The AI audio company partners with high-profile names to launch a voice marketplace for brands, marking a shift in Hollywood’s approach to synthetic media
AI and Hollywood: from resistance to collaboration
ElevenLabs, one of the leading AI audio startups, has signed celebrity voice agreements with actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey, as part of a broader push to commercialize AI-generated celebrity voices.
- McConaughey, who is also an investor in ElevenLabs, will use his AI voice to translate his newsletter into Spanish audio.
- Michael Caine’s likeness, along with those of Liza Minnelli and Dr. Maya Angelou, will be included in ElevenLabs’ new AI voice marketplace.
This marks a major step forward in Hollywood’s growing but cautious embrace of AI, following years of skepticism and union-led opposition.
From labor strikes to licensed likenesses
The entertainment industry’s relationship with AI has been fractured and evolving. AI-generated performances were a central issue in the 2023 Hollywood strikes, where writers and actors demanded clearer protections around likeness rights and synthetic media usage.
Now, some celebrities are actively licensing their voices for controlled AI use:
- The deals are fully authorized, sidestepping ethical concerns tied to unauthorized deepfakes.
- This model allows brands and creators to access iconic voices legally and transparently.
The move mirrors similar developments from Meta, which recently introduced voice assistants based on Kristen Bell and Judi Dench.
Launching a celebrity voice marketplace
With these partnerships, ElevenLabs is debuting a voice marketplace—a platform where authorized AI voices can be licensed for advertising, content, and other brand applications.
- Brands can now license iconic voices, including those of deceased celebrities, in a way that is compliant with rights and estates.
- The marketplace is poised to be a new revenue stream for public figures and their estates, while giving businesses access to memorable, recognizable voices at scale.
This could transform audio production, from commercials to narrated content, by offering instant access to high-quality voice models.
Backed by top investors and growing fast
ElevenLabs is one of the fastest-growing companies in the generative AI space:
- It is backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and ICONIQ.
- The startup has already earned unicorn status, reflecting strong investor confidence in AI-powered media tools.
The celebrity voice marketplace is likely to further elevate ElevenLabs as a category leader in AI audio.
The future of voice: authentic, authorized, and automated
By forging these deals, ElevenLabs is navigating one of AI’s most controversial frontiers—replicating the human voice—with an approach that emphasizes consent and compensation.
This shift suggests that more artists may soon see AI not as a threat, but as a scalable creative tool—provided the guardrails are clear.
