What Voice Banking Is—and What It Isn’t: Clearing Up Common Misunderstandings
For individuals living with ALS and other progressive conditions, preserving the ability to communicate isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a deeply personal one. Voice banking and message banking are two tools that can help people hold onto their voice, identity, and connection even as speech becomes difficult or impossible.
But what exactly is voice banking—and what isn’t it?
In this blog, we clarify the differences between voice and message banking, explain when to start the process, and debunk a few common myths. Drawing on resources like Cave et al. (2022) and the Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) Voice Banking Overview, we’ll also show you how The Big Picture SLP can guide you through it step by step.
🗣 What Voice Banking Is
Voice banking is the process of recording and synthesizing a person’s voice to create a personalized synthetic voice for future use with a speech-generating device (SGD). Through special software, the person records a set of phrases, which are then used to “train” a synthetic version of their voice.
Once banked, this synthetic voice can be used to say any sentence—even those never explicitly recorded—making it a powerful tool for long-term communication.
According to Cave et al. (2022), voice banking offers emotional and psychological benefits by enabling individuals to “speak” in a voice that reflects their identity, rather than a generic synthetic tone.
💬 What Message Banking Is
Message banking is different. It involves recording personally meaningful phrases, in the speaker’s natural voice, for playback exactly as recorded. These are often phrases that hold emotional or social significance, such as:
“I love you so much.”
“Hey, can you bring me some water?”
“Go Bills!”
Message banking doesn’t generate new speech—it captures the person’s tone, rhythm, and emotion, which synthetic voices can’t fully replicate.
The BCH Process Guide recommends combining message and voice banking for the most complete and humanized communication experience.
🕒 When to Start: Timing Matters
Voice and message banking should begin as early as possible in the ALS journey—ideally when speech is still clear and intelligible. According to BCH and The Big Picture SLP’s handout, the ideal window is:
Immediately after diagnosis, or
As soon as speech changes (e.g., slurring, fatigue) begin
Delaying this process can limit the quality and usefulness of the final synthetic voice. The sooner you start, the more accurate and natural your banked voice will be.
🚫 Common Myths—Debunked
MYTH 1: “I don’t need to bank my voice until I lose my speech.”
TRUTH: Waiting too long can result in unclear or low-quality recordings, making the final voice less usable. Early banking is key.
MYTH 2: “Voice banking will make me sound robotic.”
TRUTH: Today’s tools, like ModelTalker and Acapela, produce increasingly natural-sounding synthetic voices—especially when recordings are made while speech is still strong. Tools powered by automatic speech recognition (ASR), as explored by Cave et al. (2022), further improve voice realism.
MYTH 3: “Voice banking is too technical for me.”
TRUTH: With the proper support, anyone can do it. That’s where we come in.
🧭 How to Get Started
The Big Picture Speech-Language Services offers personalized support throughout the voice and message banking process. We simplify the steps so you can focus on what matters most: preserving your voice and staying connected to those you love.
We help with:
✅ Choosing the right platform (e.g., ModelTalker, Acapela, or VoiceKeeper)
✅ Step-by-step setup and recording
✅ Selecting meaningful messages for message banking
✅ Troubleshooting recording quality and device integration
✅ Transition planning for AAC devices and SGD funding
📞 Ready to Begin?
Don’t wait to bank your voice—start while your speech is at its strongest. Visit bigpicturespeechlanguageservices.com to schedule a consultation or download our free Voice & Message Banking Handout.
Let us help you preserve your voice—because your words, and how you say them, matter.
References
Cave, K., et al. (2022). Use of ASR in ALS Communication Support
Boston Children’s Hospital Voice Banking Overview PDF
The Big Picture SLP Voice & Message Banking Services Handout