The "click here to listen to this article" feature at the top of some web pages is invaluable for individuals with visual impairments and reading difficulties, as well as those pressed for time.
This week, ElevenLabs, a pioneering voice AI startup, debuted Audio Native, an innovative audio player that automatically narrates web page content using the company’s advanced text-to-speech technology.
Additionally, ElevenLabs launched ElevenLabs Reader, which offers narration in 11 different voices for both web pages and documents. Their voice models support 29 languages, including capabilities to dub full-length movies and convert prompts into song lyrics. Audio Native is accessible at the "creator" tier for $11 per month and includes built-in metrics and a listener dashboard to monitor audience engagement. On its X page (formerly Twitter), ElevenLabs showcased websites utilizing its technology, such as its blog, an AI for SEO guide from bensbites.com, and a November 2023 New Yorker article titled “Not all of America’s national-security threats are overseas.” Established media outlets like The Atlantic and The New York Times have also adopted ElevenLabs technology. “It’s customizable, easy to set up, and enhances reader engagement while making your content more accessible to audiences worldwide,” stated Sam Sklar of ElevenLabs in a blog post.
Embedding Audio for Websites
With Audio Native, users can easily embed and voice their website or integrate audio from existing projects using ElevenLabs’ API. To do this, users need to provide a brief snippet of HTML. They must add their domain to the "allow" list, select a voice from the company's available options, and customize the player’s background and text color before copying and pasting the provided code onto their site.
An optional pronunciation dictionary allows for specific phrasing unique to a brand. By default, the model generates voiceovers for all text content on a page, but customization is possible with CSS selectors. The tool currently supports platforms like React, Squarespace, WordPress, Ghost, Webflow, and Framer.
Early reviews describe the tool as “sick” and “amazing,” highlighting its significant potential for enhancing accessibility.
Future Innovations on the Horizon
Based on social media responses, ElevenLabs appears committed to expanding its features. When a user suggested adding RSS feed capabilities for podcasting their written content, Luke Harries, ElevenLabs' head of growth, responded, “Great idea, sharing with the team.”
Founded in 2022 by former Google engineer Piotr Dabkowski and Palantir strategist Mati Staniszewski, ElevenLabs has quickly risen to a valuation of $1.1 billion. The company secured $80 million in its most recent funding round in January.
In a competitive landscape comprising players like Speechify, Deepgram, and Voicemod, ElevenLabs is uniquely positioned within the rapidly expanding global AI voice cloning market, projected to reach $16.2 billion by 2032 with a nearly 28% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2023.
ElevenLabs has also partnered with HarperCollins Publishers to create AI-generated audiobooks and launched a marketplace for users to monetize their cloned voices. However, the company faces scrutiny regarding its music generation capabilities and concerns over the use of copyrighted materials in training its models, a topic that has garnered increasing attention recently.
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