diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 07d922632..8a54c5d1d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -169,6 +169,18 @@ Croatian, Hungarian, Malay, Norwegian, Nynorsk, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish, and
       fly. `remove_text_transformer` has also been added to support removing a registered
       transform callback.
 
+  - Updated `CartesiaTTSService`:
+    - Modified use of custom default text_aggregator to avoid deprecation warnings and push users
+      towards use of transformers or the `LLMTextProcessor`
+    - Added convenience methods for taking advantage of Cartesia's SSML tags: spell, emotion,
+      pauses, volume, and speed.
+  
+  - Updated `RimeTTSService`:
+    - Modified use of custom default text_aggregator to avoid deprecation warnings and push users
+      towards use of transformers or the `LLMTextProcessor`
+    - Added convenience methods for taking advantage of Rime's customization options: spell,
+      pauses, pronunciations, and inline speed control.
+
 ### Deprecated
 
 - The `api_key` parameter in `GeminiTTSService` is deprecated. Use
diff --git a/src/pipecat/services/cartesia/tts.py b/src/pipecat/services/cartesia/tts.py
index f8881200c..d42802cf2 100644
--- a/src/pipecat/services/cartesia/tts.py
+++ b/src/pipecat/services/cartesia/tts.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import base64
 import json
 import uuid
 import warnings
-from typing import AsyncGenerator, List, Literal, Optional, Union
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import AsyncGenerator, List, Literal, Optional
 
 from loguru import logger
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
@@ -125,6 +126,72 @@ def language_to_cartesia_language(language: Language) -> Optional[str]:
     return resolve_language(language, LANGUAGE_MAP, use_base_code=True)
 
 
+class CartesiaEmotion(str, Enum):
+    """Predefined Emotions supported by Cartesia."""
+
+    # Primary emotions supported by Cartesia
+    NEUTRAL = "neutral"
+    ANGRY = "angry"
+    EXCITED = "excited"
+    CONTENT = "content"
+    SAD = "sad"
+    SCARED = "scared"
+    # Additional emotions supported by Cartesia
+    HAPPY = "happy"
+    ENTHUSIASTIC = "enthusiastic"
+    ELATED = "elated"
+    EUPHORIC = "euphoric"
+    TRIUMPHANT = "triumphant"
+    AMAZED = "amazed"
+    SURPRISED = "surprised"
+    FLIRTATIOUS = "flirtatious"
+    JOKING_COMEDIC = "joking/comedic"
+    CURIOUS = "curious"
+    PEACEFUL = "peaceful"
+    SERENE = "serene"
+    CALM = "calm"
+    GRATEFUL = "grateful"
+    AFFECTIONATE = "affectionate"
+    TRUST = "trust"
+    SYMPATHETIC = "sympathetic"
+    ANTICIPATION = "anticipation"
+    MYSTERIOUS = "mysterious"
+    MAD = "mad"
+    OUTRAGED = "outraged"
+    FRUSTRATED = "frustrated"
+    AGITATED = "agitated"
+    THREATENED = "threatened"
+    DISGUSTED = "disgusted"
+    CONTEMPT = "contempt"
+    ENVIOUS = "envious"
+    SARCASTIC = "sarcastic"
+    IRONIC = "ironic"
+    DEJECTED = "dejected"
+    MELANCHOLIC = "melancholic"
+    DISAPPOINTED = "disappointed"
+    HURT = "hurt"
+    GUILTY = "guilty"
+    BORED = "bored"
+    TIRED = "tired"
+    REJECTED = "rejected"
+    NOSTALGIC = "nostalgic"
+    WISTFUL = "wistful"
+    APOLOGETIC = "apologetic"
+    HESITANT = "hesitant"
+    INSECURE = "insecure"
+    CONFUSED = "confused"
+    RESIGNED = "resigned"
+    ANXIOUS = "anxious"
+    PANICKED = "panicked"
+    ALARMED = "alarmed"
+    PROUD = "proud"
+    CONFIDENT = "confident"
+    DISTANT = "distant"
+    SKEPTICAL = "skeptical"
+    CONTEMPLATIVE = "contemplative"
+    DETERMINED = "determined"
+
+
 class CartesiaTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
     """Cartesia TTS service with WebSocket streaming and word timestamps.
 
@@ -182,6 +249,10 @@ class CartesiaTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
             container: Audio container format.
             params: Additional input parameters for voice customization.
             text_aggregator: Custom text aggregator for processing input text.
+
+                .. deprecated:: 0.0.95
+                    Use an LLMTextProcessor before the TTSService for custom text aggregation.
+
             aggregate_sentences: Whether to aggregate sentences within the TTSService.
             **kwargs: Additional arguments passed to the parent service.
         """
@@ -200,10 +271,18 @@ class CartesiaTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
             push_text_frames=False,
             pause_frame_processing=True,
             sample_rate=sample_rate,
-            text_aggregator=text_aggregator or SkipTagsAggregator([("<spell>", "</spell>")]),
+            text_aggregator=text_aggregator,
             **kwargs,
         )
 
+        if not text_aggregator:
+            # Always skip tags added for spelled-out text
+            # Note: This is primarily to support backwards compatibility.
+            #    The preferred way of taking advantage of Cartesia SSML Tags is
+            #    to use an LLMTextProcessor and/or a text_transformer to identify
+            #    and insert these tags for the purpose of the TTS service alone.
+            self._text_aggregator = SkipTagsAggregator([("<spell>", "</spell>")])
+
         params = params or CartesiaTTSService.InputParams()
 
         self._api_key = api_key
@@ -257,6 +336,27 @@ class CartesiaTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
         """
         return language_to_cartesia_language(language)
 
+    # A set of Cartesia-specific helpers for text transformations
+    def SPELL(text: str) -> str:
+        """Wrap text in Cartesia spell tag."""
+        return f"<spell>{text}</spell>"
+
+    def EMOTION_TAG(emotion: CartesiaEmotion) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to create an emotion tag."""
+        return f'<emotion value="{emotion}" />'
+
+    def PAUSE_TAG(seconds: float) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to create a pause tag."""
+        return f'<break time="{seconds}s" />'
+
+    def VOLUME_TAG(volume: float) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to create a volume tag."""
+        return f'<volume ratio="{volume}" />'
+
+    def SPEED_TAG(speed: float) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to create a speed tag."""
+        return f'<speed ratio="{speed}" />'
+
     def _is_cjk_language(self, language: str) -> bool:
         """Check if the given language is CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean).
 
diff --git a/src/pipecat/services/rime/tts.py b/src/pipecat/services/rime/tts.py
index 7b62f20fa..c9f461350 100644
--- a/src/pipecat/services/rime/tts.py
+++ b/src/pipecat/services/rime/tts.py
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ class RimeTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
             sample_rate: Audio sample rate in Hz.
             params: Additional configuration parameters.
             text_aggregator: Custom text aggregator for processing input text.
+
+                .. deprecated:: 0.0.95
+                    Use an LLMTextProcessor before the TTSService for custom text aggregation.
+
             aggregate_sentences: Whether to aggregate sentences within the TTSService.
             **kwargs: Additional arguments passed to parent class.
         """
@@ -123,10 +127,17 @@ class RimeTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
             push_stop_frames=True,
             pause_frame_processing=True,
             sample_rate=sample_rate,
-            text_aggregator=text_aggregator or SkipTagsAggregator([("spell(", ")")]),
             **kwargs,
         )
 
+        if not text_aggregator:
+            # Always skip tags added for spelled-out text
+            # Note: This is primarily to support backwards compatibility.
+            #    The preferred way of taking advantage of Rime spelling is
+            #    to use an LLMTextProcessor and/or a text_transformer to identify
+            #    and insert these tags for the purpose of the TTS service alone.
+            self._text_aggregator = SkipTagsAggregator([("spell(", ")")])
+
         params = params or RimeTTSService.InputParams()
 
         # Store service configuration
@@ -152,6 +163,7 @@ class RimeTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
         self._context_id = None  # Tracks current turn
         self._receive_task = None
         self._cumulative_time = 0  # Accumulates time across messages
+        self._extra_msg_fields = {}  # Extra fields for next message
 
     def can_generate_metrics(self) -> bool:
         """Check if this service can generate processing metrics.
@@ -181,6 +193,31 @@ class RimeTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
         self._model = model
         await super().set_model(model)
 
+    # A set of Rime-specific helpers for text transformations
+    def SPELL(text: str) -> str:
+        """Wrap text in Rime spell function."""
+        return f"spell({text})"
+
+    def PAUSE_TAG(seconds: float) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to create a pause tag."""
+        return f"<{seconds * 1000}>"
+
+    def PRONOUNCE(self, text: str, word: str, phoneme: str) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to support Rime's custom pronunciations feature.
+
+        https://docs.rime.ai/api-reference/custom-pronunciation
+        """
+        self._extra_msg_fields["phonemizeBetweenBrackets"] = True
+        return text.replace(word, f"{phoneme}")
+
+    def INLINE_SPEED(self, text: str, speed: float) -> str:
+        """Convenience method to support inline speeds."""
+        if not self._extra_msg_fields:
+            self._extra_msg_fields = {}
+        speed_vals = self._extra_msg_fields.get("inlineSpeedAlpha", "").split(",")
+        self._extra_msg_fields["inlineSpeedAlpha"] = ",".join(speed_vals + [str(speed)])
+        return f"[{text}]"
+
     async def _update_settings(self, settings: Mapping[str, Any]):
         """Update service settings and reconnect if voice changed."""
         prev_voice = self._voice_id
@@ -193,7 +230,11 @@ class RimeTTSService(AudioContextWordTTSService):
 
     def _build_msg(self, text: str = "") -> dict:
         """Build JSON message for Rime API."""
-        return {"text": text, "contextId": self._context_id}
+        msg = {"text": text, "contextId": self._context_id}
+        if self._extra_msg_fields:
+            msg |= self._extra_msg_fields
+            self._extra_msg_fields = {}
+        return msg
 
     def _build_clear_msg(self) -> dict:
         """Build clear operation message."""