sound-effects

name	sound-effects
description	Generate sound effects from text descriptions using ElevenLabs. Use when creating sound effects, generating audio textures, producing ambient sounds, cinematic impacts, UI sounds, or any audio that isn't speech. Supports looping, duration control, and prompt influence tuning. Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"elevenlabs"}

ElevenLabs Sound Effects

Generate sound effects from text descriptions — supports looping, custom duration, and prompt adherence control.

Setup: See Installation Guide. For JavaScript, use @elevenlabs/* packages only.

Quick Start

Python

from elevenlabs import ElevenLabs

client = ElevenLabs()

audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
    text="Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain",
)

with open("thunder.mp3", "wb") as f:
    for chunk in audio:
        f.write(chunk)

JavaScript

import { ElevenLabsClient } from "@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js";
import { createWriteStream } from "fs";

const client = new ElevenLabsClient();
const audio = await client.textToSoundEffects.convert({
  text: "Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain",
});
audio.pipe(createWriteStream("thunder.mp3"));

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/sound-generation" \
  -H "xi-api-key: $ELEVENLABS_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain"}' \
  --output thunder.mp3

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
text	string (required)	—	Description of the desired sound effect
model_id	string	eleven_text_to_sound_v2	Model to use
duration_seconds	number | null	null (auto)	Duration 0.5–30s; auto-calculated if null
prompt_influence	number | null	0.3	How closely to follow the prompt (0–1)
loop	boolean	false	Generate a seamlessly looping sound (v2 model only)

Examples with Parameters

# Looping ambient sound, 10 seconds
audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
    text="Gentle forest ambiance with birds chirping",
    duration_seconds=10.0,
    prompt_influence=0.5,
    loop=True,
)

# Short UI sound, high prompt adherence
audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
    text="Soft notification chime",
    duration_seconds=1.0,
    prompt_influence=0.8,
)

Output Formats

Pass output_format as a query parameter (cURL) or SDK parameter:

Format	Description
mp3_44100_128	MP3 44.1kHz 128kbps (default)
pcm_44100	Raw uncompressed CD quality
opus_48000_128	Opus 48kHz 128kbps — efficient compressed
ulaw_8000	μ-law 8kHz — telephony

Full list: mp3_22050_32, mp3_24000_48, mp3_44100_32, mp3_44100_64, mp3_44100_96, mp3_44100_128, mp3_44100_192, pcm_8000, pcm_16000, pcm_22050, pcm_24000, pcm_32000, pcm_44100, pcm_48000, ulaw_8000, alaw_8000, opus_48000_32, opus_48000_64, opus_48000_96, opus_48000_128, opus_48000_192.

Prompt Tips

• Be specific: "Heavy rain on a tin roof" > "Rain"
• Combine elements: "Footsteps on gravel with distant traffic"
• Specify style: "Cinematic braam, horror" or "8-bit retro jump sound"
• Mention mood/context: "Eerie wind howling through an abandoned building"

Error Handling

try:
    audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(text="Explosion")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"API error: {e}")

Common errors:

• 401: Invalid API key
• 422: Invalid parameters (check duration range, prompt_influence range)
• 429: Rate limit exceeded

References

• Installation Guide

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