ElevenLabs - Prime AI Text to Speech | Voice Cloning

ElevenLabs is an American tech research company established in 2022 by founders Piotr Dabkowski and Mati Staniszewski. It specializes in creating natural-sounding text-to-speech and voice-generation software using advanced AI and deep learning technologies. The company offers a wide range of voice AI tools on its platform, including voice generation, dubbing, changing, and cloning. In January 2024, ElevenLabs achieved unicorn status by raising $80 million, reflecting its significant impact and potential in the AI field. With a mission to transcend language barriers, ElevenLabs provides on-demand audio translation services applicable to various sectors such as education, entertainment, gaming, and real-time conversations.

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How does ElevenLabs Work?

ElevenLabs functions through a sophisticated deep-learning model specifically designed for speech synthesis. Initially, this AI model undergoes training with extensive datasets of human speech, which enables it to capture and interpret the subtleties of human language, including tone, rhythm, pitch, intonations, and emotional nuances. After being trained on this vast amount of speech data, the model gains the ability to produce highly realistic human-like speech. This advanced technology allows ElevenLabs to generate voices that sound natural and authentic.

Key Features of ElevenLabs

AI Voice Models

• Eleven Turbo V2: Fastest model, generating speech in about 400 ms for real-time applications.
• Eleven English V1: Offers diverse voice, mood, and style options in English.
• Eleven Multilingual V1: Supports voice generation in nine languages.
• Eleven Multilingual V2: Expands capability to 29 languages, catering to a global audience.

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Voice Library

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• Over 40 predefined voices in various English accents and a vast selection of over 10,000 community-generated voices.
• Supports 29 languages including major European and Asian languages.
• Extensive filtering options by category, gender, age, and accent for tailored voice selection.

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Voice Settings

• Voice Stability: Controls the expressiveness or monotony of the speech output.
• Clarity + Similarity Enhancement: Optimizes voice clarity, particularly useful with the Voice Changer tool.
• Style Exaggeration: Alters the intensity of the speech style beyond the original input.
• Speaker Boost: Enhances the resemblance of the AI-generated voice to the original recording.

Audio Export and Sharing

• Export options in MP3 format
• Simple sharing via public links, accessible without ElevenLabs registration

These features make ElevenLabs a versatile and powerful tool for generating realistic and customizable voiceovers in multiple languages, suitable for various applications from entertainment to professional environments.

Key Features of ElevenLabs Voice Tools

AI Voice Generation

Text-to-Speech Tool

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Allows you to convert text into speech using different AI voice models. Just paste your script, choose a model and voice, adjust settings, and generate. The output is realistic, with choices in various languages and styles.

AI Sound Effect Generation

This tool creates sound effects from textual prompts. Whether it's background music, character voices, or custom dialogues, simply write your prompt and generate multiple sound outputs. It's a new feature, currently refining its accuracy and adherence to prompts.

Voice Changing

The Speech-to-Speech tool transforms your voice into different tones or accents from their extensive voice library. It works best when the input and output languages are the same, ensuring the pronunciation remains accurate.

Voice Cloning

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Instantly clone your voice to record podcasts or videos. This tool requires a sample of your voice to generate new audio content. It supports multiple languages and provides highly accurate voice replication, especially in the professional cloning feature on the Creator plan.

Voice Dubbing

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Dub your audio into different languages while maintaining your original style, pace, and tone. Ideal for content creators looking to reach global audiences. However, language accuracy may vary, with stronger performance in some language pairs like English-to-Hindi.

These tools make ElevenLabs a versatile platform for professional and personal use, enhancing audio content creation across various applications.

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ElevenLabs Speech Synthesis

Long-Form Speech Synthesis refers to the technology that facilitates the creation of extended audio content, such as audiobooks, using artificial intelligence. This is particularly useful for projects that require narration over a longer period, like reading books or extensive reports.

With tools like the Projects feature, users can import scripts, select narration voices, and customize settings such as AI model choice and voice quality. The Long-form Speech Editor allows for detailed editing, including adding chapters and assigning different narrators to various sections. Users can create up to 200 chapters per project, making it versatile for large-scale productions.

Once editing is complete, the project can be converted into an audiobook and downloaded in MP3 format. This capability is a game-changer for voice artists and audiobook creators, providing a platform to produce high-quality, realistic-sounding audio content efficiently.

ElevenLabs AI Speech Classifier

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An AI Speech Classifier is a tool designed to determine if a piece of audio was generated by a specific AI system, such as ElevenLabs. To utilize this tool, users simply upload their audio file to the platform. The classifier then analyzes the first minute of the audio sample and assesses the likelihood that it was produced using ElevenLabs' technology. This feature is particularly useful for verifying the origin of audio content, ensuring authenticity and tracking the use of AI-generated audio.

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Audio Native Feature by ElevenLabs

Ever thought of adding a media player to your blog that reads your content aloud to visitors? ElevenLabs' Audio Native feature turns this idea into reality. It acts as an AI-driven text-to-speech generator for blogs and websites. Simply input your website URL and customize the audio player's appearance, voice, pronunciation, and more. It provides an iFrame script for easy embedding into your site. This feature is a great addition for bloggers and website owners looking to enhance user engagement.

Refining Text-to-Voice with ElevenLabs Prompting

ElevenLabs offers advanced prompts that help fine-tune your text-to-voice outputs. To insert pauses in your script, use the command: . You can adjust the duration and placement of pauses to fit your needs. For simpler pauses, consider using a dash (-), an em-dash (—), or double dashes (– –) between sentences. Commands for adding emotions and changing word pronunciations are also available, enhancing the expressiveness of your audio.

ElevenLabs Pricing Overview

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ElevenLabs AI provides a range of premium plans to cater to different user needs, along with a custom enterprise option for large businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the available plans:

• Starter: $1/month for 30k characters and 10 custom voices.
• Creator: $11/month for 100k characters, 30 custom voices, and includes professional voice cloning and capabilities for creating long-form content.
• Independent Publisher: $99/month for 500k characters and 160 custom voices.
• Growing Business: $330/month for 2 million characters and 660 custom voices.

All plans come with a commercial license, and pricing for additional characters varies by plan:

• Creator: $0.30 per 1k characters
• Independent Publisher: $0.24 per 1k characters
• Growing Business: $0.18 per 1k characters

Free Plan

ElevenLabs also offers a free plan which includes 10k characters per month (approximately 1,500 to 2,500 words) and 3 custom voices, suitable only for personal use without a commercial license.

Payment Options

Payments can be made via international credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Refund Policy

ElevenLabs provides a refund within the first 14 days of purchase, provided no character credits have been used. This policy ensures that users can invest confidently, knowing they can opt out if the service doesn’t meet their expectations.

Given the significant price jump between the Creator and Independent Publisher plans, a mid-tier plan around $50/month could be beneficial for users needing a bridge between these options.

ElevenLabs Advantages

• High-Quality Voices: ElevenLabs produces extremely natural and lifelike voices, complete with natural pauses, pacing, and tone inflections.
• Expansive Voice Library: With over 40 refined AI voices in various English accents and an additional 10,000+ voices in multiple languages available through the Community Library, users have a wide array of options.
• User-Friendly Interface: The modern, clean, and organized user interface makes navigation simple, even for beginners.
• Comprehensive Voice Platform: From voice generation to cloning and dubbing, ElevenLabs provides a wide range of voice-related functionalities within one platform.
• Rapid Voice Cloning: Offers fast and nearly precise professional voice cloning, with immediate generation of voice clones.
• Effective Voice Changer: The Speech-to-Speech tool changes voices with high accuracy, producing impressive results.
• Long-form Audiobook Creation: Supports the creation of long-form content like audiobooks, ensuring consistent voice and tone throughout, available on the Creator plan and higher.
• Cost-effective Starter Plan: Starts at just $1/month for 30k characters, providing a budget-friendly option to explore the tool's capabilities.

ElevenLabs Disadvantages

• Limited Customization: Currently, the platform offers limited customization options. Additional features like adjustable voice pitch and tone modulation could enhance user experience.
• Inconsistent Voice Dubbing: The voice dubbing feature lacks precision, and there's no option to edit the script for language simplification or customization.
• Complex Pronunciation Adjustments: Unlike other platforms that use a straightforward pronunciation dictionary, ElevenLabs requires using prompts for pronunciation adjustments, which can be cumbersome.
• Character-based Credit System: Characters rather than words determine AI Credits, meaning users need to manage script length carefully to optimize usage.
• Restrictive Refund Policy: The 14-day refund is only available if no AI credits have been used, which may deter potential users. A more flexible policy could improve customer satisfaction.

ElevenLabs Cancellation Process

Canceling your ElevenLabs subscription is straightforward. Here's how you can do it

• Access Your Account: Log in to your account at elevenlabs.io.
• Subscription Settings: Click on your profile in the top-right corner and select "Subscription."
• Cancel Subscription: In the "Manage Subscription" section, click the "Cancel Subscription" button.
• Upgrading Options: If you're considering an upgrade instead, you can review and select "upgrade" next to the desired plan. Any remaining quota from your current plan will automatically transfer to your new plan. Usage-based charges will apply as necessary.
• Troubleshooting: If you encounter any issues finding the cancellation button, try using a different browser or device. If problems continue, use the support chatbot on the website to contact customer support for assistance.

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ElevenLabs Support Options

ElevenLabs provides robust customer support through various channels

• Knowledge Base: Access over 90 detailed articles covering common user questions and troubleshooting tips. These articles are concise and designed to efficiently resolve issues.
• AI Chatbot Support: For general inquiries, the AI chatbot available at the bottom right of the help center is quite handy. You can submit your queries through the request form provided there.
• Direct Email Support: For more specific questions that require personalized assistance, fill out the support form available on the website to connect directly with the support team.
• Community Engagement: Engage with the ElevenLabs community on Discord. This platform is ideal for users with API questions or those looking to interact with other users and the development team.

These support options ensure that users can find help in a way that suits their needs, whether they prefer self-service resources or direct contact.

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