--- name: 25-voice-clone-podcast-global description: "Use when a PERSONAL brand needs AUDIO — voice cloning with ElevenLabs, Murf, or PlayHT, podcast production, audiobooks, and voiceover: short voiceover for TikTok and Reels, a 30 to 60 minute podcast format, and a 1-to-10 repurpose turning one episode into ten clips, in English with US, UK, AU, and SG accents. Trigger on 'voice clone', 'ElevenLabs', 'start a podcast', 'audiobook narration', 'AI voiceover for my videos', 'I hate re-recording the same intro'. Not for — video with a talking-head avatar, see `24-ai-avatar-production-global`; the script being read aloud, see `04-script-video-global`; written long-form posts, see `26-thought-leadership-content-global`." metadata: version: 1.0.1 category: content license: MIT triggers: - "voice clone global" - "ElevenLabs" - "podcast AI" - "audiobook AI" - "voiceover AI" related: - 24-ai-avatar-production-global - 26-thought-leadership-content-global - references/voice-clone-prompts-global - references/ai-video-disclosure-global --- # Voice Clone & Podcast — Audio AI for Personal Brand (Global) > **This skill focuses on audio AI** — voice clone, podcast, audiobook, voiceover. > Pairs with `24-ai-avatar-production-global` (video) — combine both for full content stack coverage. --- ## 1. Newbie Guide ### What is audio AI and how is it different from video AI? Audio AI is the tech behind synthetic voices that sound nearly human — from a sample of your voice, AI learns and produces a synthetic clone (voice clone). You write text -> AI reads it back (Text-to-Speech). **Differences vs video AI:** - Video AI (skill 24): produces video with face + voice -> talking head, social video - Audio AI (this skill): produces voice only -> podcast, audiobook, voiceover, narration ### When to use audio AI instead of video? | Situation | Pick audio AI | Pick video AI | |-----------|---------------|---------------| | Long-form content (>10 min) | YES — podcast format | NO — too long for video | | Don't want to be on camera | YES | NO | | Need volume content fast | YES — 1 podcast = 10 shorts | YES but more expensive | | Audience listens while driving / at gym | YES | NO | | Need visuals to demo | NO | YES | | Personal brand thought leader | YES — podcast = authority | YES — if face brand exists | ### Main tools (international) - **ElevenLabs:** Best in class for voice clone — top-tier English voices (US/UK/AU/IN), 30+ languages - **Murf:** 120+ voice library, strong for corporate voiceover, multilingual - **PlayHT:** API-friendly, instant clone, 800+ voices - **HeyGen Voice:** Bundles with HeyGen avatars — seamless voice + video pipeline - **Descript:** AI editing — cut audio by editing text, voice clone (Overdub) - **Resemble.ai:** Custom emotion control, brand-grade APIs - **Riverside:** Studio-quality podcast recording with AI Magic Clips repurpose ### Time and cost | Task | Time | Cost (USD/mo) | |------|------|---------------| | Voice clone setup | 30-60 min | $5-22 (ElevenLabs Starter/Pro) | | 60s voiceover (TikTok) | 5-10 min | $5-22 | | 30 min solo podcast | 1-2 hrs | $22-99 (ElevenLabs + Riverside) | | Audiobook chapter (15 min) | 30-45 min | $22-99 | | 1 podcast -> 10 clips | 1-2 hrs | $0-30 (Descript/Opus Clip) | ### 5 common mistakes 1. **AI voice sounds robotic:** sample too short or monotonic. Fix: re-record 3-5 minutes with varied emotions (happy, serious, sad). 2. **Mispronounced names/jargon:** TTS engines mishandle proper nouns. Fix: use phonetic spelling (e.g., "Anthropic" -> "an-THROW-pic") in the script. 3. **Audio clipping:** levels too hot. Fix: target -3dB peak, -16 LUFS loudness. 4. **Background noise/echo:** untreated room. Fix: small room with curtains and rugs, or apply NVIDIA Broadcast / Krisp / Adobe Enhance Speech. 5. **Boring podcast:** no editing, too many "ums". Fix: Descript auto-removes filler words, add light background music (-25dB). --- ## 2. Information collection Ask up to 4 questions before starting: 1. **Main use case?** Short voiceover (TikTok/Reels) / Podcast 30-60 min / Audiobook? 2. **Language(s)?** English (US/UK/AU/IN) / multilingual / single non-English? 3. **Total length?** <60s / 5-30 min / 30-60 min / >60 min (audiobook)? 4. **Budget tier?** Free ($0) / Starter ($5-22) / Pro ($22-99) / Business ($99+)? > Based on the answers, pick the appropriate use case + tool stack. --- ## 3. Voice clone setup ### Sample requirements | Criterion | Minimum | Optimal | |-----------|---------|---------| | Length | 1 min (Free tier) | 3-5 min (Pro tier) | | Room | Quiet, no echo | Acoustic treatment, rugs, curtains | | Mic | Phone + headset mic | Condenser mic (AT2020, $80-100) | | Distance | 20-30 cm | 15-20 cm with pop filter | | Format | MP3 128 kbps | WAV 44.1 kHz | | Content | One pre-written passage | Three passages: business / casual / emotional | > **Full reference:** `references/voice-clone-prompts-global.md` — sample scripts across English variants (US/UK/AU/SG/IN) and 3 topics (business / lifestyle / educational). ### Tool comparison (global) | Tool | English clone quality | Price/mo | Setup time | Best for | |------|----------------------|----------|------------|----------| | **ElevenLabs Pro** | Excellent (10/10) | $22 | 30 min | Multilingual, content creator | | **HeyGen Voice** | Good (8/10) | Bundled with avatar | 15 min | Combo with video AI | | **Murf** | Excellent (9/10) | $29-79 | 30 min | Corporate voiceover, e-learning | | **PlayHT** | Excellent (9.5/10) | $39-99 | 30 min | API-driven, instant clone | | **Descript Overdub** | Good (8/10) | $24 (Hobbyist) | 30 min | Podcast editing | | **Resemble.ai** | Excellent (9/10) | $30-99 | 1 hr | Brand custom voice, emotion control | **Recommendations:** - **English-only creator:** ElevenLabs Pro ($22) — best balance of quality and price - **Multilingual creator:** ElevenLabs Pro (30+ languages built in) - **Combo with video:** HeyGen (single platform — voice + avatar) - **Brand/agency at scale:** Resemble.ai or PlayHT (API + custom emotion) ### Consent form template ``` VOICE CLONE LICENSE AGREEMENT I, [Full name], ID/passport: [number], grant [Brand/Company]: 1. Permission to use samples of my voice to create an AI voice clone. 2. Use of the voice clone in [scope: internal / advertising / podcast / etc.]. 3. Term: from [DD/MM/YYYY] to [DD/MM/YYYY]. 4. Right of withdrawal: I may request deletion of the voice clone at any time in writing; the brand has 7 days to fully remove it. 5. Disclosure: the brand commits to disclose "AI-generated voice" wherever required by applicable law (FTC, EU AI Act, etc.). Signed: ____________ Date: ____________ ``` --- ## 4. Three use cases ### Use case A: Short voiceover for TikTok/Reels (Energetic) **Spec:** - Length: 15-60s - Pace: fast (180-220 wpm) — younger English-speaking audience - Tone: energetic, slightly higher pitch, exciting - Audio levels: -14 LUFS (TikTok), peak -1 dB - CTA: clear in the last 5 seconds **Script template (30s):** ``` [HOOK 0-3s] "Did you know [shocking stat]?" [PROBLEM 3-10s] "Most people are still stuck in [wrong loop]" [SOLUTION 10-22s] "I tried [method], and here are 3 things..." [PAYOFF 22-27s] "Result: [specific number]" [CTA 27-30s] "Comment 'YES' to get the full breakdown" ``` **Voice settings (ElevenLabs):** - Stability: 35-45 (low — allows variation) - Similarity: 75-85 - Style: 50-65 (boost expressiveness) - Speaker Boost: ON ### Use case B: Podcast 30-60 min (Conversational) **Structure:** - **Intro (1-2 min):** hook + introduce topic + welcome listeners - **Body (25-50 min):** 3-5 main segments, each 5-10 min - **Ad slot (optional):** 3-5 min after intro, or mid-body - **Outro (1-2 min):** recap + CTA + thanks **Pacing:** - Conversational pace: 140-160 wpm - 1-2s pause after important sentences - Segment transitions: 2-3s pause + audio sting **Sound design:** - Background music: -25 to -30 dB (very subtle) - Stings/transitions: -15 dB, 1-2s - Voice levels: -16 LUFS (podcast standard), peak -1 dB **Voice settings (ElevenLabs):** - Stability: 60-75 (high — consistent across 30+ minutes) - Similarity: 85-95 - Style: 30-40 (natural, not over-expressive) - Speaker Boost: ON ### Use case C: Audiobook (Mid-tempo) **Structure:** - **Chapter intro:** "Chapter [X]: [Title]" — 2s pause - **Chapter body:** 10-20 min/chapter, 1s pause between paragraphs - **Chapter end:** 3s pause before next chapter **Pacing:** - Mid-tempo: 150-170 wpm - Natural breath every 2-3 sentences - Dialogue: subtle voice shifts per character (fiction) **Consistency check (most important):** - Render Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 -> compare voice -> must match 95%+ - If voices drift: re-clone with a longer sample (5+ min) - Pronunciation guide: build a database of proper nouns + custom phonetics **Voice settings (ElevenLabs):** - Stability: 70-85 (very high — consistent for hours) - Similarity: 90-95 - Style: 20-30 (calm, even) - Speaker Boost: ON --- ## 5. Tool comparison (global) | Tool | Price/mo | English quality | Multilingual | Setup | Pros | Cons | Best for | |------|----------|-----------------|-------------|-------|------|------|----------| | **ElevenLabs** | $5-99 | 10/10 | 30+ langs | 30 min | Best clone, multilingual | Pricier high tiers | Multilingual creator | | **HeyGen Voice** | Bundle w/ avatar | 8/10 | 40+ langs | 15 min | Combo with avatar | Voice clone less expressive | Combo with video | | **Descript** | $24-30 | 9/10 | EN focus | 30 min | Audio editing first | Multilingual weaker | Podcast editing | | **Riverside** | $19-29 | n/a (recording) | n/a | 5 min | Studio recording | Not TTS | Live podcast | | **Murf** | $29-79 | 9/10 | 20+ langs | 30 min | 120+ voice library | Voice clone limited tier | Corporate voiceover | | **PlayHT** | $39-99 | 9.5/10 | 100+ langs | 30 min | Strong API, instant clone | UI dense | Developer/API | | **Resemble.ai** | $30-99 | 9/10 | 60+ langs | 1 hr | Custom emotion control | Steep learning curve | Brand custom voice | **Recommended combos 2025-2026:** - **English solo creator:** ElevenLabs Pro ($22) + Riverside Free + Descript Hobbyist ($24) - **Multilingual creator:** ElevenLabs Pro ($22) + Riverside Standard ($19) + Descript Pro ($30) - **Brand/agency:** ElevenLabs Creator ($99) + Resemble.ai + Riverside Pro ($29) --- ## 6. 1-on-1 podcast with an AI co-host > **Use case:** solo podcaster who wants conversational format but can't find a co-host. AI co-host = a second AI voice that asks questions while you answer. ### Setup — prompt-engineering the AI personality **Step 1: Define the AI co-host's personality** ``` Name: [AI co-host name] Personality: curious, asks deep follow-ups, occasionally light humor Role: asks the host questions, doesn't talk too much Speaking style: casual, natural, addresses the host by first name Knowledge level: average — asks questions like a listener would Catchphrases: "Wow, that's wild." / "What does that mean exactly?" / "Can you go deeper?" ``` **Step 2: Create a separate voice clone for the AI co-host** - Use a different voice than the host (e.g., woman vs man, or different accent) - Clone from a consenting friend, or use one of ElevenLabs' built-in voices **Step 3: Tool stack** - **ElevenLabs:** generate the AI co-host voice - **Riverside:** record the host live - **Descript:** edit + splice in the AI co-host (text-to-audio) ### Q&A script template ``` [INTRO] Host: Hey everyone, today [AI co-host] and I are diving into... AI co-host: Hi all, I'm [name]. Today I want to dig into [topic] from [host]'s point of view. Let's go! [BODY — 5-7 Q&A pairs] AI co-host: [Broad opening question] Host: [Answers 2-3 minutes] AI co-host: [Deeper follow-up] Host: [Answers with a concrete example] ... repeat 5-7 times ... [OUTRO] AI co-host: Thanks [host] for sharing. The biggest thing I learned was... Host: Thanks [AI co-host]. If you have questions, drop them in the comments... ``` **Tip:** pre-write 7-10 AI co-host questions in a doc, record host responses in one go. Then generate AI co-host audio in ElevenLabs and splice in via Descript. --- ## 7. Repurpose pipeline 1:10 (1 podcast -> 10 short clips) ### Workflow overview ``` [1] Record 60-min podcast (Riverside) v [2] Auto-transcript (Descript / Riverside) v [3] Identify hooks (10-15 quotable lines) v [4] Cut 30-60s clips per quote (Opus Clip / Descript) v [5] Add captions (auto-caption) v [6] Distribute across 4 platforms ``` ### How to identify hooks Find moments in the transcript with these traits: - **Bold statement:** "I think 90% of founders are doing this wrong" - **Counter-intuitive:** "Raising prices actually grew revenue" - **Specific number:** "Went from $0 to $1M in 6 months" - **Personal story:** "On my first startup I lost $200K" - **Actionable tip:** "3 specific steps you can take today" > **Target:** 10-15 hooks per 60-min podcast. Pick the 10 best. ### Tool stack - **Descript:** auto-clip — select sentences, export short clips (free tier 1 hr/month) - **Opus Clip:** AI auto-finds viral moments + auto-format vertical/horizontal ($19-99) - **Riverside Magic Clips:** built-in to Riverside Pro ($29) - **CapCut + ChatGPT:** manual but free — paste transcript, ChatGPT extracts hook candidates ### Distribution across 4 platforms | Platform | Format | Length | Caption | Bonus | |----------|--------|--------|---------|-------| | **TikTok** | 9:16 (1080×1920) | 30-60s | Bold caption on top | Trend audio overlay (low volume) | | **Instagram Reels** | 9:16 | 15-90s | Clean subtitle, sans-serif font | Strong cover image | | **YouTube Shorts** | 9:16 | <60s | Auto-caption | Title with target keyword | | **LinkedIn audio** | 1:1 (square video w/ audio) | 60-120s | Subtitle below | Long-form thread (carousel) | **Pro tip:** each clip should target one platform with platform-specific captions and cover image. Maximizes reach. --- ## 8. Audio QA + Disclosure ### 5 QA criteria 1. **Clarity (10 pts):** voice clear, no rasp, no stuttering. Test: play on phone speaker, still intelligible. 2. **No clipping (10 pts):** peak below -1 dB. Tools: Audacity, Adobe Audition, Reaper. 3. **No background noise (10 pts):** no fans, traffic, neighbors. Tools: Krisp, NVIDIA Broadcast, Adobe Enhance Speech. 4. **Consistent loudness (10 pts):** stable -16 LUFS (podcast) or -14 LUFS (TikTok). Tool: loudness meter in DAW. 5. **Natural pauses (10 pts):** human-like pacing. Manual review: listen 3 times. > **Pass:** 40+/50. Below 40 = re-render or re-record. ### Global disclosure — when required | Situation | Disclosure | Placement | |-----------|-----------|-----------| | Commercial advertising | REQUIRED | Caption + end of audio ("This audio uses an AI voice clone") | | Personal brand podcast | RECOMMENDED — transparency | Episode description | | Fiction audiobook | OPTIONAL | Optional — credits at end | | News/educational | REQUIRED | Beginning of audio + caption | | Internal corporate content | NOT REQUIRED | n/a | **Disclosure caption template:** ``` This audio uses AI voice cloning technology (ElevenLabs / Murf / [tool name]). Content was written and reviewed by [Name]. ``` > **Full reference:** `references/ai-video-disclosure-global.md` — FTC, EU AI Act, FCC, and OFCOM requirements; 3-tier disclosure framework, situational templates (also applies to audio). --- ## 9. Quality checklist Before publishing audio: - [ ] Voice-clone sample 3-5 min, quiet room - [ ] Signed consent form (if cloning someone else's voice) - [ ] Use case matches: voiceover (energetic) / podcast (conversational) / audiobook (mid-tempo) - [ ] Voice settings appropriate for use case (Stability/Similarity/Style) - [ ] Loudness correct: -14 LUFS (TikTok) / -16 LUFS (podcast/audiobook) - [ ] Peak below -1 dB (no clipping) - [ ] No background noise (Krisp/NVIDIA Broadcast pass) - [ ] Pacing correct: 180-220 wpm (TikTok) / 140-160 wpm (podcast) / 150-170 wpm (audiobook) - [ ] QA Score 40+/50 - [ ] Disclosure caption (if commercial use) - [ ] Repurpose plan: 1 podcast -> 10 clips across 4 platforms --- *Skill 25 (Global) | v1.0.0*