ElevenLabs Sound Effects
FreemiumAI sound effect generator from text prompts
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 30 May 2026
3.3k views
Added 7d ago
80/100Safe BetAI sound effect generator from text prompts
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 30 May 2026
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission when you use our links. Editorial picks are independent. How we choose.
A solid choice for quick, customizable sound effects generation, especially for indie creators. However, lacks integrations and advanced editing features compared to dedicated audio tools.
Compare with: ElevenLabs Sound Effects vs Udio, ElevenLabs Sound Effects vs Soundraw, ElevenLabs Sound Effects vs Suno
Last verified: May 2026
ElevenLabs Sound Effects shines for rapid prototyping and ideation – if you need a spaceship engine hum or a rain scene in seconds, it delivers. The four-sample generation per prompt is a time-saver, and royalty-free licensing removes legal headaches. It's best for content creators, game jammers, and video editors on a budget who need immediate sounds without browsing archives. But if you require precise control over mixing, layering, or audio editing, you'll need a DAW. Compared to libraries like Epidemic Sound, ElevenLabs offers more customization but fewer curated tracks. Caveat: the tool is still evolving – output quality varies, and very specific prompts may yield inconsistent results. Also, no batch processing or API export options are mentioned, limiting scalability.
Skip ElevenLabs Sound Effects if Skip ElevenLabs Sound Effects if you need offline generation, 96kHz/24-bit audio output, or bulk generation without a per-credit cost—it's cloud-only and capped at 192kbps.
How likely is ElevenLabs Sound Effects to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 6 signals including funding, development activity, and platform risk.
ElevenLabs Sound Effects is a powerful AI tool that generates custom sound effects and ambient audio from text descriptions. Ideal for content creators, game developers, filmmakers, and audio producers, it streamlines audio production by turning ideas into high-fidelity sounds instantly. Users can explore trending categories like sci-fi, nature, industrial, and fantasy, and generate four samples per prompt within seconds for rapid workflow selection. Key features include precise text control for nuanced effects, royalty-free licensing for worry-free use, and highest quality audio output. Positioning itself as a versatile alternative to traditional sound libraries, ElevenLabs leverages ElevenLabs' advanced generative models to offer a fresh, efficient approach to sound design.
Tell us what you want to build — we'll match the AI tools that fit your goal, budget & existing stack.
Concrete scenarios for the personas ElevenLabs Sound Effects actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You need 50 unique sound effects for a platformer game. You type prompts like 'wooden crate breaking' and 'coin pickup chime', generate four samples per prompt, select the best, upscale, and download WAV files—all within an hour.
Outcome: Complete sound library built in one sitting, royalty-free, ready to import into Unity or Unreal Engine.
Editing a travel vlog, you need background ambience of a coffee shop. You type 'coffee shop chatter with espresso machine' and get four options. You pick one, upscale it, and drop it into your timeline.
Outcome: Licensed sound effect for your monetized video, no attribution required, created in under 30 seconds.
A client needs a custom 'future city ambience' for a car ad. You iterate through prompts like 'flying cars swoosh' and 'robotic footsteps' in the Sound Effects Playground until you nail the mood.
Outcome: Unique sound design delivered in minutes, billed to client, with commercial license via your Starter or higher plan.
Generation consumes credits per request; credits are limited by plan (10k on Free, up to 6M on Business). There is a maximum number of credits per single request (not disclosed). Unused credits roll over for up to two months on active paid subscriptions. Audio quality tops at 192kbps (Pro+), no 96kHz option. API may have concurrency limits—elevated limits only with Enterprise. Free plan credits expire after 30 days and do not roll over. The Free plan is for non-commercial use only.
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
For each published ElevenLabs Sound Effects tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/month
Ideal for
Hobbyists and curious creators who want to test sound generation without spending money, for non-commercial projects.
What this tier adds
Starting tier with 10k credits/month and 3 projects in Studio, but no commercial license and credits expire after 30 days.
Starter
$6/month
Ideal for
Solo content creators and indie devs who need commercial rights to use sounds in monetized videos or games on a budget.
What this tier adds
Adds commercial license, 30k credits/month, 20 projects, and access to TTS, speech-to-text, voice design, and music.
Creator
$22/month (first month $11/month)
Ideal for
Professional video editors, YouTubers, and podcasters who need higher credit limits and professional voice cloning for narration.
The company stage and team size where ElevenLabs Sound Effects's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Pricing is competitive for indie creators and small teams. The Free plan lets you test, but lacks commercial use. Starter at $6/month is a low-cost entry for commercial projects. Creator at $22/month offers good value with voice cloning. For teams, Scale at $299/month per 3 seats is reasonable. However, heavy users may find the credit model restrictive compared to unlimited platforms like Artlist. Enterprise offers custom pricing with SLAs and SSO.
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of ElevenLabs Sound Effects — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For individuals: create an account, type a prompt, and get your first sample in under 2 minutes. For API integration: Python or JavaScript SDK setup with pip/npm and API key takes under 15 minutes. For team workflows: workspaces require Scale plan ($299/mo) and setup involves inviting members and managing credits—under 30 minutes.
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Pricing, brand, ownership, or deprecation changes worth knowing before you commit. Most-recent first.
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside ElevenLabs Sound Effects, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
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Music v2 launched with improved quality and generation controls.
Last calculated: May 2026
What this tier adds
121k credits/month, professional voice cloning, and Studio Productions; first month 50% off at $11/month.
Pro
$99/month
Ideal for
Semi-professional sound designers and small studios needing API access and higher audio quality (192kbps).
What this tier adds
192kbps audio quality, 600k credits/month, API access with 44.1kHz PCM output via API.
Scale
$299/month
Ideal for
Small teams collaborating on sound design projects, needing shared workspace and multiple voice clones.
What this tier adds
3 workspace seats, 3 professional voice clones, 1.8M credits/month, team collaboration features.
Business
$990/month
Ideal for
Growing agencies and companies needing low-latency TTS, more seats, and higher volume for client work.
What this tier adds
10 seats, 10 professional voice clones, 6M credits/month, low-latency TTS as low as 5c/minute.
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Ideal for
Large organizations and studios needing custom SLAs, SSO, and volume discounts for high-volume sound generation.
What this tier adds
Custom pricing with custom terms, SSO, elevated concurrency, fully managed dubbing, and HIPAA BAAs.
Helpful link from elevenlabs.io
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