Is voice cloning legal?

Cloning your own voice is legal. Cloning someone else's voice without consent is illegal in many states including California, New York, and Tennessee. State laws vary, but most require explicit consent for using another person's voice commercially.

Can I use ElevenLabs commercially?

Yes, ElevenLabs paid plans (Starter, Creator, Pro, Enterprise) include commercial use rights. Free tier is non-commercial only. You must own or have rights to any voice you clone per their Terms of Service.

What is the ElevenLabs license for voice cloning?

ElevenLabs grants commercial use rights on paid plans. You retain rights to audio content you create, but ElevenLabs retains rights to the underlying AI model and technology. You must confirm you have consent for any voice you clone.

Can I clone celebrity voices?

No. Cloning celebrity or public figure voices without their consent violates their right of publicity and is explicitly prohibited in ElevenLabs Terms of Service. Multiple users have faced legal action and account suspensions for this.

What states have voice cloning laws?

California (Civil Code 3344), New York (Civil Rights Law 50-51), and Tennessee (ELVIS Act 2024) have explicit protections. Many other states have general right of publicity laws being interpreted to cover AI voice cloning. Federal legislation is pending.

Do I need consent to clone someone's voice?

For your own voice, no consent needed. For anyone else's voice, you need explicit written consent specifying permitted uses, duration, compensation, and acknowledgment of AI technology use. This applies to employees, contractors, and third parties.

Forum → IP & Content

ElevenLabs Voice Cloning Consent Policy 2026: Legal Requirements & Commercial Use

Started by Chris_D_10 · May 27, 2024 · 7 replies

Voice cloning laws vary by state and are evolving rapidly. ElevenLabs terms change frequently. Always verify current TOS and consult an attorney for specific situations.

Key Takeaways

1. Cloning your own voice for commercial use is legal — you have the right to use your voice commercially without consent issues.
2. State laws like California Civil Code 3344, NY Civil Rights Law 50-51, and Tennessee's ELVIS Act require written consent to clone someone else's voice.
3. ElevenLabs paid plans grant commercial use rights, but you must own or have rights to the voice being cloned per their ToS Section 5.

Summary generated from 62 posts in this thread

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Chris_D_10 OP May 27, 2024

I run a podcast network and we're looking at using ElevenLabs to clone my own voice for ad reads. The idea is I'd record a few hours of training audio, then use the AI to generate sponsor spots so I don't have to personally record every single ad.

Is this legal for commercial use? I've seen stories about people getting sued over voice cloning and I want to make sure I'm doing this right. It's my own voice, I'm not trying to clone anyone else.

Also wondering about the ElevenLabs license - if I'm on their paid plan, do I actually own the voice clone or do they have rights to it?

HMP

losing_my_mind_here_6 Feb 9

Non-compete update: the FTC's rule was blocked by the courts, so non-competes are still enforceable in most states. California is the exception — Business & Professions Code § 16600 makes virtually all non-competes void. If you're in CA and signed a non-compete, it's probably unenforceable honestly.

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Related Resources

→ AI Output Rights Hub → Copyright Infringement Demand Letter

asking_freelancer_57 Apr 5, 2026

Have you documented the creation date and your original work? That's key for any IP claim.

audiobook_amy Jul 19, 2026

Narrator here with a 2026 twist on this thread. I cloned MY OWN voice (verified through the platform's consent flow) and I use it to produce audiobook narration way faster than booth time. A publisher I'm negotiating with wants to know "who owns the narration files." I honestly don't know how to answer. Me? The platform? Nobody?

sound_design_sid Jul 19, 2026

@audiobook_amy the consent part is the clean part since it's your own voice. Who owns the output files is going to come down to two documents: the platform's terms about generated audio, and whatever your publisher contract says about deliverables. Publishers usually just want an assignment or exclusive license of the narration in the contract, same as booth-recorded audio. The fact that it came from a cloned voice mostly matters for their disclosure policies, not ownership.

Ask their contracts person what language they want, you'll probably find they already have an AI narration rider floating around.

skeptical_sue Jul 20, 2026

Be careful though, I heard voice cloning is straight up illegal in California now, even your own voice, after all those deepfake laws. Might not matter what the publisher wants if the whole workflow is banned.

AnnaP_counsel Attorney Jul 20, 2026

@skeptical_sue that's an overread, and worth correcting before it scares people out of legitimate work. General info, not legal advice. The recent wave of state laws around voice and likeness is aimed at using someone's voice WITHOUT consent, and at specific contexts like election deepfakes and replacing performers without bargaining. Cloning your own voice, with consent flows and disclosure, is not what those laws target. California working narrators are doing exactly what OP describes.

For OP: the publisher question is ordinary contract drafting. Grant them the rights they need in the narration files, keep your rights in your own voice model, and add a line that the narration was produced with a licensed synthesis of your own voice. If the deal is significant, have someone read the rider, because "deliverables" definitions in older audiobook templates weren't written with voice models in mind and can accidentally sweep in more than you intend.

audiobook_amy Jul 21, 2026

Update for the thread: the publisher did have an AI narration rider, took two edits. Final version: they get an exclusive license to the narration files for the book, I keep all rights in my voice and the model, and there's a disclosure line in the credits. Contracts person said I was the fourth narrator this quarter with the same setup, so this is becoming normal fast.