Best ElevenLabs Prompt Examples for Audio Content Creation

Voice AI has never been more accessible. 

Today, anyone can paste text into a tool like ElevenLabs and get a voiceover. But if you’ve tried it once, you know that simply pasting text and moving a few sliders across the tab won’t give you studio-quality audio that actually sounds human.

Like every AI tool, the key to getting professional voiceovers, engaging podcasts, and realistic voices (with ElevenLabs) lies in how you prompt it.

Well, we did some testing and put together 40 ElevenLabs prompts to get you started instantly. 

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What Is ElevenLabs?

From audiobooks to ads, podcasts, and games, here’s what you can do with ElevenLabs ⭐

• Voice modification: Transform voices, isolate vocals from background noise, or clone and design custom voices from scratch
• Custom characters: Build unique voices for video game characters, audiobook narrators, or branded personas from scratch
• Conversational agents: Deploy AI assistants that handle voice interactions in real time with natural speech patterns
• Sound effects and music: Produce ambient sounds, transitions, or background audio without traditional recording
• Multi-language dubbing: Translate existing audio into different languages while keeping the original speaker’s voice intact
• Align text to audio: Sync transcripts with existing recordings for precise editing and subtitles
• Image and video generation: Create visual content by experimenting with different AI image prompts (in beta mode as of January 2026)

What Are ElevenLabs  Prompts?

ElevenLabs prompts are sets of instructions you enter to guide and generate the output you want in ElevenLabs. You can control the result by:

• Entering textual prompts that detail dialogue, narrative context, emotional cues, phonetic tags, and even sound effect descriptions
• Uploading reference audio samples for voice cloning or remix
• Selecting pre-built voices from the voice library 
• Experimenting with stability and creativity settings to fine-tune vocal nuance

Creators working with voice agents can also build instruction blueprints, defining the AI’s core personality, role, rules, and conversational behavior. This system prompt ensures consistent responses (voice, tonality) to align with your brand requirements. 

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How to Write Effective ElevenLabs Prompts

Effective prompting is an act of balancing descriptive details with clarity. The more information you provide to any AI tool (tone, emotion, accent, and delivery style), the closer the output will be to your vision. 

Here’s a cheatsheet you can use when structuring your ElevenLabs prompts 👇

1.  Write prompts in narrative style

Enter the text you want to turn into speech and use audio tags (throughout) to shape the output delivery. 

You can use a combination of audio tags, such as:

You can place audio tags anywhere in your script (and in any combination) to shape its delivery. Experiment with descriptive emotional states and actions to discover what works for your specific use case.

Remember, text structure strongly influences output with AI voice models. Make use of natural speech patterns, proper punctuation, and clear emotional context for the best results.

2. Add normalization guidelines

AI models, especially smaller ones trained on limited data, struggle with complex data types such as phone numbers, zip codes, email addresses, and URLs. 

In those cases, add normalization instructions to your prompt. Specify how you want the text to be read aloud.

Some normalization examples and how to structure them in your prompt are: 

3.  Include phonetic and pacing cues

Use break tags, phonetic spellings, and punctuation to guide how the AI reads your script.

Break tags add pauses between phrases or sentences. This is useful for dramatic effect, natural conversation flow, or giving listeners time to process information.

For instance:

That said, punctuation significantly affects delivery in ElevenLabs:

• Include dashes (- or —) for short pauses or ellipses (…) for hesitant tones
• Capitalization increases emphasis on specific words
• Standard punctuation provides natural speech rhythm and breathing points

Beyond timing, you also need control over how specific words are pronounced. Phonetic controls help you nail pronunciation for character names, brand terms, or technical jargon. Experiment with alternate spellings or phonetic approximations to specify how certain words should sound.

📌 For instance,

You can also use Phoneme tags for precise International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) control:

Or Alias tags for simpler phonetic rewrites:

Studio and Dubbing Studio in ElevenLabs also let you create and upload a pronunciation dictionary. This saves time if you’re working with recurring brand names or technical terms across multiple projects.

3. Select voice and modify voice settings

Choose a voice from ElevenLabs’ voice library. You’ll find 5,000+ options, including pre-made voices, professional voice clones, and custom character voices across 32+ languages and accents.

Use the search bar to find voices by name, keyword, or voice ID. To narrow your results, you can apply filters as well. 

If you can’t find the exact voice you need in the library, create one using Voice Design. Detailed parameters, such as age, gender, tone, accent, pacing, emotion, and style, generate more accurate and nuanced results.

A cheatsheet you can use to describe these parameters: 

💡 Pro Tip: Use voice-type icons to quickly identify the quality and source of each voice in the library:

• Yellow tick: Professional Voice Clone
• Black tick: High Quality Professional Voice Clone
• Lightning icon: Instant Voice Clone
• || icon: ElevenLabs Default voice
• No icon: Voice created with Voice Design

4. Choose a speech model

ElevenLabs offers multiple speech models optimized for different use cases and outputs. Some prioritize natural emotion and expressiveness, while others focus on speed, stability, or real-time performance. 

Here’s a breakdown of flagship TTS (text-to-speech), STT (Speech-to-text), and music models:

Matching the model to your project type ensures you get the best balance between quality and efficiency.

5. Generate and iterate

For complex, emotionally nuanced text-to-speech, don’t cram everything into a single prompt. Use prompt chaining to generate sound effects or speech in segments, then layer them together using audio editing software for more complex compositions.

Iterate on results by tweaking descriptions, tags, or emotional cues. Small adjustments can often lead to a dramatic shift in output quality.

• Join the ElevenLabs Discord community to find workflow tips, voice design strategies, and real-world examples of what works
• Browse their AI audio library and study voices similar to what you’re building
• Reference ElevenLabs documentation for detailed breakdowns of each feature, prompting best practices, practical use cases, API guides, and technical implementation examples
• Experiment with speed, stability, and similarity controls to fine-tune voice consistency and delivery across different content types
• Note the voice ID, model, settings, and exact phrasing in a prompt document so you can replicate successful outputs across projects

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Best ElevenLabs Prompts for Different Use Cases

ElevenLabs is a hub of advanced voice generation features. Just referring to documentation or prompt engineering guides won’t get you equipped to generate the best results. 

Test different models and generate voice and sounds yourself to understand what works.

Let’s show you how you can leverage different capabilities of ElevenLabs across varying use cases with these prompts: 

ElevenLabs text-to-speech prompts

1. Expressive monologue

2. Dynamic and humorous

3. Multi-speaker dialogue with overlapping timing

4. Glitch comedy with multiple speakers

5. [customer service agent] Thank you for calling. I completely understand your frustration, and I’m here to help get this sorted out for you as quickly as possible. Let’s start with your account number.

6. [friendly instructor] Let me show you how simple this actually is. [clicking sounds] See this button here? One click, and watch what happens. [amazed] Everything syncs automatically across all your devices. No manual transfers, no confusion.

ElevenLabs emotion prompts

7. [nervous] I can’t believe I’m about to do this. [exhales deeply] Okay, here goes nothing. [voice shaking slightly] Wish me luck.

8. [overjoyed] We did it! [laughs] I can’t—I actually can’t believe we pulled this off! [voice cracking with emotion] This is everything.

9. [exhausted] I’ve been awake for thirty-six hours straight. [sighs heavily] My brain feels like mush, and my eyes won’t stay open.

10. [furious] You had one job. ONE. [voice rising] And somehow you managed to mess even that up. Unbelievable.

11. [heartbroken] They’re gone. [voice trembling] Just like that, they walked away and I… [swallows] I don’t know what to do now.

12. [terrified] Did you hear that? [whispers frantically] Something’s in here with us. We need to leave. Now.

13. [mischievous] Want to know a secret? [giggles quietly] Promise you won’t tell anyone? This is going to be so good.

14. [disgusted] That’s… [gags slightly] that’s the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen. Get it away from me.

15.  [relieved] It’s over. [exhales shakily] Finally, after all this time, it’s actually over. [laughs softly] I can breathe again.

ElevenLabs music prompts

16. Track for a high-end mascara commercial. Upbeat and polished. Voiceover only. The script begins: “We bring you the most volumizing mascara yet.” Mention the brand name “X” at the end.

17. Epic orchestral swell with soaring strings, triumphant brass, and thundering timpani. Cinematic and heroic, building to a powerful climax.

18. Create an intense, fast-paced electronic track for a high-adrenaline video game scene. Use driving synth arpeggios, punchy drums, distorted bass, glitch effects, and aggressive rhythmic textures. The tempo should be fast, 130–150 bpm, with rising tension, quick transitions, and dynamic energy bursts.

19. Write a raw, emotionally charged track that fuses alternative R&B, gritty soul, indie rock, and folk. The song should still feel like a live, one-take, emotionally spontaneous performance. 

20. Minimalist piano ballad with sparse notes and long pauses. Emotionally vulnerable, each note hanging in silence.

ElevenLabs voice design prompts

21. Fantasy wizard character, ageless male. Deep, mystical voice with theatrical gravitas. Slow, deliberate pacing as if each word carries ancient weight.

22. Sports commentator, male, 40s. High-energy, dynamic voice that rises and falls dramatically. Fast-paced with a slight rasp from years of shouting.

23. Battle-hardened samurai with a deep, raspy voice and a pronounced Japanese accent. Speaks with measured restraint, every word deliberate and weighted with calm authority.

24. The scary, old, and haggard witch who is sneaky and menacing. She has a croaky, harsh, shrill, high-pitched voice that cackles.

25. A low whispery and assertive female voice with a thick French accent, cool, composed, and seductive, with the hint of mystery.

ElevenLabs sound effects prompts

26. Wind whistling through trees, followed by leaves rustling.

27. Bubble wrap popping in quick succession, then silence.

28. Footsteps on gravel, then a metallic door opens.

29. Paper being crumpled slowly, then torn in half with a sharp rip.

30. Glass bottle rolling across concrete, spinning slower until it stops.

31. Rain pattering on a tin roof, gradually intensifying into a heavy downpour.

32. Occasional light wind rustling the leaves outside.

33. Peaceful and calming atmosphere for sleep and relaxation.

34. Stereo sound, high-quality, no thunder, no sudden loud noise, seamless loop.

35. Ocean waves crashing against rocks, seagulls crying in the distance.

ElevenLabs prompts for building agents

Effective prompting transforms ElevenLabs Agents from robotic to lifelike. Check these prompt examples to understand how structuring influences output.

36. When rules from one context affect another, use #Guardrails and clear section boundaries.

37. Concise instructions reduce ambiguity. 

38. Repeat and emphasize critical rules. Models prioritize recent context over earlier instructions.

39. Normalize inputs and outputs

40. Provide examples for complex formatting, multi-step processes, and edge cases.

⭐ Remember: Your ElevenLabs prompts don’t have to be complex or detailed always. Sometimes, simple prompts can get the job done equally efficiently. Time to bring your inner prompt engineer to life.

🎥 Watch this video for a quick crash-course in prompt engineering, especially if you’re a beginner!

💡 Pro Tip: Create shared prompt templates in a document manager like ClickUp Docs for common sections, such as character normalization, error handling, and guardrails. Store these in a central repository and reference them across specialist agents so your team can build on proven techniques.

Try ClickUp for free

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Common Mistakes to Avoid with ElevenLabs Prompts

Getting basic, flat, or inconsistent outputs with ElevenLabs? 

Likely because you don’t know how to ask AI the right question.

And most definitely making one of the following mistakes:

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Limitations of Using ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs makes high-quality voiceovers accessible and efficient, but the tool isn’t perfect or sufficient by any means. Here’s where the capabilities of ElevenLabs will fall short ⚠️

• Steep learning curve: Getting a hang of voice features, modalities, intuitive controls, prompting techniques, and sound effects requires experiments, documentation deep-dives, and adaptability—not exactly a beginner-friendly tool
• Requires quality samples: You need clean, high-quality audio data in bulk to train voice models and agents that deliver the outputs you want
• Character limits on free plans: The free plan offers 10,000 monthly credits, which translates to roughly 10 minutes of generated audio every month
• Limited control over nuanced emotions: The AI can struggle with subtle emotional shifts or layered performance, especially when you can’t provide a reference recording or voice sample that demonstrates exactly what you’re trying to achieve
• Processing time for longer texts: Generating long-form content like audiobooks or hour-long narrations can take significant processing time, especially with higher-quality models
• Standalone tool with no task management: Rarely is production a one-person job, and the tool doesn’t integrate task or work management features, making it difficult to collaborate, assign roles, or track project progress

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ElevenLabs Alternatives to Explore

Check these ElevenLabs alternatives that make up for its limitations or offer more work-inclusive features to suit your workflow: 

1. ClickUp

Most ElevenLabs alternatives focus solely on generating voice or transcribing audio. You will still need a place where those voice assets turn into tasks, approvals, content versions, and actual delivery. 

ClickUp solves that gap.

It is the world’s first Converged AI Workspace that unifies project management, knowledge management, and chat.

While ClickUp isn’t a voice-generation platform, you can use it to manage voice-production workflows. 

Let’s see how ClickUp supports voice and audio production teams 👇

An AI that gets your work

ClickUp Brain is the built-in AI assistant that understands the context of your work. It operates within your ClickUp workspace with complete access to your tasks, communication threads, and project timelines.

So when a podcast producer asks: “What’s blocking the audio production pipeline for Episode 12?” ClickUp Brain can scan task comments, subtasks, delivery statuses, and dependencies to surface if:

• Voice recordings are waiting to be approved
• Scripts need revision
• The audio team hasn’t uploaded sound effects
• Clients are supposed to approve the final mix

There’s no need to chase updates or keep pinging teammates for answers that already exist within your workspace.

For voice production workflows involving writers, narrators, editors, and clients, ClickUp keeps everyone aligned without the back-and-forth chaos.

AI to transcribe and summarize meetings and calls

ClickUp AI Notetaker joins your meetings and generates searchable transcripts and summaries for you. 

It converts every conversation into actionable work with:

• Meeting notes + Docs: Get transcripts, video recordings, and summaries stored in your private ClickUp Docs
• Meeting notes + Tasks: Turn every action item from your calls into ClickUp Tasks with assigned owners and due dates
• Meeting notes + Brain: Ask ClickUp Brain questions and get contextual answers pulled from all your meeting notes

🚀 ClickUp Advantage: Super Agents are AI-powered teammates inside ClickUp that work continuously across your Workspace. They understand tasks, Docs, Chats, and connected tools, and can run multi-step workflows without manual prompts or follow-ups.

Super Agents excel at workflows like:

• Voice project briefs: Automatically drafting production briefs from client requirements, ensuring every project starts with a clear scope and deliverables
• Asset tracking: Monitoring which voice recordings, sound effects, or music tracks are uploaded, approved, or missing, then flagging blockers before they delay delivery
• Client follow-ups: Converting production meeting outcomes into polished follow-up emails, summarizing next steps with assigned owners
• Revision management: Maintaining a live summary Doc for each audio project that tracks client feedback, version history, and outstanding edits so nothing gets lost in email threads

Try ClickUp’s Super Agents

Check this video to see how Super Agents can be incorporated into your creative workflows: 

AI for speech-to-text

ClickUp Talk to Text lets you dictate ideas, notes, and instructions inside your Desktop AI Super App (known as ClickUp BrainGPT) and converts speech into polished written text instantly.

With it you can:

• Create your personal vocabulary: Auto-filled with your most-used words, expressions, work-specific jargon, brand names, and teabrain m nicknames
• Translate on the fly: Speak in your own language and type fluently in 50+ other languages
• Work hands-free: Use Talk to Text wherever your cursor is—just press fn (or set up a custom key) and speak throughout the ClickUp ecosystem and connected apps
• Context-aware mentions and links: Mention colleagues, tasks, or Docs, and AI auto-connects the right people with the correct links

With Talk to Text, you can get work done faster, whether that’s experimenting with script revisions on the go, sharing quick feedback in comments, tagging voice actors for urgent changes, or dictating client emails without switching tools. 

For audio producers juggling multiple projects, this means less typing and more time actually listening to the work.

Centralize AI models in one controlled workspace

Within ClickUp Brain and BrainGPT, you can choose from external AI models that fit your use case. 

For instance:

• Claude for nuanced creative briefs, script analysis, or drafting client-facing voice direction documents
• ChatGPT for refining writing prompts, brainstorming character voice concepts, generating project summaries, or quick task breakdowns
• Gemini for research-heavy tasks like competitive voice trend analysis or multi-language content planning

ClickUp best features

• Organize client feedback into structured data: Classify revision urgency, approval status, and delivery priority straight inside tasks using ClickUp AI Fields to keep your audio pipeline organized
• Give AI access to real context: Connect Google Drive, Slack, and audio storage tools to ClickUp with ClickUp Integrations so AI understands your full project history instead of working from isolated requests
• Share voice samples and feedback through Clips: Record your screen to demonstrate pronunciation issues, narrate delivery adjustments, or explain character voice direction using ClickUp Clips—all stored inside the relevant task
• Collaborate in real time on voice direction: Use ClickUp Whiteboards to brainstorm character voices with your team, pin reference audio, and convert creative concepts into actionable recording tasks instantly
• Track voice project performance: Build custom ClickUp Dashboards to monitor delivery timelines, voice actor workload, and client approval rates, and use AI Cards to automatically summarize task progress or surface patterns in revision feedback

ClickUp limitations

• Steep learning curve due to its extensive features
• Doesn’t offer models for text-to-speech or voice designing—acts as a tool that streamlines workflow management, not audio generation itself

ClickUp pricing

ClickUp ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (10,500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,500+ reviews)

What are real-life users saying about ClickUp AI?

A ClickUp user also shares their experience on G2:

2. Murf AI

Murf AI delivers a robust text-to-speech platform that transforms written text into lifelike audio narration using over 200 AI voices in 20+ languages, ideal for videos, audiobooks, podcasts, and e-learning content creation. Its intuitive studio enables seamless voiceovers with pro-level editing. 

Murf AI key features

• 200+ multilingual voices: Access pre-built voices across 20+ languages with 10+ speaking styles like conversational, meditative, or promotional
• Voice cloning: Upload specific voice samples to generate custom voice clones that match your brand or character
• Advanced customization: Control pitch, speed, tone, pauses, and emphasis for precise vocal delivery
• AI dubbing studio: Translate audio and video content into 40+ languages while preserving the original speaker’s voice
• Pronunciation library: Use IPA phonetics or custom spellings to ensure consistent pronunciation for brand terms and technical jargon
• Tool integrations: Embed Murf voices directly into Canva, Google Slides, PowerPoint, Adobe Captivate, and Adobe Audition

Murf AI limitations

• Voice generation time is calculated per sub-block render, which can consume credits quickly for iterative edits
• No offline functionality—requires cloud processing for all voice generation
• Commercial use requires paid plans with specific licensing terms

Murf AI pricing

• Free
• Creator: $19/ month
• Business: $66/ month
• Enterprise: Custom

Murf AI ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7 (1100+ reviews)
• Capterra: Not enough reviews 

What are real-life users saying about Murf AI? 

Hear it from a G2 reviewer: 

3. Wispr Flow

Wispr Flow transcribes your speech in real time (across 100+ languages) to present polished text in a structured format. It works across any application (where you can type), using advanced technology to make automatic edits and refinements in the tone.

The tool adapts to your vocabulary by building a personalized dictionary that captures industry-specific terms and acronyms. You can even create custom text replacements for frequently used phrases so you don’t have to repeat lengthy explanations or keep doing repetitive tasks.

Wispr Flow key features

• Smart formatting: Wispr Flow interprets your speech and applies context‑aware formatting so the text fits the style of your message
• Flow notes: Dictate notes (on any device), and they will automatically sync across all your Wispr Flow devices
• Command mode: Edit generated text with voice commands, i.e., Summarize this for me
• AI auto edits: Automatically cleans up dictated text as you speak, removing filler words, correcting basic errors, and formatting the output into complete sentences
• Multilingual support: Handles 100+ languages with automatic language detection and mid-sentence switching

Wispr Flow limitations

• High RAM usage (800MB+ idle), slowing older systems.
• Cloud-only processing raises privacy concerns due to its lack of desktop processing.​
• Patchy customer reviews, spotty support, and resource strain for enterprises

Wispr Flow pricing

• Flow Basic: Free
• Flow Pro: $15/ month
• Flow Teams: $12/ user/ month (3 or more seats)
• Flow Enterprise: Custom pricing

Wispr Flow ratings and reviews

• G2: Not enough reviews 
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,500+ reviews)

What are real-life users saying about Wispr Flow? 

Hear it from a G2 reviewer: 

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Bring Artificial Voice Generation Workflows to Life with ClickUp

Well-defined ElevenLabs prompts help you generate high-quality voice content. But creating prompts, managing revisions, coordinating with voice actors, and delivering final assets requires more than just good AI outputs. You need a system that keeps production moving.

ClickUp is best suited for this. 

It centralizes your work, communication, and task management into one platform, giving you a space to organize and optimize your voice production projects. Using its native contextual AI, you can automate manual workflows, get support for creative tasks, reduce AI Sprawl, and save yourself from the chaos of context switching.

Sign up to ClickUp for free and centralize your voice production workflows in one place.

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