PlayHT has shut down. Here is how to move your narration to Narration Box

If you used PlayHT for voiceovers, audiobooks, or course audio, you can rebuild that work in Narration Box: re-clone your voice, bring in your scripts, and pick up where you left off. Free plan: 1,000 words a month, no credit card.

Start your migration free See the steps

What happened to PlayHT

July 13, 2025
Meta acquires PlayAI, the company behind PlayHT.
Late July 2025
API partners announce the PlayHT API is being deprecated.
End of 2025
Users report the service and remaining accounts closed.
October 2026
The play.ht website no longer loads.

Checked October 23, 2026. PlayHT did not publish a public shutdown notice. Sources: TechCrunch: Meta acquires PlayAI, AudioStack: PlayHT deprecation notice.

What you can recover, and what is gone

Anything that lived only on PlayHT's servers cannot be exported now. Start from the files you kept.

You can still use

Audio files you downloaded before the shutdown
Your scripts, if you kept a copy outside PlayHT
The original human recordings you used to create voice clones

You will need to rebuild

Voice clones stored on PlayHT
Projects and audio you did not download
Your pronunciation library
Article audio added to websites with the PlayHT player

Is Narration Box the right replacement?

It depends on how you used PlayHT. Narration Box replaces the Studio side, not the developer side.

A good fit if you made

Audiobooks and long manuscripts
Course modules and training audio
YouTube narration, explainers, and ads
Podcasts and audio articles you download and host

Not the right fit if you need

A real-time text to speech API inside your app
Phone or voice agents
A WordPress plugin that adds audio to each post

For API and voice agent work, look at real-time API providers such as Cartesia or ElevenLabs.

PlayHT features and where they live in Narration Box

Most Studio features have a direct equivalent. Highlighted rows have none.

FeaturePlayHT hadIn Narration Box

Studio editor

PlayHT had:Studio for long-form text to speech

In Narration Box:Block-based Studio: each block has its own narrator, language, and direction

Speech styles and emotions

PlayHT had:Preset styles on some voices

In Narration Box:Plain-language style instructions per block, plus inline tags such as [softly] (Enbee V2 voices)

SSML-style control

PlayHT had:SSML tags for pauses, emphasis, and rate

In Narration Box:Emphasis, rate, pitch, pauses, and say-as controls on Enbee V1 voices, where available

Pronunciation library

PlayHT had:Saved pronunciations per account

In Narration Box:Custom Pronunciations on Enbee V1 voices; rebuild your list by hand

Voice cloning

PlayHT had:Instant and high-fidelity clones stored on PlayHT

In Narration Box:Clone from a short sample or in-browser recording, one clone on the free plan

Long-form and audiobooks

PlayHT had:Long scripts in the Studio

In Narration Box:Audiobook Creator: EPUB, PDF, or DOCX import, chapters, revise by paragraph

Export formats

PlayHT had:Downloadable audio files

In Narration Box:MP3, WAV, Opus, FLAC, and OGG, as one file or split by block

Text to speech API and voice agents

PlayHT had:Real-time API and AI voice agents

In Narration Box:Not available. Narration Box is built for scripted narration in the Studio

WordPress audio player

PlayHT had:Plugin that added article audio to websites

In Narration Box:Not available. Export audio files and host them yourself

Move from PlayHT to Narration Box in six steps

Start with one script you know well, then move the rest once it sounds right.

01
Gather what you still have
Collect your scripts, downloaded audio, and the original recordings behind any voice clones. Use downloaded audio as a reference for how each project should sound.
How projects work in the Studio
02
Clone your voice again
Create a clone from a short sample or an in-browser recording of a voice you own or have permission to use. Use the original human recording, not PlayHT output.
Voice cloning in Narration Box
03
Choose Enbee V2 or Enbee V1 voices
Enbee V2 voices follow written direction, such as "Read like a calm documentary narrator." Enbee V1 voices offer structured controls for emphasis, rate, pitch, and pauses, closer to SSML.
Hear narrators in 80+ languages
04
Rebuild your pronunciations
Add names, brands, and technical terms to Custom Pronunciations on Enbee V1 voices. Start with the words your listeners hear most often.
See all Studio features
05
Bring in your scripts
Paste each script into a project and split it into blocks by speaker or section. For a book, import the EPUB, PDF, or DOCX into the Audiobook Creator to get chapters automatically.
How the Audiobook Creator works
06
Generate, review, and export
Listen block by block, regenerate only what needs work, and export MP3, WAV, Opus, FLAC, or OGG as one file or one file per block.
Compare plans

Crossing the uncanny valley of voice

Direct Enbee V2 voices with style instructions, inline expression tags, accents, and language changes so scripts sound performed, not pasted into a basic text-to-speech box.

VOICE ACTING

Crossing the uncanny valley of voice acting

[laughing softly] So, I told my AI to “sound more human,” and it replied
[burst of laughter] “define human!” [snorts] I mean,
fair point! [chuckling uncontrollably] Then it started judging my spotify playlist
[wheezing laugh] Said my taste was… algorithmically tragic. [giggles] Oh no, it even made a PowerPoint about it. [tries to stop laughing but fails] I think I’ve created my own sassier clone.

Multi-lingual

Switch languages and accents with ease

Well, howdy there, partner! Down in Texas, we like our boots dusty and our skies wide open. But switchin’ gears now. Oi mate, fancy a cuppa? London fog’s thicker than gravy out here, innit? See, easy as pie, from cowboy to cobblestone. Oh, but wait ¿Sorpresa? Claro que sí. Puedo hablar español también, con ritmo, con corazón, y con un toque de pasión. Didn’t expect that, did ya? From Houston to Hackney to Madrid,I can go global without missin’ a beat.

Style Prompt: Speak like a Texan, Speak in a cockney accent

MULTI-SPEAKER

Feels like a real conversation

Elena : [whispering shakily] Did you… hear that?
Marcus : [soft, eerie tone] Hear what? The house settling? Or the footsteps that stopped when you did?
Elena : [voice trembling] Don't joke, Marcus. The air's colder here. I can see my breath.
Marcus : [whisper] That's not air, Elena. Look! by the mirror.
Elena : [panicked] Oh God… it's smiling back at us.
Marcus : Don't move. It only copies what's alive. [evil laughter]

long form ready

Voices that can win Audie awards

Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.

Style Prompt: Speak in British accent

PROMPT YOUR WAY

Prompt the voices to speak like you want

In the heart of the Serengeti, dawn breaks over a golden horizon. The grass sways gently, kissed by the first light of day. Herds of wildebeest move as one, their hooves drumming softly across the plains. A lioness watches from the shadows, patient, poised. Nearby, a newborn gazelle takes its first trembling steps, a fragile life in a world where survival is written in instinct and silence.

Style Prompt: Narrate this in the calm, authoritative tone of a nature documentary narrator.

Plans, in words instead of characters

PlayHT counted characters. Narration Box counts words, and an English word averages about 6 characters including spaces.

Free

1,000 words a month

Watermarked exports, one voice clone

Plus

$15 a month

20,000 words a month

About 120,000 characters

Pro

$30 a month

45,000 words a month

About 270,000 characters

Scale

$75 a month

100,000 words a month

About 600,000 characters

Monthly prices shown; annual plans are also available. Paid plans include commercial use. Regenerating text you have not changed does not use words. Prices in USD, checked October 23, 2026. See Narration Box pricing for current details.

Create a free account Talk to our team

Keep your work safe from the next shutdown

Whichever tool you use, a few habits mean you never have to start from zero again.

Keep your source recordings
Store the original voice samples you clone from, so you can recreate a clone anywhere.
Keep scripts outside the tool
Save final scripts and pronunciation notes in your own documents or drive.
Download finished audio
Export every final file in a standard format such as WAV or MP3, and back it up.

Customer testimonials

See why creators, publishers, and teams rely on Narration Box for natural-sounding voice content.

Explore testimonials Get started for free

"What I like about Narration Box is the quality of its multiple voices, which is very effective and clean. Unlike other text to speech platforms, the voices sound natural and do not have that robotic tone, especially when creating longer narrations. I also like the flexibility of choosing from a huge collection of available voices, languages, and regional accents, which made localization much easier. The editor and UI are simple to use, and the block-based workflow makes it convenient to assign different speakers, adjust pronunciations, and fine-tune pacing without redoing the entire project."

Verified User in Oil & Energy

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

"The user-interface is great. Nice and simple without too many bells and whistles. The array of voices are also good, though some are definitely better than others. With that said, you can adjust the speaking pace for each voice, which does improve the flow, making voices seem less artificial. Also, the free plan is generous."

Tom W.

Filmmaker

"The best part I like about Narration Box is that it supports multiple languages with multiple narrators. Even in my required language, that is Hindi, 7 accents are available (4 male and 3 female). I can adjust the speaking rate and style. The output created can be saved in different formats, though I need .wav mostly."

Ravi K.

Mid-Market

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about the shutdown, your files, voice clones, and switching.

Moving from PlayHT

Has PlayHT shut down?

Yes. Meta acquired PlayAI, the company behind PlayHT, in July 2025. API partners announced the PlayHT API was being deprecated at the end of July 2025, and users reported the service closed by the end of 2025. As of October 23, 2026, the play.ht website does not load.

Can I get my PlayHT audio or voice clones back?

Only the files you downloaded before the shutdown. Voice clones, projects, and pronunciation lists were stored on PlayHT’s servers. To keep using a cloned voice, clone it again in Narration Box from the original recordings of a voice you own or have permission to use.

Should I clone my voice from old PlayHT audio files?

It is better to use the original human recording you cloned from, or record a new sample in the browser. A clone made from AI-generated audio copies any artifacts in it.

Can I keep using my SSML scripts?

Paste the plain text of your script into a Narration Box project. Enbee V1 voices offer emphasis, rate, pitch, pauses, say-as, and pronunciation controls where available, so you can recreate most SSML settings. Enbee V2 voices use written style instructions and inline tags instead.

Does Narration Box have an API for apps or voice agents?

Narration Box is built for scripted narration in the Studio and does not offer a real-time API for apps or phone agents. If that was how you used PlayHT, look at real-time API providers such as Cartesia or ElevenLabs.

How do PlayHT characters convert to Narration Box words?

Narration Box plans are counted in words. An English word averages about 6 characters including spaces, so 100,000 characters is roughly 16,500 words, which fits within the Plus plan’s 20,000 words a month.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. The free plan includes 1,000 words a month, the full Studio, and one voice clone, with no credit card. Free exports carry a watermark. Paid plans start at $15 a month and include commercial use.

Can I make audiobooks with Narration Box?

Yes. The Audiobook Creator imports EPUB, PDF, or DOCX files, splits them into chapters, and lets you generate, review, and regenerate individual paragraphs. Distributor approval is never guaranteed by any tool.

Get Started with Narration Box Today

Choose from our flexible pricing plans designed for creators of all sizes. Start your free trial and experience the power of AI voice generation.

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PlayHT has shut down. Here is how to move your narration to Narration Box

What happened to PlayHT

What you can recover, and what is gone

You can still use

You will need to rebuild

Is Narration Box the right replacement?

A good fit if you made

Not the right fit if you need

PlayHT features and where they live in Narration Box

Move from PlayHT to Narration Box in six steps

Gather what you still have

Clone your voice again

Choose Enbee V2 or Enbee V1 voices

Rebuild your pronunciations

Bring in your scripts

Generate, review, and export