AI voiceover with ElevenLabs for beginners: first audio, credits and the commercial licence
Read this first: this guide is built from ElevenLabs’ own pricing page, documentation, help centre and terms, checked 24 October 2026. It is not a write-up of our own recordings. ElevenLabs prices in US dollars and says its prices exclude taxes; pounds in brackets are approximate, using European Central Bank reference rates for 23 October 2026 (about $1 = £0.748). Links to ElevenLabs on this page are not affiliate links.
What ElevenLabs does, and why the licence matters
ElevenLabs turns typed text into spoken audio using AI voices. People use it for YouTube narration, course videos, explainer clips, audiobooks and podcast intros. You choose a voice, paste in your script, adjust a few settings and download an audio file.
The part beginners most often miss is the licence. Whether you’re allowed to use the audio in anything that earns money depends on which plan you were on when you made it. Read the licence section below before you publish anything.
Making your first audio
These steps follow ElevenLabs’ own quickstart for its Text to Speech tool. Screens change from time to time, so labels may differ slightly.
- Sign up for a free account at elevenlabs.io.
- Open Text to Speech from the menu.
- Choose a voice. Pick one of the default voices, or browse the Voice Library, where voices are grouped by language, accent and use case. Voice Library voices can come with their own conditions set by whoever shared them, so read the voice’s details.
- Paste your script. The quickstart says you can enter up to 5,000 characters at a time. Write it the way you’d say it: short sentences, numbers written as words if the voice stumbles, and punctuation to show pauses.
- Adjust the settings. Pick a model and play with the voice settings such as stability and similarity. Lower stability tends to sound more expressive but less consistent; higher sounds steadier.
- Generate, listen, and download. Listen all the way through. Regenerate any sentence that sounds wrong rather than the whole script, because every generation uses credits.
Before you publish, check for mispronounced names, places and brand words. Rewriting them phonetically in the script often helps.
How credits work
ElevenLabs charges in credits. Its pricing page says text to speech uses roughly one credit per character on its standard models, so a 1,000-word script of around 6,000 characters would use about 6,000 credits. Some newer, faster models use fewer credits per character, and other tools such as music, dubbing and voice changing have their own rates.
On paid plans, unused credits can roll over for up to two months, provided the subscription stays active. If you run out, Starter and above can buy more or upgrade. Regenerating takes credits too, so budget for retakes.
| Plan | Price | Credits a month | Commercial licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10,000 | No. Non-commercial only, with attribution |
| Starter | $6 (≈£4.49) | 30,000 | Yes. Adds instant voice cloning |
| Creator | $22 (≈£16.46) | 121,000 | Yes. Adds professional voice cloning and higher-quality audio |
| Pro | $99 (≈£74.04) | 600,000 | Yes. Adds higher-quality output options |
ElevenLabs sometimes runs first-month offers on Starter and Creator; check the pricing page for the current price. Larger business plans are also available.
The licence, plan by plan
Free plan: non-commercial, and you must credit ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs’ help centre says audio made on the Free plan can’t be used commercially. If you share it at all, you must attribute ElevenLabs by putting “elevenlabs.io” or “11.ai” in the title. In practice, that rules out a monetised YouTube channel, a paid course, client work or an ad.
The important catch: the help centre also says that audio made while you were on the Free plan stays non-commercial even if you upgrade later. If you might use something commercially, make it on a paid plan.
Starter and above: commercial use allowed
Paid plans include a commercial licence for the audio you generate while subscribed, subject to ElevenLabs’ Terms of Service and Prohibited Use Policy. The help centre notes that features in beta can’t be used commercially, so check whether a tool is labelled beta.
Voice cloning: only voices you have the right to use
Starter adds instant voice cloning and Creator adds professional voice cloning. Only clone your own voice, or a voice whose owner has clearly given permission. ElevenLabs’ terms and prohibited use policy forbid impersonation and misuse, and copying someone’s voice without consent can also raise legal issues in the UK.
UK points to keep in mind
- Platform rules. YouTube and other platforms have their own policies on synthetic or altered content, including when to disclose it. Check the rules of wherever you publish.
- Be honest with clients and audiences. Don’t present an AI voice as a real person’s recorded performance. If you’re selling voiceover work, tell clients it’s AI-generated and which licence applies.
- Prices exclude tax. Expect VAT or currency conversion to change the amount you pay. Check your checkout total and invoice.
- Earning from it. Selling voiceover work counts as trading income. Our UK side hustle tax basics explain the £1,000 trading allowance and when to register.
If you want a presenter on screen too
ElevenLabs is audio only. If you need a talking-head video with an AI presenter, tools such as Synthesia (Ad) combine a voice with an on-screen avatar. That link is an affiliate link: if you sign up through it, The AI Barn may earn a commission. Check its licence terms in the same way. For a wider look at what’s available, see our AI tools for UK small businesses guide.
Sources
All checked 24 October 2026. Plans and terms change, so check before you publish.
- ElevenLabs pricing and plan features: elevenlabs.io/pricing
- ElevenLabs Text to Speech quickstart: elevenlabs.io/docs
- ElevenLabs Help Center, commercial use and attribution on the Free plan: help.elevenlabs.io
- ElevenLabs Terms of Service: elevenlabs.io/terms-of-use
- ElevenLabs Prohibited Use Policy: elevenlabs.io/use-policy
- ECB euro reference rates, 23 October 2026: ecb.europa.eu
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