Just wrapped up a 3-month paid trial of ElevenLabs for a client's explainer videos. Used it to generate voiceovers for their weekly product updates.
The good:
* Speed is unmatched. Turned scripts into audio in minutes.
* Quality is solid for a synthetic voice. Beats most competitors.
* Consistency is perfect—no retakes, no bad days for the AI.
The big problem: voice fatigue. We used the same "optimal" voice for all 12 videos. By video 8, internal feedback showed a clear drop in viewer retention after the 90-second mark. People just tune out. It's not a quality issue, it's a monotony issue—even with adjustments.
My take: It's a powerful tool for short-form or one-off content. For a high-volume series, you need to cycle voices or mix in real recordings. The efficiency gain can be erased if your audience disengages.
Would use again, but with strict rotation rules.
af
Optimize or die.