Best AI Audio Tools in 2025: Voice, Music & Sound
I spend an embarrassing amount of time on audio projects. Podcast editing, voiceovers for client videos, background music for content—it adds up. The best AI audio tools promised to cut that time dramatically.
Some delivered. Others… didn’t. Here’s what actually works after testing the major players across voice synthesis, transcription, and music generation. If you’re also exploring AI for creative work, check out our guides on AI design tools and AI coding assistants.
Which AI Audio Tool Is Right For You?
Power Users
Enterprise
Starters
Professionals
Position based on our testing. Click any tool for details.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | Voice synthesis | Free / $5/month | 4.8/5 |
| Murf.ai | Corporate voiceovers | $19/month | 4.4/5 |
| Descript | Podcast editing | Free / $16/month | 4.6/5 |
| Suno | Music generation | Free / $8/month | 4.5/5 |
| AIVA | Composed music | Free / $11/month | 4.2/5 |
| Soundraw | Royalty-free music | $12/month | 4.3/5 |
AI Audio Tools Feature Comparison
| Feature | ElevenLabs Top Pick | Murf.ai | Descript | Suno | AIVA | Soundraw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice Quality | 10/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 0/10 | 0/10 |
| Voice Cloning | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Free Tier | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Music Generation | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team Features | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — |
Based on our hands-on testing. Updated January 2025.
1. ElevenLabs — Best AI Voice Synthesis Tool
There’s a reason everyone talks about ElevenLabs. The voice quality is genuinely startling—closer to human than anything else I’ve tested. First time I used it, I played the output for a colleague without context. They asked who the voice actor was.
The voice cloning feature is where things get interesting (and slightly unsettling). Upload a few minutes of audio, and ElevenLabs creates a synthetic version of that voice. I cloned my own voice and now use it for quick video narrations when I don’t feel like setting up a microphone.
What Actually Works
Voice quality is best-in-class. The inflection, breathing, and pacing feel natural in ways other TTS tools don’t match. For professional voiceover work, it’s good enough for final delivery—not just placeholders.
Voice cloning works remarkably well with enough sample audio. I’ve seen creators clone their voice for multilingual content—same voice, different languages. The ethical implications are real, but for legitimate use cases, it’s transformative.
The API is straightforward for developers. We’ve integrated it into several client projects for dynamic voice generation.
Pricing
- Free: 10,000 characters/month, 3 custom voices
- Starter: $5/month — 30,000 characters, 10 voices
- Creator: $22/month — 100,000 characters, 30 voices
- Pro: $99/month — 500,000 characters, 160 voices
- Scale: $330/month — 2M characters, 660 voices
Enterprise and custom plans available for higher volumes.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Best voice quality available
- Impressive voice cloning
- Multiple languages supported (29+)
- Good API for developers
- Reasonable free tier
Cons:
- Character limits feel restrictive on lower tiers
- Voice cloning raises ethical questions
- Premium voices need higher plans
- Can sound too perfect (uncanny valley)
- Usage adds up for high-volume projects
ElevenLabs
The voice synthesis king
ElevenLabs is the tool to beat for voice synthesis. If you need AI-generated voice that sounds human, start here. The free tier is enough to test quality; paid plans are reasonably priced for the capability.
2. Murf.ai — Best AI Tool for Corporate Voiceovers
Murf.ai targets a specific use case: professional voiceovers for business content. Training videos, explainer content, e-learning modules—the kind of audio that used to require hiring voice talent.
The voice library is extensive, with different accents, ages, and styles. For corporate content that needs multiple voice types, this variety is valuable. The studio interface lets you adjust pitch, speed, and emphasis without re-recording.
What Actually Works
Voice variety covers most corporate needs. American, British, Indian, Australian accents. Younger and older voices. Serious and conversational tones.
The editor lets you fine-tune pronunciation, add pauses, emphasize words. For content that needs polish, these controls matter.
Team features work well for agencies or in-house teams producing lots of content. Shared workspaces, project organization, etc.
Pricing
- Free trial: Limited access to test voices
- Basic: $19/month — 24 hours generation/year, 60+ voices
- Pro: $26/month — 48 hours/year, 120+ voices
- Enterprise: $75/month — Unlimited generation, voice cloning
Annual billing saves 33%.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Wide voice variety for business content
- Good editing controls
- Team collaboration features
- Consistent quality across voices
- Straightforward interface
Cons:
- Less natural than ElevenLabs
- Hour-based limits feel restrictive
- Voice cloning only on Enterprise
- Annual commitment for best pricing
- Some voices sound robotic on longer content
Murf.ai
Professional voiceovers for business
Murf is the sensible choice for corporate voiceover needs—training videos, product demos, e-learning. Less cutting-edge than ElevenLabs, but more structured for business workflows.
3. Descript — Best AI Audio Editing Tool for Podcasters
Descript isn’t just an AI audio tool—it’s an editing suite that happens to have incredible AI features. The killer feature: edit audio by editing text. Transcribe your recording, delete words in the transcript, and those words disappear from the audio.
For podcast producers, this is revolutionary. I can cut an hour interview to 30 minutes by reading and deleting, instead of scrubbing a timeline. Filler word removal (“um,” “uh,” “you know”) is automatic.
What Actually Works
Text-based editing genuinely changes workflow. I’ve onboarded non-technical team members who now edit podcasts by treating them like Word documents.
Overdub is Descript’s voice cloning for corrections. Train it on your voice, then type what you meant to say, and it generates audio in your voice. Fixed a client’s pronunciation mistake without re-recording the whole segment.
Filler word removal and Studio Sound (noise reduction, enhancement) work automatically. Less time cleaning up audio manually.
Pricing
- Free: 1 hour transcription, limited features
- Hobbyist: $16/month — 10 hours transcription
- Creator: $24/month — 30 hours transcription, Overdub
- Business: $50/month — Unlimited transcription, collaboration
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Text-based editing is genuinely transformative
- Overdub for voice corrections
- Automatic cleanup features
- Works for video too
- Reasonable learning curve
Cons:
- Full capability requires learning new workflow
- Transcription accuracy varies
- Desktop app required for best experience
- Overdub training takes effort
- Not specialized for music
Descript
The Swiss Army knife for audio/video
Descript is the best choice for podcasters and video creators who spend hours editing. The text-based workflow saves so much time that the subscription pays for itself quickly. Not the tool for voice synthesis or music—specialized for editing.
4. Suno — Best AI Music Generation Tool with Vocals
Suno made me reconsider what AI music could be. Describe what you want—“upbeat indie rock with female vocals about summer road trips”—and it generates a complete song with vocals, instruments, and structure.
The quality surprised me. Not good for a demo or placeholder—actually listenable music. I’ve used Suno outputs as background music for videos that would have cost $200+ in stock licensing.
What Actually Works
Full song generation with vocals, not just instrumentals. The AI writes lyrics, melodies, and arranges everything. Some outputs are genuinely catchy.
Style control lets you specify genre, mood, and elements. It won’t always nail exactly what you want, but iteration gets close.
Free tier is generous enough to explore. You can generate several songs before hitting limits.
Pricing
- Free: 50 credits/day (~10 songs)
- Pro: $8/month ($6/month annual) — 2,500 credits/month, commercial license
- Premier: $24/month ($18/month annual) — 10,000 credits/month, priority generation
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Generated songs are surprisingly good
- Includes vocals, not just instrumentals
- Very accessible for non-musicians
- Generous free tier
- Commercial license on paid plans
Cons:
- Can’t export individual stems
- Lyrics sometimes nonsensical
- Style control has limits
- Not for precise composition
- Quality varies between generations
Suno
AI music generation with vocals
Suno is the most impressive AI music generator for complete songs with vocals. Perfect for content creators who need background music or casual musicians exploring ideas. Not a replacement for professional music production.
5. AIVA — Best AI Tool for Cinematic Music Composition
AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) takes a different approach than Suno—it’s built for composed instrumental music, particularly emotional and cinematic scores.
If you need music that sounds like a film score, game soundtrack, or orchestral piece, AIVA delivers. The output is royalty-free and can be customized before generation.
What Actually Works
Genre specialization in cinematic, classical, and ambient styles. AIVA’s training shows when you need emotional instrumental music.
Customization before generation lets you set duration, key, tempo, and instrumentation. More control than fully automated tools.
Stem downloads on paid plans let you remix and edit the generated tracks.
Pricing
- Free: 3 downloads/month, personal use only
- Standard: $11/month — 15 downloads, monetization rights
- Pro: $33/month — 300 downloads, full ownership
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Excellent for cinematic/emotional music
- Customization before generation
- Stem downloads available
- Full ownership on Pro
- Good for game/film projects
Cons:
- Limited to instrumental (no vocals)
- Download limits feel restrictive
- Less variety than human composition
- Not great for modern genres
- Requires musical understanding for best results
AIVA
AI composer for emotional scores
AIVA is the choice for cinematic and orchestral AI music. If you're scoring video, games, or presentations and need emotional instrumental pieces, the quality is professional-level.
6. Soundraw — Best AI Tool for Royalty-Free Background Music
Soundraw focuses on one thing: generating royalty-free music for content creators. Specify mood, genre, length, and instruments, then customize the generated track by adjusting sections.
It’s less “magical” than Suno but more practical for specific commercial needs. Every track is unique and cleared for commercial use.
What Actually Works
Section-based editing lets you adjust different parts of the generated song. Make the intro longer, change the energy of the chorus, adjust the outro.
Mood-based generation with specific filtering. Need upbeat corporate background music at exactly 2 minutes? Done.
Commercial licensing is straightforward—everything generated is cleared for use.
Pricing
- Free: Limited generations, watermarked
- Creator: $12/month — Unlimited downloads, personal use
- Artist Starter: $16.99/month — 50 downloads, monetization
- Artist Pro: $22.99/month — 150 downloads, all platforms
- Artist Unlimited: $29.99/month — Unlimited everything, all platforms
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Clean commercial licensing
- Section-based customization
- Specific length and mood targeting
- Consistent quality output
- Good for production music needs
Cons:
- No vocals
- Less creative than Suno
- Sounds can feel generic
- Limited genre range
- Monthly cost adds up
Soundraw
Royalty-free music on demand
Soundraw is practical for content creators who need specific background music with clear licensing. Less exciting than Suno but more reliable for commercial production needs.
How We Tested
Real projects, not demos:
- Voice quality: Compared AI output to professional voice recordings
- Music usability: Used generated audio in actual video projects
- Workflow integration: Tested how tools fit into existing production processes
- Value calculation: Compared costs to traditional alternatives (stock music, voice talent)
- Learning curve: Measured time to produce usable output
Who Should Use What?
Podcast Production
Best for: DescriptText-based editing transforms podcast workflow. Edit audio like a Word document, remove filler words automatically, and use Overdub to fix mistakes without re-recording.
Video Voiceovers
Best for: ElevenLabs or Murf.aiElevenLabs for highest quality single-voice content. Murf.ai for corporate content needing multiple voice types and team collaboration.
Background Music for Content
Best for: Suno or SoundrawSuno for creative, vocal-driven tracks. Soundraw for specific commercial needs with precise length and mood control. Both offer clear commercial licensing.
Final Recommendations
AI audio tools have matured past the “cool demo” stage into genuine productivity tools. The voice synthesis is now good enough for professional use. The music generation, while not replacing human composers, serves real needs for content creators.
Try the free tiers before committing. Audio is subjective—what sounds good to me might not work for your brand or project.
Looking for AI tools in other creative areas? Explore our roundups on AI design tools for visual work or AI coding assistants if you’re building software.