Whether they’re hooked on business podcasts or fantasy audiobooks, many people listen to audio content to fill the silences of everyday life—driving, working out, grocery shopping, and beyond. And with roughly 76% of Americans listening to some form of online audio content in the last month, the appetite for accessible audio content has never been greater.
Traditionally, audio content has been labor-intensive to create, and many businesses and creators have lacked the time and resources to capitalize on this medium. However, the advent of natural-sounding artificial intelligence (AI) voice generators has lessened the barrier to entry. The robotic AI speech of yesteryear is dead; modern AI voice technology strives to produce ultra-realistic voices designed to sound like humans, opening up unprecedented possibilities for businesses and content creators. Learn more about this technology, plus the best AI voice generator options today.
What is an AI voice generator?
An AI voice generator is software that harnesses artificial intelligence to transform written text into spoken audio through advanced text-to-speech and natural language processing (NLP) technology. The voice generation process relies on AI models trained on extensive datasets of human voice patterns. These AI models attempt to master the nuances of human communication (like intonation, rhythm, and emotional expression) to produce generated speech with a natural-sounding tone and realistic speech delivery.
Today’s best AI voice generators transcend basic text conversion. AI voice generation technology has evolved from simple word-by-word synthesis to generative speech that flows naturally, with the ability to add pauses and emphasis on certain words to mimic human inflection. Many platforms now include AI voice cloning capabilities, allowing you to replicate a real person’s voice (with express consent and without misleading intent, per the Federal Trade Commission) or recreate your voice from a brief audio sample (ranging from one minute to one hour, depending on the use case).
When to use an AI voice generator
The versatility of AI voice generation makes these tools effective assets for creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Here are some of the top uses:
Explainer video voiceovers
Explainer videos simplify complex concepts (like learning how to use a software platform or fixing your dishwasher). If you’re not a natural-born public speaker and lack the budget to hire a voice actor, an AI voiceover tool can provide an efficient solution, converting your script to audio in minutes.
Social media content
In the contemporary social media milieu, capturing attention requires dynamic audio. AI voice technology can create different voices for various content types, from deprecating narrators and stylized voiceovers for TikTok to detailed narrations for YouTube.
Audiobooks
The audiobook industry is growing, and AI voice generation is making this market more accessible. Traditional audiobook production involves a significant cost and time investment. With an AI voice generator, authors can transform their manuscripts into professional-quality audiobooks with far less effort.
Podcasts
For podcasters, AI voice technology opens exciting content creation and audience expansion possibilities. While the best podcasts feature human hosts, AI voice generator tools can support production by:
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Automating intros and outros
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Creating ad reads
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Supporting content localization and translations
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Providing backup narration when technical difficulties strike
What to look for in an AI voice generator
Choosing the best AI voice generator for your needs depends on your creative goals and AI experience. Here are some fundamental features to consider:
Realistic voices
The primary objective of AI voice generators is to produce ultra-realistic voices that sound like humans, rich with charming quirks and as free from robotic clunkiness as possible. This requires advanced AI models and neural text-to-speech (NTTS) technology that captures the nuances of human voice and achieves low-latency processing.
Customization options
Quality AI voice generators offer diverse libraries featuring multiple voices across various demographics. Fine-tuning aspects like pitch, speed, and pauses is essential for creating content that emulates human speech. Look for platforms that let you create different voices and provide complete control over voice creation parameters. Advanced tools offer application programming interface (API) capabilities, which allow you to plug voice generation into your existing customer-facing tools.
Voice cloning
AI voice cloning is on the cutting edge of voice creation and does exactly what its name implies: clones a specific human’s voice. While AI voice generation and voice cloning offer lower-cost, efficient alternatives to traditional voice acting, use them only after getting written permission from the person whose voice you’re replicating.
A few things to consider about AI voice generators
Although they are very useful tools, AI voice generators are embroiled in controversy. Research commissioned by Sony AI highlights the malicious use of AI voice generation, including a rise in AI-powered swatting attacks, cyberbullying, and fraud. Meanwhile, actress Scarlett Johansson’s public strife with OpenAI over allegedly cloning her voice raises questions about the ethics of training AI on public voices. (OpenAI maintains that ChatGPT’s “Sky” voice was trained by a voice actor.)
Ethical concerns aside, AI voice generators have yet to best the real thing: human speech. One psychophysiological study revealed that the brain responds with more cognitive activity to human voices than to AI. Similarly, a European study showed that while people struggle to distinguish between AI and human voices, human voices are more likely to inspire brain activity related to memory and empathy, while AI voices trigger a state of mental alertness.
If you’re wading into generative artificial intelligence, awareness of these conversations and controversies can help you decide what to use it for and help mitigate any reputational or business risks.
The best AI voice generators
A range of AI voice generators now offer unique features for several price points. Here are some of the best AI voice generators to consider for your business needs:
| AI voice generator | Key features | Best for | Pricing |
| Descript | Speech-to-text generation, voice cloning, comprehensive editing tools | Podcasters, video creators | Starts at $24/person/month |
| Murf AI | Multiple voices, voice cloning, speech API | Marketing, e-learning, enterprises | Starts at $29/person/month |
| Play AI | Realistic voices, custom emphasis and tone settings, low latency, API | Blog audio, quick turnarounds | Free tier available |
| ElevenLabs | Text-to-speech generation, AI voice cloning, API | Audiobooks, podcasts | Free tier available |
| Speechify | Voice cloning, AI dubbing, text-to-speech reader | Social media, marketing, students | Free tier available |
Descript
Positioned as a comprehensive content creation platform, Descript integrates AI voice generation with video editing tools. Beyond its text-to-speech generator (supported by your voice clone or a cast of hundreds of convincing AI voices), one of its standout AI voice features is an error corrector, which allows you to smooth over audio and video with a seamless AI bandage. Where Descript shines, though, is its AI podcast tools, which enable you to edit your video in document form—cutting a line from your transcription cuts the corresponding audio and video, smooths the edges, and so on.
Pricing: Descript’s first tier starts at $24 per person per month when billed monthly. Its second tier unlocks additional transcription hours and unlimited access to its AI suite.
Murf AI
With a catalog of more than 100 AI voices that span multiple languages and regional accents (albeit with a stilted take on human inflection), Murf AI is ideal for scaling businesses and enterprises. Its speech API capabilities mean you can integrate voice generation into your existing workflows via endpoints (which can be plugged into existing code). For example, Murf AI voices can be incorporated into customer service calls, video dubbing, and voice message services.
Pricing: When billed monthly, Murf AI’s first tier starts at $29 per month for individuals and freelancers. Its second tier unlocks plug-in capabilities.
Play AI
Play AI’s suite of AI voice products ranges from a text-to-speech generator to an AI voice generator. Two distinct AI models power its cast of low-latency AI voices (which are quite convincing). Dialog is a large voice model designed for long-form content that requires emotional dynamics (such as audiobooks, podcasts, and dubbing). Play 3.0 Mini is a smaller, multilingual text-to-speech model built to support real-time conversational AI.
Pricing: Play AI offers a free plan. Paid plans start at $39 per month and provide broader access to voice clones and advanced audio exports.
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs positions itself as an ultra-realistic voice option, though its output ranges from convincing long-form content to clips that move with a classic AI lilt. It’s a popular choice among high-profile creators (Andrew Huberman uses voice cloning to dub his content in other languages, while Arianna Huffington created her audiobook using the Studio tool, and Time uses it to narrate its journalism). The ElevenReader Publishing tool allows authors to generate an audiobook and publish it on the ElevenReader platform in minutes.
Pricing: ElevenLabs has a free tier; paid tiers start at $5 per month when billed monthly for commercial licensing and voice cloning.
Speechify
Marketed heavily to students, Speechify has carved out a market position by focusing on consumer accessibility and ease of use. Boasting a roster of familiar voices from Snoop Dogg to Gwyneth Paltrow, Speechify’s text-to-speech app makes it easy to listen to content from almost any source (and challenges the audiobook industry). Through user-friendly interfaces, it also offers AI voice cloning, dubbing, and speech generation for creators and businesses.
Pricing: Speechify offers a free tier. Its $29 per month tier provides access to more human-sounding voices and listening speed settings.
Best AI voice generator FAQ
How do you use an AI voice generator?
Most AI voice generator tools require users to input text, select their preferred voice from the multiple voices available, and customize settings to fine-tune parameters like pitch and speed.
Which AI has the most realistic voice?
ElevenLabs and Descript produce some of the most ultra-realistic voices. They closely approximate real human voices via advanced AI models and low-latency processing.
Are AI-generated voices legal?
The commercial use of AI-generated speech is generally permissible, though the AI voice cloning of a real person’s voice raises significant concerns regarding identity theft. Additionally, AI-generated voices have been used in an increasing number of scams and fraud, ranging from swatting (phoning in false emergencies to local services) to financial scams.
