In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
For business videos, use a paid AI voice plan: ElevenLabs' free plan has no commercial licence, while paid plans from US$6/month do. Clone only a voice you have the right to use, and disclose AI use where viewers could otherwise be misled, as ASAS expects.
Quick answer: which AI voice option suits which video
Most small businesses need one of three routes. The choice depends on whether you want a ready-made voice editor, a local accent through an API, or a real person.
ElevenLabs
Easiest editorFrom US$6/mo (paid)
- Studio editor for long scripts
- Commercial licence on every paid plan
- Instant and professional voice cloning on paid plans
- Credits shared across voice, dubbing and music
Best for: Ads, explainers and training videos made in-house.
Microsoft Azure Speech
Pay as you go (see Azure pricing)
- English (Singapore) voices Luna and Wayne
- Many Mandarin (zh-CN) voices
- Needs an Azure account and some technical set-up
Best for: A local accent, or voices built into an app or IVR.
Human voice artist
Quoted per job
- Real emotion and direction
- Usage rights negotiated in a contract
- No AI disclosure questions
Best for: Brand campaigns and TV or cinema spots.
ElevenLabs plans and the commercial licence
ElevenLabs' help article on publishing content is clear: the free plan does not include a commercial licence and cannot be used for any commercial purpose, and free-plan content you publish must credit "elevenlabs.io" or "11.ai" in the title. All paid plans include a commercial licence, except for Beta services, as long as your content follows the law and ElevenLabs' terms.
| Plan | Price per month | Credits per month | Text-to-speech minutes (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | US$0 (no commercial use) | 10,000 | ~10 |
| Starter | US$6 | 30,000 | ~30 |
| Creator | US$22 (US$11 first month) | 121,000 | ~121 |
| Pro | US$99 | 600,000 | ~600 |
| Scale | US$299 (3 seats) | 1.8 million | ~1,800 |
| Business | US$990 (10 seats) | 6 million | ~6,000 |
Credits are shared across all ElevenLabs products. Text-to-speech uses about 1 credit per character on the main models, while dubbing and music use far more per minute, so budget for your heaviest use. Unused credits roll over for up to two months on an active paid plan, per the pricing FAQ.
Singapore English and Mandarin voices
Many stock AI voices sound American or British. For local ads and training, a Singapore accent can feel more natural. Microsoft's Azure Speech language support page lists two English (Singapore) neural voices, en-SG-LunaNeural (female) and en-SG-WayneNeural (male), plus a wide range of Mandarin (zh-CN) voices.
Azure is a developer service, so it suits voices inside apps, phone menus or automated videos more than one-off edits. ElevenLabs' library includes community and designed voices; preview a few with your actual script before paying, because accent and pacing vary.
Before you pick a voice
Cloning a staff member's or founder's voice
Voice cloning is the area most likely to cause trouble. ElevenLabs says you can only create a Professional Voice Clone of your own voice; even with consent, you cannot clone someone else's, and every professional clone goes through verification. If a colleague wants to share their voice, they create and verify the clone on their own account, then share it with you.
ElevenLabs' Prohibited Use Policy also bans using output to replicate another person's voice without consent or legal right. For a business, add your own rules on top:
- Get written consent from the person, stating where the voice will be used and for how long.
- Agree what happens when they leave the company: delete the clone or stop new recordings.
- Keep the clone in a company-owned account, not someone's personal login.
- Never use a cloned voice to approve payments or instructions; it trains staff to trust voices.
Do you need to disclose an AI voice in Singapore ads?
There is no blanket legal label for AI voices in Singapore ads. In a written parliamentary answer on 10 September 2026, MDDI said ASAS treats ads the same whether or not AI is used: under the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, ads must be legal, decent, honest and truthful. Advertisers should disclose AI use where necessary to avoid misleading consumers, and should not portray a person without consent.
| Use | Disclose? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator voice on a product explainer | Usually optional | Nobody is misled about who is speaking |
| AI voice presented as a real customer | Do not do this | It implies a real person's experience |
| Cloned voice of a celebrity or public figure | Do not do this without a licence | Portraying a person without consent |
| Founder's cloned voice, with consent | Recommended | Viewers may assume the founder recorded it |
Platforms add their own rules. Meta automatically labels some AI-edited ads, as our guide to AI video generators for commercial use explains. For wider content habits, see AI social media content for small businesses.
Do it yourself or get help?
If you have a clear script and a few hours, a paid ElevenLabs plan and a phone-speaker test will get you a usable voiceover. Get help when the voice is part of a paid campaign, you need several ad variations, or you want script, voice and visuals to match.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. An Extra Ad Creative Pack (S$290 per pack) gives you six static ad designs with copy variants, or you can swap two of them for one 15-second video edit from your own clips. We will not clone anyone's voice without their verified consent.
Frequently asked questions
No. ElevenLabs' help centre says the free plan does not include a commercial licence and cannot be used for any commercial purpose. Content published from a free plan must also credit elevenlabs.io or 11.ai in the title. All paid plans, starting with Starter at US$6 a month as of October 2026, include a commercial licence.
On ElevenLabs, not as a Professional Voice Clone in your own account. ElevenLabs says you can only professionally clone your own voice, even with consent, and every clone is verified. The employee can create and verify their own clone, then share it with you. Get written consent covering use and what happens when they leave.
Microsoft Azure Speech lists two English (Singapore) neural voices: en-SG-LunaNeural, a female voice, and en-SG-WayneNeural, a male voice. Azure also offers many Mandarin voices. It is a developer service billed through an Azure account, so it suits apps and automated videos more than quick one-off edits.
There is no general legal label requirement. MDDI said in September 2026 that ASAS applies the same advertising code whether or not AI is used, and that advertisers should disclose AI use where necessary to avoid misleading consumers. Never present an AI voice as a real customer or a real person who did not consent.
ElevenLabs' pricing page estimates about 30 minutes of text-to-speech on Starter, 121 on Creator and 600 on Pro each month, as of October 2026. Text-to-speech uses roughly one credit per character on the main models. Credits are shared with dubbing, music and sound effects, which use more.