ElevenLabs, a startup focused on developing AI-powered tools for creating and editing synthetic voices, has globally launched its text-to-speech app, Reader, expanding its availability to support 32 languages.
Initially launched in June in select regions, including the U.S., U.K., and Canada, the app allows users to convert various text formats—such as articles, PDFs, and e-books—into spoken word across different languages and voices.
With the app now available worldwide, ElevenLabs has extended its language support to include languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, French, Hindi, German, Japanese, Arabic, Korean, Italian, Tamil, and Swedish, among others.
This expansion comes after the company achieved unicorn status earlier this year, raising $80 million from investors, including Andreessen Horowitz. ElevenLabs provides an API that companies can leverage for various applications, such as dubbing and text-to-speech functionalities. Their technology is already integrated into platforms like the Rabbit r1, the AI-powered search engine Perplexity, and audio platforms Pocket FM and Kuku FM. Reader represents the company’s first consumer-facing product.
More New Voices
The app’s latest update introduces hundreds of new voices tailored for different languages, utilizing the company’s Turbo v2.5 model to enhance text-to-speech conversion speed and quality. Notably, ElevenLabs has also licensed the voices of iconic actors such as Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier, making them available within the app.
In the competitive landscape, Reader faces rivals like Speechify, which offers additional features such as scanning documents for text, integrations with services like Gmail and Canvas, and the capability for users to clone their own voice to read out text. Other competitors include Mozilla-owned Pocket and The New York Times’ Audm-based audio app, both of which enable users to listen to content.
ElevenLabs is planning further enhancements to Reader, including offline capabilities and audio snippet sharing, aiming to broaden its appeal in the rapidly growing text-to-speech market.
Featured Image courtesy of ElevenLabs
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