ElevenLabs
The AI voice generator that turns text into professional narration — no microphone needed.
By Thiago Lourenço Martins
A professional voice artist available 24 hours a day who never mispronounces a word
ElevenLabs is an AI voice generation platform. You type (or paste) any text and receive an audio file with a natural-sounding voice, in English or more than 31 other languages. Think of it as a recording studio inside your browser: no microphone, no acoustic treatment, no post-editing. The voice sounds like a professional narrator — and the file is ready in seconds.
Recording narration consumes time you do not have
Setting up the microphone, re-recording takes with background noise, editing the audio, normalizing the volume. A 5-minute video can take over an hour just in the narration step — before any image editing.
Languages supported by the synthesis model. Write in English and publish in Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese or German without re-recording a single line. The same narration reaches audiences you could not otherwise reach.
For content creators and beyond
Video narration without recording anything
Write the script, paste it into ElevenLabs, choose a voice and click Generate. The narration audio is ready in under 30 seconds — you just drop it into your editing timeline.
Automatic dubbing of existing content
Upload a video you already recorded and the Dubbing feature translates the narration into another language, preserving the original rhythm. Useful for republishing the same content to English or Spanish audiences.
Podcasts and audiobooks
The ElevenLabs "Studio" module accepts long texts — episode scripts or book chapters — and generates the complete audio with paragraph formatting and natural pauses.
Voiceovers for marketing and presentations
Video ads, institutional presentations and product tutorials get professional narration with no recording cost. A version in another language for an international client is done the same day.
IVR and phone greetings for small businesses
Create professional on-hold messages or voice chatbot audio with the same tool. The free plan generates up to 10 minutes of audio per month — enough to test everything.
From zero to your first narration
- Go to elevenlabs.io and create a free account
Click "Sign in" then "Sign up". You can use email or a Google account. No credit card is required on the Free plan.
- Go to "Text to Speech" in the left sidebar
After logging in, the main dashboard appears with tools listed on the left. Click "Text to Speech".
it is the first option in the tools list - Choose a voice in the "Voice" field
Click the voice selector to open the library. Filter by language, gender or style. For English, look for voices labeled "en" or "English".
- Paste or type your text
Type or paste your text into the central box. Use correct punctuation — commas, periods and ellipses create natural pauses in the generated voice.
the Free plan supports up to 10,000 characters per generation - Click "Generate"
The button is at the bottom right of the text box. Generation takes a few seconds — the audio appears just below.
- Listen and download the file
Click the play icon to listen. To save, click the download icon to the right of the player. The file is generated in MP3 format.
A ready-made text to test voice quality
Hello, and welcome to another episode. Today you will discover how small daily changes can produce surprising results. I'll show you, step by step, everything you need to know to get started. Stay with me until the end — it's worth it.
Paste this text into ElevenLabs, select a voice and click "Generate". In under 15 seconds you'll hear how the tool actually sounds.
Tips & common mistakes
Do this
- Use correct punctuation in your text — commas, periods and ellipses create natural pauses that greatly improve the result.
- Test at least three different voices before choosing — the library has hundreds of options and style matters a lot.
- Use the Voice Isolator to clean up recordings with background noise before using them in projects.
Avoid
- Using Free plan audio for commercial publications — the Free tier requires attribution and does not include a commercial license.
- Expecting to clone your own voice on the free plan — Voice Cloning requires the Starter plan ($6/month) or higher.
- Ignoring the credit counter — the Free plan gives 10,000 credits per month and they do not roll over to the next month.
A Portuguese tutorial to go further
* Independent suggestion, chosen for content quality. We have no relationship or sponsorship with this channel.
Create narration for your next video right now
Write the 3 opening sentences of your next video or post. Paste them into ElevenLabs, choose a voice and click "Generate".
You've succeeded if the audio is ready in under 30 seconds and sounds natural enough to consider using in the real project.
Our honest take on ElevenLabs
score 4.3 out of 5
When it comes to AI voice that sounds natural, ElevenLabs is the market reference — and it speaks Brazilian Portuguese with startling naturalness. It goes beyond narration: video dubbing, sound effects, even cloning your own voice from US$ 6/mo. The free tier lets you genuinely test it, but it's short: about 10 minutes of audio a month, no commercial use and mandatory credit to ElevenLabs on the content. And pricing is dollar-only, with a credit system that confuses at first. For voice quality, nobody delivers more. For heavy production, cost scales fast.
Tested and checked against official sources on July 2, 2026.
What's in its favor
- Reference-quality AI voice, with genuinely natural Brazilian Portuguese.
- Goes beyond narration: video dubbing, sound effects, even cloning your own voice from US$ 6/mo.
- The free plan is genuinely usable to test, no card required.
- Official apps for iPhone and Android, plus works in the browser.
Where it complicates
- Free tier is short: ~10 minutes of audio a month, no commercial use, mandatory attribution.
- Dollar-only pricing, with a credit system that confuses beginners.
- Credits don't roll over month to month.
- Cost scales fast for heavy production (600 min/mo = US$ 99 on Pro).
How much ElevenLabs costs
The free plan is permanent and gives about 10 minutes of narration a month to test. Commercial use and volume come with paid plans — all in dollars.
US$ 0 — ~10 min of narration/mo, no commercial use, mandatory ElevenLabs credit. No card.
US$ 6/mo — ~30 min/mo, commercial license and instant voice cloning. In dollars.
US$ 22/mo — ~121 min/mo and professional voice cloning. In dollars.
US$ 99/mo — ~600 min/mo and high-quality audio. In dollars.
Heads up: price is dollar-only, credits don't roll over, and the free plan bans commercial use. Official prices as of July 2026.
Who ElevenLabs is worth it for
Worth it if you…
- are a content creator (YouTube, Reels, TikTok) who dislikes their own voice or lacks good recording gear.
- are a teacher, course creator or infopreneur needing clean, consistent narration in Portuguese.
- run a small business or agency needing professional voiceover for ads, institutional video or product content.
Look elsewhere if you…
- just want to occasionally hear text read aloud — your phone's built-in screen reader covers that.
- want to create a whole SONG (melody, lyrics, vocals) — Suno was built exactly for that.
- plan to monetize video/podcast using only the free plan — the Free license bans commercial use.
When another tool serves better
The most frequent questions about ElevenLabs
Is ElevenLabs free?
Yes, there's a permanent free plan with about 10 minutes of narration a month.
Do I need a credit card to use it?
No, not for the free plan.
Does it work in Brazilian Portuguese?
Yes, with genuinely natural-sounding voices in Portuguese.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, there are official apps for iPhone and Android.
How much does it cost in reais?
There's no official price in reais — ElevenLabs only charges in dollars.
Can I clone my own voice for free?
No, voice cloning requires at least the Starter plan (US$ 6/mo).
Can I use free-plan audio in a monetized YouTube video?
No, the Free license bans commercial use and requires attribution.
Do leftover credits roll over to the next month?
No, unused monthly credits are lost when the cycle renews.
Every day, a new tool explained.
Receive on WhatsApp