built-in macOS Read & Speak | Spud Talk | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak | Flip on with ⌃T, nothing to configure |
| How you trigger it | Select text, then press Option-Esc | Copy any text, it reads automatically |
| Voice and speed | Set the system voice and rate in settings | Pick the voice and set the speed |
| Cost | Free, built into every Mac | Pro feature, part of $4.99/month |
| Where it fits | Always there, good for the occasional read | Fast copy-to-hear flow in your menu bar |
Use cases
Talk fits the reading you already do all day. It works on any text you can copy, the same way macOS reads text you select on the screen.
- Proof-listen your own drafts to catch awkward phrasing your eyes skim past.
- Follow a long document while you work in another window.
- Clear a backlog of long email threads by copying and listening.
- Rest your eyes on dense reading and let your Mac carry the text.
Social proof and trust
Spud is a signed and notarized menu-bar app from eatspud.com, built by Blastoise, LLC. It runs on macOS 26 Tahoe, on Apple silicon and Intel. Downloading directly from eatspud.com means no App Store sandbox limits on window management.
Pricing
Spud pricing stays transparent: a free tier that lasts forever, Spud Pro at $4.99/month, and a 10-day trial with no card and no sign-up. Talk is a Pro feature. Nothing you make during the trial is ever taken away.
Two ways to start: download for Mac and use the free tier, or start the free Pro trial to try Talk for 10 days.
Requirements and setup
Spud needs one thing to work, and it is worth stating plainly. Spud is a menu-bar app with no Dock icon, so look for the menu-bar icon. macOS asks for Accessibility permission on first launch, because that is how Spud reads and moves other apps' windows.
Get your desktop under control
Hear anything you copy, in about a minute of setup. Download Spud for Mac and turn Talk on with ⌃T. The 10-day Pro trial needs no card and no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mac have built-in text to speech?
Yes. Every Mac includes a built-in feature called Read & Speak, named Spoken Content on older macOS, that reads text aloud. Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, then press Option-Esc to hear selected text.
What is the text to speech shortcut on Mac?
The default shortcut is Option-Esc. Select text, press Option-Esc, and your Mac reads it aloud; press it again to stop. You can set a different shortcut in the Read & Speak settings.
How do I get my Mac to read selected text aloud?
Turn on Speak selection under System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, then highlight any text and press Option-Esc. With Spud's Talk, you skip the highlight step: copy the text and it reads automatically.
Can Spud read a PDF or web page aloud?
Yes, if you can copy the text, Talk can read it. Select the text in a PDF or web page, copy it with ⌘C, and Talk reads it back. Talk works straight from your clipboard, so any copyable text works.
Is Spud in the Mac App Store?
No. Spud is a direct download from eatspud.com, signed and notarized. Downloading directly means no sandbox limits on window management.