ElevenLabs Review

The Best AI Voice Cloning of 2024? Let's find out.

Editor's Rating: 4.6
Two people learning AI voice generation in front of a monitor

It’s incredible to see how much progress AI technologies have made in recent years. They can easily handle complex and routine tasks with remarkable efficiency. Who would guess the future comes so quickly, right?

One of the SaaS tools that have made impressive progress over the last years is the AI voice generators (also known as ‘text-to-speech’ or TTS). This technology is becoming essential to many industries, like customer service, eLearning, audio content creation, and more.

Among the many text-to-speech generators available on the market, one name that stands out is ElevenLabs.

Being trusted for its superior quality of speech output and compelling features, ElevenLabs is more than equipped to exceed your expectations.

In today’s ElevenLabs review, we’re diving deep into what makes this software so unique, its pros and cons, and wrap it up with a final verdict.

Without wasting any more time, let’s begin.

What is ElevenLabs?

ElevenLabs Home Page Screenshot

ElevenLabs, an American company, was co-founded in 2022 by Piotr Dabkowski, an ex-Google machine learning engineer, and Mati Staniszewski, an ex-Palantir deployment strategist.

Focusing primarily on natural-sounding text-to-speech transformation. Over the years, ElevenLabs transformed the power of artificial intelligence into an audible speech model that sounds like a natural human voice.

Trusted by industry experts and regular users, this software has proven to be an invaluable tool for businesses, content creators, visually impaired users, and all those who rely heavily on synthesized speech. 

With exceptional sound quality, different voice options, and an intuitive, user-friendly interface, there’s no doubt that ElevenLabs has changed the standards for AI voice generators.

Imagine having the perfect voiceover for your videos, engaging narration for your podcasts, or a friendly assistant to read out your written content — this is the commitment of ElevenLabs, promising a seamless, rewarding, and truly remarkable experience.

ElevenLabs Functionality

Once logged into your ElevenLabs account, you’ll immediately notice how simple yet powerful their interface is.
I’ve captured a screenshot, giving you an instant bird’s-eye view of what to expect:

Elevenlabs Admin Dashboard Screenshot

From this screen, you can immediately generate an excellent voice output using the text provided. Just pick your favorite AI Narrator from the first dropdown (you can check a sample of each of them), adjust Voice Settings, pick the AI voice model, and you’re good to go. 

The FREE version offers up to a 10,000-word quota, allowing you to experiment and fine-tune your desired outputs before any potential investment. 

Now that we’ve learned the basics, it’s time to dive deeper and discover all the exciting features that ElevenLabs has for us.

1. Creating a Project

Projects” is a core and playground for your future audio records.

Elevenlabs gives users multiple options for setting up their projects. You can import existing content via a URL or use text/pdf document instead. If unsure, you can start blank and write your future audio record directly in the editor.

Elevenlabs create new project screenshot

For this example, let’s go with a new empty project option. Once you hit Next, you’ll be asked to give a name for your project and pick the preferable AI narrator voice.

In the previous step, we already checked different voices, so we’re fully confident about our favorite narrator. 

Elevenlabs project settings screenshot

If you are unhappy with your initial choice and decide to change the Default Voice and settings – no problem; you can change it after the project is created. You can go further and set various voices and settings for individual paragraphs.

Doesn’t that sound incredible?

Once the Project is created, you’ll be taken to a blank page with the online editor.

Elevenlabs project online editor overview

From here, you can edit and refine your copy until it’s ready for conversion. ElevenLabs did a fantastic job by creating an easy-to-understand documentation. Make sure to check it, as it has nitpicks and details you may need to wrap up your next stunning project.

Now, when you have added your first draft, it’s time to generate a voiceover.

Remember: Double-check the input text for grammar mistakes, as the final result solely depends on how well you worked on your initial copy.

You can convert chapters individually or go all-in and convert an entire page. The same applies to the download options.

Even if you’re unhappy with any particular chapter – you can always go back and re-generate it. As you see, you have complete control over the whole process. 

2. Dubbing

What is Dubbing in ElevenLabs?

Imagine the situation when you need your original content translated and narrated into different languages. With Dubbing – it is a matter of a few clicks.

To get started, navigate to the Dubbing tab. The interface on this screen looks similar to Projects, so you’ll feel very confident there.

Click “Create New Dub” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Here’s a screenshot of its interface:

Create a Dubbing Screenshot from Eleven Labs Admin panel

Even a brief look shows that ElevenLabs’ voice cloning opens a world of opportunities for creating stunning audio duplicates.

3. VoiceLab

That is a place for your creativity. Choosing the perfect voice for your project can be challenging, so why not create your own? 

With the ElevenLabs VoiceLab solution, it is as simple as just a few clicks.

Eleven Labs VoiceLab Feature Admin Overview

Right after you click on the big (+) plus button, you’ll be prompted to choose between the following options:

  1. Voice Design — Design entirely unique voices. Even with identical settings, you’ll always find your creation unique.
  2. Instant Voice Cloning — Imagine replicating a voice from a short sample! With ElevenLabs, this concept has become a reality. As long as you’re equipped with a clean recording of more than a 1-minute duration – you’re all set to clone a voice with perfect precision.
  3. Voice Library — Enhance your project with a voice from the ElevenLabs community.
  4. Professional Voice Cloning — Want to create a digital twin of your own voice?
    This tool ensures that your AI voice copy sounds natural.

After creating and sharing your voice, it will be reviewed by the ElevenLabs team to ensure it meets their official guidelines. That guarantees that either your or someone’s voice from the community archive is safe to use for any project.

ElevenLabs takes the safety and ethical side of AI voiceovers seriously.

Now that we’ve looked at the comprehensive features of ElevenLabs, it’s time to conclude our detailed review.

ElevenLabs Key Features

ElevenLabs, the prime voice AI generator, packs a punch of features, setting it apart from many of its competitors:

  1. High-Quality Voicing — First and foremost, ElevenLabs offers high-quality voicing – which sounds incredibly human-like, smooth, and natural.
  2. Multilingual Support — You can generate audio in multiple languages, making ElevenLabs a versatile tool for content creators across the globe.
  3. Effortless Customization — From adjusting speed, tone, and pitch to adding nuances like laughing or crying, this feature ensures your AI voices will stand out from the rest. 
  4. VoiceLab — This innovative feature allows you to create a unique, custom AI voice for your brand.
  5. Instant Translation — With its in-built translation feature, you can instantly create content in multiple languages
  6. Dubbing — The Dubbing feature is a game-changer for video content creators. You can now seamlessly dub your videos into any supported language with perfect lip-sync, making your content more accessible and engaging.
  7. Scalability — The software offers scalable solutions suitable for both individuals and businesses. Whether you need a voiceover for a single video or require bulk voiceovers for an entire online course, ElevenLabs has got you covered.

These key features put ElevenLabs, an AI voice generator, apart from the many competitors in the AI text-to-speech marketplace. 

ElevenLabs Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Lifelike and Natural Voice Output.
  • Wide Range of Voice Options (including creating on your own digital voice).
  • Clean and User-Friendly interface.
  • Different customization features.
  • Extremely High-Quality audio output.
  • Easy start for FREE.
  • Offers budget-friendly options perfect for beginners starting from $1/mo.
Cons
  • Limited Free Version Features.
  • Requires Stable Internet Connection.
  • There may be a slight learning curve for those new to the platform.

ElevenLabs Pricing

As for pricing, they have a free sign-up, which is great for those who want to try it first without any investment.

In addition to that, they offer an 80% discount in the first month for both:

PlanCost
Free$0/forever
Starter$1/mo (first month), then $5/month
Creator$11/mo (first month), then $22/month
Independent Publisher$99/mo
Growing Business$330/mo
EnterpriseContact for Custom Quote

I recommend starting with either the Starter or Creator plans, as these packages have higher limits and are a great way to begin using this text-to-speech platform.

ElevenLabs Versus the Competition

With the voice generation market becoming increasingly saturated, it’s essential to compare ElevenLabs to its key competitors. Let’s take a look at how ElevenLabs measures up.

When I explored other voice AI technology, I often found similar functionality — the ability to generate human-like voices for use in different ways. However, when I put them under the microscope, certain key distinctions begin to surface.

I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the best AI voice generators, features, and overall performance. So, let’s delve into what really makes ElevenLabs stand out from the rest. 

Primarily, ElevenLabs boasts an impressive range of diverse voice settings. Their robust voice library supports various languages, accents, and voice types, giving you the creative freedom to generate voices that best align with your content’s nature and tone. 

The sound quality of the platform is another important factor that sets it apart from its competitors. ElevenLabs’ AI voice sounds extremely lifelike, closely mimicking natural human speech patterns — it’s nearly impossible to differentiate the AI-generated voice from a real human one. Also, the audio output is crystal clear, making it great for a variety of use cases, including podcasts, YouTube video voice-overs, and IVR systems, among others. 

Most importantly, the platform has a user-friendly interface, making it easy even for beginners to navigate and generate voices within minutes. There’s also an option to tweak the pitch, speed, and tone, allowing for fine-tuning of the voice output. These features enable you to customize the sound and rhythm of your output, resulting in a more personalized and engaging listening experience for your audience.

In terms of value for money, ElevenLabs proves to be a cost-effective solution with flexible pricing structures. Furthermore, their customer support and response times have been lauded widely in user reviews, promising an efficient backup if you’re stuck or need assistance. 

Summing it all up, ElevenLabs stands out among competitors like Lovo.AI, MURF.ai, and WellSaid Labs particularly due to its superior sound quality and diverse range of voices.
It offers an unbeatable combination of price, performance, and practicality, along with an intuitive UI and optimizable voice controls.

Of course, the ultimate decision to choose ElevenLabs will depend on your unique requirements and preferences. But honestly, you can’t go wrong with this tool.


BONUS: Top 10 FREE ElevenLabs Alternatives in 2024

While ElevenLabs is outstanding in its capabilities and offers a FREE trial, it’s natural to consider other alternatives in the market, particularly if you’re looking for zero-investment solutions.

Make sure to check the best FREE AI voice generator tools article, which has all the details you need to pick the best for you.

If you want to know everything quickly, I have it for you right here:

  1. Google Text-to-Speech — Known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface, Google’s Text-to-Speech provides a straightforward solution for converting text into speech.
  2. iSpeech — iSpeech offers a decent range of voice styles and languages free of charge. 
  3. TTSMP3 — This tool allows downloading audio files for offline use, although it may lack the variety of voices and languages accessible.
  4. NaturalReader — Offers a range of natural-sounding voices. It’s a popular choice for e-learning materials and audiobook creation.
  5. ReadSpeaker — This text-to-speech service comes with several languages and voices. It also allows you to adjust speech parameters like speed and volume to tailor voice outputs to your needs.
  6. Murf — An AI-based text-to-speech service offering a wide range of realistic voices.
  7. TopMediai — TopMediai is another alternative to ElevenLabs, delivering high-quality synthesized voiceovers. This free voice generator uses AI for a natural human-like output.
  8. T2S — A simple mobile application with a user-friendly interface. It supports a wide range of languages and is ideal for personal use.
  9. PlayHT — A reliable AI voiceover generator with an intuitive interface. Supports multiple languages and delivers natural voice emulation.
  10. Microsoft Azure TTS — Although the service falls under the paid category, Microsoft offers a generous set of monthly free credits. It’s known for excellent voice quality and multiple language compatibility.

Each of these free alternatives comes with its strengths and limitations. 

However, none can match the flexibility, user-friendliness, and comprehensive feature set that ElevenLabs offers.

Already have your favorite? Let me know in the comments below 👇.


Final Verdict: Is ElevenLabs the Best AI Voice Generator in 2024?

After a detailed review of the features, benefits, and drawbacks of ElevenLabs, it’s clear that this platform offers a revolutionary solution for users seeking human-like voice generation services.

This technology uses the power of artificial intelligence to create high-quality, natural-sounding voices that are almost identical to human speech.

Its ability to provide realistic and relatable voices in multiple languages, coupled with its convenient project management and dubbing features, makes 11Labs stand ahead of its competitors. 

Taking into account their excellent pricing structure, it is worth trying as it costs nothing to begin.

So, if you’re looking for an AI solution that offers exceptional voice quality, extensive language support, and unique customization options, then ElevenLabs, might indeed be the best choice for you in 2024. 

Thanks for reading ❤️

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