Play.HT Review: More Realistic AI Voices Than ElevenLabs?

AI voice and text-to-speech generators are changing the game by providing realistic voiceovers for various applications in seconds. Gone are the days of spending hours sourcing voice actors or struggling with robotic-sounding text-to-speech software.

As someone who has tested the most popular AI voice generators like ElevenLabs, I wanted to see how PlayHT measured up. It’s another AI voice generator claiming to offer the most realistic AI voices, but how true is this?

In this Play.HT review, I’ll discuss what it is, what it’s used for, and its features. From there, I’ll show you how I was able to create, edit, and generate this humanlike AI voice for a guided meditation in a matter of minutes:

After that, I’ll give you some top tips for selecting the right AI voice for your content and the best PlayHT alternatives I’ve tried. My hope is that by the end, you’ll know which AI voice generator is right for you!

Key Highlights

• PlayHT is an AI voice generator offering the broadest range of human-like voices that speak the most languages.
• PlayHT’s features include text-to-speech conversion, voice cloning, AI pronunciation, audio widgets, and podcast hosting.
• PlayHT offers a free plan with access to all voices and languages with unlimited downloads to test the platform.
• The platform provides customization options to fine-tune the voices to match your desired tone and style.

Verdict

PlayHT and ElevenLabs are equally as realistic-sounding. However, PlayHT offers the broadest range of humanlike voices and languages. It also stands out as the top AI voice generator for podcasters, offering podcast creation, hosting, and distribution tools on a single platform.

While the free plan is generous, providing access to all voices and customization options, it requires attribution to PlayHT and lacks some advanced features.

What is PlayHT?

PlayHT is a cloud-based AI voice generator that uses artificial intelligence to create realistic, humanlike voices. It specializes in ultra-realistic Text-to-Speech (TTS) that transforms written text into high-quality audio content. You’ll get access to 800+ voices and 142+ languages and accents to edit and download unlimited times!

PlayHT uses advanced AI algorithms and machine learning techniques to synthesize natural and authentic voices. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on developing algorithms to learn and improve from data. In the case of PlayHT, machine learning algorithms are trained on vast amounts of voice data to understand the nuances of human speech and mimic it accurately.

Advanced voice AI techniques are then applied to the trained models to enhance the quality and authenticity of the generated voices. These techniques involve adjusting pitch, tone, and pronunciation to create natural and human-like voices.

Combining machine learning and advanced AI voice techniques allows PlayHT to create virtually indistinguishable voices from human speech. This technology has wide-ranging applications in industries such as marketing, entertainment, and education, where high-quality audio content is essential. Some common PlayHT uses include creating audio content for videos, audiobooks, podcasts, E-Learning, gaming, IVR systems, translating, and more.

PlayHT also offers speech styles and customization options to tweak your AI voices for the perfect tone and style, whether a professional voiceover or something that matches a specific character or brand. For example, PlayHT allows you to speed up or slow down your AI voice or adjust the toggles to get the perfect tone and expression.

PlayHT is not limited to text-to-speech conversion. It also offers a range of other features like AI Voice Cloning, custom pronunciations, and more to create outstanding audio content.

What is PlayHT Used For?

PlayHT finds applications in various industries and settings for content creators, businesses, educators, and more. Here are the most popular ways people are using PlayHT AI voices:

• Videos: PlayHT offers natural, professional voiceovers for all types of videos, including TikTok and YouTube videos. With 800+ voices in 142+ languages, you can customize and collaborate on them with your team. Export the audio in WAV or MP3 formats for personal or commercial use, and preview and download your audio for free as many times as you want.
• Elearning & Training: PlayHT is a valuable tool for e-learning and training so teams and students can learn better. With access to hundreds of AI voices and languages, turning your written content into engaging audio makes it more likely for your audience to listen to your material if they’re tight on time. PlayHT also makes it easy to embed your audio directly into your E-Learning material for easy access.
• IVR System & Chatbots: Businesses looking to improve their customer service experience through an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system can also use PlayHT. Customers can interact with support audibly via telephone for a more personalized experience. PlayHT helps customers immediately connect with the right representative while saving business owners money from hiring expensive talent to do voiceovers.
• Audio Articles: PlayHT is also great for content creators and writers wanting to turn their articles, Google Docs, and emails into audio format for more accessibility and retention. PlayHT’s audio widgets are SEO-friendly and responsive, so they won’t slow down your website and affect your rankings. Whether blog posts, news articles, or audiobooks, PlayHT’s humanlike voices, and customization options ensure a high-quality audio experience.
• Character & Celebrity Voices: WIth PlayHT, you can also simulate the voices of famous celebrities or create unique character voices. For content creators, this feature opens up new possibilities for storytelling and creating engaging audio content for things like animations, video games, or podcasts. Businesses can also leverage this feature to create voiceovers for advertisements or promotional materials to stand out.

PlayHT Features

PlayHT offers many features, making it a versatile and powerful AI voice generator for all kinds of uses:

1. AI Voice Agents
2. Ultra Realistic AI Voices
3. Text to Speech
4. Voice Cloning
5. AI Pronunciation Library
6. Audio Widgets
7. AI Voice Podcasts

1. AI Voice Agents

The newest feature offered by PlayHT is “AI voice Agents.” It allows you to create AI-powered voice assistants to interact with users, provide information, or perform tasks.

I tried it for myself and was impressed by its accuracy and engagement. All I did was hit “Click to talk to Play.AI” and “Allow” on my device’s microphone. Selecting this immediately began a conversation with Play.AI, where I could verbally ask it questions about its technology, and it would respond in real time.

Selecting “Shuffle” randomly put me in contact with E-Commerce store owners, fashion editors, food critics, and more. I spoke with an AI food critic for a few minutes, and he maintained an engaging conversation revolving around the best Italian cuisine in my city.

AI voice agents are gaining popularity in customer service and marketing for engaging and personalized interactions. With PlayHT’s AI voice agents, you can create interactive voice experiences that enhance customer satisfaction and improve brand loyalty. You can even clone your own voice so customers speak directly to you!

Whether you need a virtual assistant for your website or a voice-over for your chatbot, PlayHT’s AI voice agents provide the tools and technology to create engaging and interactive voice experiences. I highly recommend trying Play.AI for yourself to see what it’s like!

2. Ultra Realistic AI Voices

One of the standout features of PlayHT is its ability to generate realistic AI voices. These voices are very humanlike, making them indistinguishable from human speech. Advanced AI algorithms and machine learning techniques allow for this level of realism.

PlayHT’s voices come in different genders, ages, and accents. Whether you need a voice that is male or female, young or old, or has a specific accent, PlayHT has it.

These realistic AI voices are valuable for all kinds of applications, including voice-overs for videos, audiobooks, and podcasts. You can also use these voices to read article text, add audio to your WordPress website with the WordPress plugin, and embed an audio player onto your website with a Javascript code snippet.

3. Text to Speech

PlayHT offers 800+ AI voices that speak 142+ languages and accents. Its text-to-speech tool allows you to convert text into high-quality voiceovers.

PlayHT gives you eight samples when using this tool, including customer service, podcasts, and more if you’re unsure what to put in the text field. I tried this feature for myself and couldn’t believe how realistic my AI voice sounded without making any edits!

From there, PlayHT gives you customization tools to change the speed and tone of your AI voice to sound exactly how you want it to. Each time you make a revision, PlayHT creates a new sample, so you can always go back and compare how your voice previously sounded.

Once you’re happy with your AI voice, generate it and download it as an MP3 or WAV file! Alternatively, you can access the AI voices through PlayHT’s advanced TTS API.

4. Voice Cloning

PlayHT’s voice cloning feature allows you to create a personalized voice that sounds like yours with 99% accuracy. Voice clones are created through voice training, where you provide PlayHT at least a one-hour sample of your voice. Your uploaded voice recording is then used to create a custom voice model. For flawless results and 100% accuracy, you can upgrade your account.

Voice cloning is valuable for a variety of applications. For example, if you are a content creator or podcaster, you can use PlayHT to create a voice that sounds like your own for a consistent and personalized audio experience for your audience.

Clone your voice, upload a script, and make slight edits in the speed and tone of voice rather than manually recording the audio by speaking into a microphone! PlayHT gives you complete control over how expressive and gentle your voice sounds, depending on the use case.

Voice cloning is also great for voice-overs in videos or presentations, allowing you to add a personal touch to your content. PlayHT’s voice cloning feature will enable you to create audio content that reflects your unique style and personality.

5. AI Pronunciation Library

PlayHT’s AI pronunciation library allows you to customize how voices pronounce specific words or phrases. The pronunciation library is useful when dealing with technical terms, brand names, or other words with unique pronunciations. You can then save these words in your own personal pronunciation library!

To use PlayHT’s pronunciation feature, input a text to ensure the voices pronounce the words correctly. Save it to your library once, and PlayHT will ensure the proper pronunciation is reflected throughout your content. PlayHT’s pronunciation feature supports the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and multi-language support to ensure your audio content sounds professional and accurate.

AI pronunciation is valuable for a variety of applications. For example, suppose you are creating educational content or instructional videos. In that case, you can use PlayHT to ensure that the voices pronounce technical terms correctly for a better learning experience for your audience.

6. Audio Widgets

PlayHT offers audio widgets that you can easily embed into WordPress blogs and websites. These widgets are fully customizable, responsive, and SEO-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about it slowing down your website and impacting your traffic. In fact, these audio widgets will increase user retention and accessibility for a more engaging experience to help rank your articles higher in the SERPs.

With PlayHT’s audio widgets, you can create audio players that let visitors listen to your audio content directly on your website, meaning they can consume your content at their convenience on the go. It also helps your website become ADA-compliant for visitors with visual or other disabilities.

Here are some features worth mentioning that come with the PlayHT audio widget:

• Access to 800+ voices and 142+ languages in various expressions.
• Get the RSS feed to share your audio articles as podcasts on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
• Access analytics to see the number of listens, shares, and downloads your audio articles receive.
• Use PlayHT’s pronunciation library to ensure unique words are pronounced correctly.
• Use the email capture feature to turn listeners into subscribers.

If you’re a WordPress user, you’re in luck. While the PlayHT audio widget integrates with most web platforms, PlayHT provides a plugin specifically for WordPress that allows you to seamlessly incorporate audio widgets into your WordPress website. This plugin simplifies adding and managing audio content, ensuring a smooth user experience for your visitors.

7. AI Voice Podcasts

PlayHT offers podcast hosting and distribution services, allowing you to create and manage your own podcast!

PlayHT’s podcast hosting allows you to upload your audio files, create podcast episodes, and distribute them to the most popular podcast platforms like Spotify, iTunes, and Google Podcasts for the most reach. To start creating audio content with PlayHT, use the 800+ realistic AI voices and 142+ languages that come with PlayHT, or create a personalized voice with the PlayHT voice cloning tool.

This feature is an excellent tool for content creators, businesses, and individuals looking to start their own podcasts. PlayHT provides a user-friendly interface for setting up your podcast account, generating an RSS feed for distribution, and SEO-friendly embeddable audio widgets for more website traffic.

PlayHT’s podcast hosting gives you complete control over your audio content. You can upload, edit, and manage your episodes to ensure your podcast reflects your unique style and brand.

How to Use PlayHT to Generate AI Voices

Here’s how I was able to use PlayHT to create, edit, and generate a humanlike AI voice for a guided meditation in a matter of minutes:

1. Create an Account
2. Add Text
3. Preview Audio
4. Make Edits
5. Download

Step 1: Create an Account

I started by going to the Play.HT homepage and selecting “Generate AI Voices for Free.”

Step 2: Add Text

After creating an account with my email and answering a few questions to personalize my experience, PlayHT took me to the studio. The studio is where I could type some text, choose an AI voice, and generate speech.

I wasn’t sure what to type in the empty text field, so I appreciated the Sample Scripts PlayHT offered. I was most curious about the “Daily Meditation” option.

Step 3: Preview Audio

Upon selecting “Daily Meditation,” this immediately populated the text field. I hit the Play button to see how my AI voice sounded.

I was blown away by how authentic the audio sounded without having done any editing! Her voice already sounded very soothing and relaxed without making any edits.

Step 4: Make Edits

From here, I could easily click on the AI voice (Sophia) to experiment with a new AI voice and change the speed by selecting “1.0x.”

Next to that was the “Advanced voice controls” to experiment with expressiveness, uniqueness, and level of emotion, which was fun to play around with.

Below the text field was the option to create a new paragraph for better organization and variability. For example, you can create a new paragraph and change the AI voice to have the voices speak to each other.

My AI voice sounded good, but I experimented with the speed by slowing it down to 0.8x since it was a meditation. I also used the advanced voice controls to lower the stability and make my voice sound more neutral for a relaxed feel.

Every time I changed a setting, PlayHT created a new sample. These samples made it easy for me to go back to what my AI voice previously sounded like and compare what I liked more or less based on the changes I made.

Step 5: Download

Once I was happy with my voice sample, I selected the download button, which immediately downloaded my sample as a WAV file.

Here’s what my AI voice made with PlayHT sounds like!

My experience with PlatHT was fast and user-friendly. The AI voices were also impressively realistic, and the editing tools gave me complete control over how I wanted my voices to sound.

PlayHT has a free-forever plan with 12,500 free characters and access to all voices and languages. I highly recommend trying it for yourself!

3 Tips for Selecting the Right Voice for Your Content

Selecting the right voice for your content is crucial to creating an engaging and immersive audio experience, and PlayHT offers a wide range of 800+ voices. While this amount of voices provides flexibility to find the perfect voice for your project, it can be hard to choose the right one.

Here are my top tips for choosing the right voice for your content:

1. Consider the tone and style that best complements your content. For example, the audio I generated was for a meditation, so I slowed it down and lowered its stability. Make similar adjustments based on your content type, whether professional voice-overs, conversational podcasts, or engaging audiobooks.
2. Take into account the target audience and language of your content. PlayHT supports over 142 languages, allowing you to cater to a global audience. Choosing a voice that matches your target audience’s language and accent enhances the authenticity of your audio content, whether that’s a local or international audience.
3. Experiment with different voices and tones to find the perfect match for your content. PlayHT’s extensive library of 800+ voices ensures that you have a wide range of options, allowing you to create audio that genuinely resonates with your audience.

Top 3 PlayHT Alternatives

While PlayHT offers a range of features and advantages, exploring alternatives is always helpful. Here are the best PlayHT alternatives I’ve tried so you can better understand which AI voice generator is best for you.

ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is another popular AI voice generator claiming to have the most realistic AI voices. But between ElevenLabs and PlayHT, which is the most realistic?

Off the bat, both platforms have incredibly humanlike AI voices. They also offer similar settings that allow you to alter the tone and expression of the AI voices.

What I liked slightly more about PlayHT was the option to speed up or slow down the AI voice, giving me more flexibility in controlling the pace of my audio content. I also appreciated how PlayHT automatically created a new sample every time I changed one of the settings to identify which sample I liked most more easily.

However, there were some differences in features offered by PlayHT and ElevenLabs. While both platforms offer Text-to-Speech, ElevenLabs has a Speech-to-Speech feature, an Audiobook Workshop, and an automatic Video Translator.

Meanwhile, PlayHT stands out with its Audio Widgets and podcast hosting and distribution services. PlayHT also has 800+ AI voices that can speak 142+ languages, while ElevenLabs only offers 120 voices in 29 languages.

While ElevenLabs and PlayHT offer AI voices that sound equally as realistic, PlayHT has a slight edge with some additional features and far more AI voices and languages. PlayHT is also the better option for embedding audio widgets on your website and creating and managing a podcast on a single platform. ElevenLabs is the better choice if you’re interested in using AI voices for audiobooks or want to translate videos automatically!

Choosing between PlayHT and ElevenLabs ultimately boils down to personal preference and specific requirements for your audio projects. Both platforms excel in delivering high-quality AI voices and offer free plans, so it’s worth trying both!

Lovo.ai

Lovo.ai is another popular AI voice generator I’ve tried claiming to offer hyperrealistic AI voices. While the AI voices are indeed humanlike, what I like the most about Lovo.ai is that it’s much more robust than other AI voice generators like PlayHT.

For example, when creating a project with Lovo.ai, I can make audio and video content instead of just audio with the other AI voice generators. I can also emphasize specific words and import text, among other things.

Lovo.ai also has other features that PlayHT lacks, including an AI image generator, AI sound effects, automatic subtitle generation, and an AI scriptwriter. Meanwhile, PlayHT allows users to create AI voice assistants, audio widgets embedded in their websites, and tools for creating, hosting, and distributing podcasts on one platform. PlayHT also offers 800+ AI voices that can speak 142+ languages, while Lovo.ai offers slightly less variety, with 500 voices that speak 100+ languages.

Lovo.ai and PlayHT are excellent AI voice generators with realistic AI voices, so you can’t go wrong with either. However, for video creators and script writers who want access to more robust tools, I’d suggest choosing Lovo.ai. For podcasters and bloggers who wish to access the most extensive library of AI voices and languages, choose PlayHT!

Murf

Murf is another of my top choices for PlayHT alternatives, claiming to make studio-quality voices in minutes. It’s great for all types of creators, whether you’re a product developer, educator, marketer, author, podcaster, etc.

What I liked about Murf when I tried it was that it came with specific emotions. While this gave me less control over the expression of the AI voice compared to PlayHT’s advanced settings, it was easier for me to know which tone I wanted. In addition to adjusting the speed and pronunciation of specific words, I also liked having control over the pitch and pause placement within the text.

Murf outshines PlayHT in its Voice-over-Video feature and Canva and Google Slides add-ons. In contrast, PlayHT offers less visually driven tools, such as AI-powered voice assistants, audio widgets you can embed on your website, and podcast creation, hosting, and distribution tools. Compared to Murf, PlayHT offers 800+ voices that can speak 142 languages, while Murf offers 130 AI voices speaking 20 languages.

Murf and PlayHT are excellent AI voice generators with voices that sound authentic. However, choose Murf for more visual content creators like video editors and professionals wanting to use AI voices for their presentations. For bloggers and podcasters wanting the most AI voices and languages for a global audience, PlayHT is the best option for you!

Play.HT Review: The Right AI Voice Generator For You?

With so many AI voice generators on the market and more continuously being released, it’s no wonder knowing which platform is right for you is challenging. Many of these platforms have similar tools and functionalities, making decision paralysis even more prevalent.

The AI voice generators mentioned in this article offer extremely realistic-sounding AI voices with free plans. However, if you want access to the most AI voices and languages, PlayHT is the best option. It’s also the best choice for podcasters with its podcast creation, hosting, and distribution tools.

For authors interested in converting their books into audiobooks, ElevenLabs is the best choice. They offer tools specifically for long-form audio content and lots of realistic AI voices and tools to keep listeners engaged. For content creators and video editors looking for more robust tools and visuals, Lovo.ai and Murf are the best AI voice generators.

Thanks for reading my Play.HT review! I hope you found it helpful. After trying these AI voice generators for myself, you genuinely can’t go wrong with any of these AI voice generators. They’re all highly user-friendly to anyone with any technical expertise and offer entirely free plans, so there’s no risk! Try them for yourself and see how you like them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Play HT take?

It takes seconds for PlayHT to generate an audio file. However, factors like the length of the text may impact the turnaround time. PlayHT provides quick results for efficiently generating audio files.

Is PlayHT better than ElevenLabs?

PlayHT is better than ElevenLabs in some ways. While PlayHT and ElevenLabs have equally humanlike AI voices, PlayHT offers many more voices and languages than ElevenLabs. PlayHT is also the better option for embedding audio widgets on your website and for podcasters wanting to create, host, and distribute their podcasts on a single platform.

Meanwhile, ElevenLabs offers better tools for video translation and audiobook generation. Comparing PlayHT and ElevenLabs depends on individual preferences and specific requirements, as both platforms provide unique features and advantages that cater to different needs.

Is Play HT free?

PlayHT offers both free and paid plans. The free plan provides 12,500 characters and access to all AI voices and languages with the ability to clone one voice instantly. The paid plans give you more characters, voice clones, faster generations, and commercial use, among other features.

Is Play HT worth it?

PlayHT is worth it for anyone looking to efficiently turn their written text into realistic-sounding voiceovers instantly without hiring voice actors. It’s also user-friendly and has the broadest range of voices and languages among AI voice generators.

Its free plan is a great starting point for anyone wanting to test the platform without financial commitment. The paid plans offer excellent value for those requiring more characters, advanced features, and commercial use.

Is Play HT safe?

Yes, PlayHT is a safe and secure platform for generating AI voices. With robust security measures in place, your data and content are protected. Regular updates ensure safety from potential vulnerabilities, making PlayHT a reliable choice for voice generation needs.

Is there a free AI voice generator?

All of the AI voice generators I’ve tried offer free plans to try their features without any financial commitment. These AI voice generators include PlayHT, ElevenLabs, Lovo.ai, and Murf.