Overview
This guide walks you through how to convert text to speech from start to finish. Whether you're new to ElevenLabs or looking to improve your workflow, follow along step by step.
You can start this guide entirely on ElevenLabs's free tier — 10,000 characters per month, no credit card required.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- A free ElevenLabs account (create one here)
- Your content prepared (text, audio, or video depending on the task)
- A clear idea of the voice style and language you want
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Set Up Your Account
Sign up at ElevenLabs with your email. The free tier gives you 10,000 characters per month, access to all pre-made voices, basic voice cloning, and full API access.
Step 2: Choose Your Voice
Browse ElevenLabs's Voice Library with thousands of voices. Filter by language, gender, age, and style. You can also clone your own voice or design a new one from scratch using Voice Design.
Step 3: Prepare Your Content
Format your text with proper punctuation for best results. Use ellipses for natural pauses, dashes for emphasis breaks, and paragraph breaks for longer pauses between sections.
Step 4: Generate Your Audio
Paste your text, select your voice and settings (stability, similarity, style), then click Generate. Preview the output and adjust settings if needed.
Step 5: Fine-Tune & Download
If the output isn't perfect, adjust the stability slider (lower = more expressive, higher = more consistent) and regenerate. Download in MP3, WAV, or other formats.
Step 6: Integrate & Publish
Use your generated audio in videos, podcasts, websites, or applications. ElevenLabs's API enables automated workflows for ongoing production.
Pro Tips for Best Results
- Use proper punctuation: Commas, periods, and ellipses dramatically affect voice output quality
- Adjust stability carefully: 50-75% works well for most narration, lower for emotional content
- Test multiple voices: The same text can sound very different across voices
- Use SSML-style controls: ElevenLabs supports pronunciation customization for tricky words
- Save your favorites: Bookmark voices and settings combos that work well for your projects
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using ALL CAPS for emphasis — the AI may interpret this as shouting
- Not checking character count before generating — watch your monthly limit
- Ignoring punctuation — it's the primary way to control pacing and tone
- Using maximum stability for emotional content — this makes voices flat
💡 Pro Tips
Use Proper Punctuation
Commas, periods, and ellipses dramatically control pacing and delivery in ElevenLabs output
Test Multiple Voices
The same text can sound dramatically different with different voices — experiment before committing
Why ElevenLabs?
Speech-to-Speech Transformation
Transform your voice into any AI voice while keeping your emotion, pacing, and delivery. Record naturally, then convert to the perfect voice.
Industry-Leading Voice Quality
ElevenLabs produces the most natural, human-like AI voices available. Advanced neural models capture subtle nuances, emotion, and intonation that other platforms can't match.
Safety & Ethics First
Industry-leading safety tools including voice verification, usage monitoring, and deepfake detection. Responsible AI voice technology you can trust.
Instant Voice Cloning
Clone any voice from a short audio sample. Instant Voice Cloning needs just 1 minute of audio, while Professional Voice Cloning captures every nuance from 30+ minutes of data.
Follow along with a free account
Create your free ElevenLabs account to follow this guide step by step.