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ElevenLabs offers two separate ways to produce a podcast, and they suit different people. GenFM, inside ElevenLabs Studio, turns a document, a web address or an existing project into a podcast without code. The Create Podcast endpoint of the ElevenLabs API lets an application submit source content and create an auto-converted podcast project. Both routes are part of a paid ElevenLabs account, and the documented workflow needs no physical equipment. Pick GenFM for a one-off episode you can review in a browser, and the API for a tool or pipeline that generates episodes on its own.
Choose the route that fits your workflow
The two routes overlap in output but differ in how you control the text, who runs them, and how they are billed. The table below sets out the differences as ElevenLabs describes them.
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| Factor | GenFM in Studio | Create Podcast API (POST /v1/studio/podcasts) |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Studio web interface, no code | Programmatic request authenticated with an API key |
| Source input | EPUB, PDF, TXT or HTML upload; a URL; or an existing Studio project | Source content sent in the request; the accepted source formats are not stated in the reference material reviewed |
| Who writes the text | GenFM generates podcast text from your source, and you can edit it before conversion | The request generates the podcast from the source; whether the API exposes a text review step before audio is not stated |
| Format | Two-voice host and guest conversation | Two-voice conversation with host and guest voice IDs, or bulletin (single-voice monologue) |
| Cost basis | Requires a paid subscription; plan prices not verified here | LLM cost currently covered; audio generation charged; the reference says both costs may be charged in future |
| Best fit | Individual episodes, quick drafts, creators working in Studio | Apps, batch jobs and repeatable publishing workflows |
The sections below cover GenFM first, then the API, then the script-handling rule that matters most whichever route you choose.
Route 1: Make a podcast in Studio with GenFM
GenFM is the no-code path. ElevenLabs describes it in its GenFM help article as a way to “automatically create a podcast based on any document you provide.” The workflow is: generate, review, convert, download.
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- [USB Connection with Handy Mute] Skip the hassle of setting something up and plug the cable to play the dynamic USB microphone directly, which suits for beginner creators or daily podcast. You can quickly control the gamer mic with tap-to-mute that is independent of computer/Macbook programs to keep privacy when live streaming. LED mute reminder helps you get rid of forgetting to cancel the mute. (RGB and function key are only available for USB connection, but NOT for XLR connection)
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- In Studio, choose Generate audio, then Generate a podcast.
- Provide your source: upload an EPUB, PDF, TXT or HTML file, paste a URL, or select an existing Studio project.
- Choose voices. Use the suggested host and guest pairing, or pick voices from My Voices.
- Select the model and the quality setting.
- Generate the podcast text. This produces a draft, not audio yet.
- Review and edit the text. ElevenLabs states: “You can check and edit the text of your podcast before you convert it to audio.”
- Convert the text to audio.
- Download the finished audio file.
GenFM requires a paid subscription. The help article does not set out the plan tiers, so check your account’s plan details before committing to a workflow that depends on it.
Route 2: Generate podcasts with the API
The API route is for builders. ElevenLabs’ API reference describes the endpoint as “Create and auto-convert a podcast project.” You send a request to POST /v1/studio/podcasts that includes a model ID, a mode and a source.
Choosing dialogue or monologue
The mode.type field accepts two values. conversation produces a two-voice exchange and needs host and guest voice IDs. bulletin produces a single-voice monologue. Use a conversation for interview-style or back-and-forth episodes and a bulletin for a newsreader-style briefing.
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- Intelligent Noise Reduction Mode for Cleaner Podcast Audio – This podcast microphone features an advanced Noise Reduction Mode designed for clearer, more focused voice recording in real-world environments. Press and hold the mute button to enable noise reduction (blue indicator). In this mode, the microphone helps reduce keyboard clicks, PC fan noise, air conditioner hum, and background chatter. Default Mode maintains a warm, natural vocal tone for quiet spaces. Designed as a reliable microphone for PC, it allows creators to identify the active mode instantly and adapt as needed, ensuring clear audio for podcasting, gaming, streaming, online classes, meetings, and recording.
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- Precision Audio Adjustment Knobs for Full Sound Control – This podcast microphone gives creators hands-on control with dedicated knobs for microphone volume, monitoring volume, and echo adjustment. Fine-tune mic gain to maintain clear, balanced vocal output, adjust headphone monitoring levels independently for comfortable listening, and add or reduce echo to enhance depth and presence. Designed as a reliable PC microphone, these intuitive physical controls allow fast, on-the-fly adjustments without software, helping identify distortion, background noise, or level inconsistencies instantly. Ideal for podcasting, streaming, ASMR, voice-overs, singing, and professional multi-platform recording.
Optional controls
The reference lists the following optional settings. The descriptions below are ElevenLabs’ own wording, summarised; check the reference for exact parameter names and accepted values.
| Option | What the vendor documents |
|---|---|
| Duration scale | short for under 3 minutes, default for roughly 3 to 7 minutes, long for over 7 minutes |
| Quality preset | Selects the output quality; see the output table below |
| Language | A two-letter language code |
| Intro and outro | Optional opening and closing segments |
| Style instructions | Guidance on how the episode should sound |
| Highlights | Listed as an option; its behaviour is not described in the reference material reviewed |
| Callback URL | A URL for receiving a callback when processing finishes; confirm the payload in the reference |
| Text normalization | Controls how the text is normalised before speech is generated |
The duration bands are option descriptions. They are not guaranteed runtimes, and a request that asks for a band should be expected to land within it rather than hit a fixed length.
Output formats
The API reference gives these output settings. They describe what the format is, not the quality a listener will hear.
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| Tier | Stated bitrate | Stated sample rate |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 128 kbps | 44.1 kHz |
| High and ultra | 192 kbps | 44.1 kHz |
| Lossless | 705.6 kbps | Not stated |
Setting up the API
The ElevenAPI quickstart walks through the basic authentication and text-to-speech flow before you attempt podcast creation.
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- Store the key in a managed secret store or as an environment variable. Do not hard-code it in your source files.
- Install the ElevenLabs SDK and run the Python example from the quickstart to confirm that a text-to-speech call works.
- If you want to play the output locally, install MPV and/or ffmpeg. The quickstart notes that one or both may be needed.
- Send your podcast request to
POST /v1/studio/podcastswith the model ID,modeand source, plus any optional settings above.
Billing for API requests
The API reference’s cost note is time-sensitive. At the time of access (October 7, 2026) the LLM cost of generating the podcast script is covered, but audio generation is charged. The reference also says that both costs may be charged in future. Build cost estimates around the audio charge and recheck the note before you launch a production workflow.
Script handling: the rule that changes outcomes
The most important distinction between the routes is who writes the words. GenFM generates podcast text from the material you supply. If you already have a finished script and need its wording kept intact, GenFM is the wrong tool. ElevenLabs’ GenFM help article warns: “If you already have a script ready, we recommend starting with either New empty audio project or Narrate an audiobook, as using GenFM via the Generate a podcast option will modify your script.”
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Those two alternatives are text-to-speech paths. They turn text you provide into speech without rewriting it. The practical rule follows from that:
- You have source material and want a script drafted: use GenFM and edit the draft before conversion.
- You have a finished script that must stay as written: start a new empty audio project or use audiobook narration in Studio.
- You are building an application that must produce a fixed script on every run: use the API for generation only if you accept the model writing the text; otherwise keep your script as input to speech generation and do not route it through the podcast-creation request.
Voices, languages and equipment
Voice cloning is optional
Both routes let you use existing voices. In GenFM you choose from the suggested pairing or from My Voices. Creating a clone of your own voice is an optional extra; the documented podcast workflow does not require one. The API identifies voices by ID in the conversation mode.
Language coverage is a vendor claim
ElevenLabs’ Text to Speech documentation, accessed October 7, 2026, states support for 32 languages. Its guide “How to create an AI podcast with ElevenLabs Studio,” published March 31, 2025 and updated October 5, 2026, states podcast generation in 32+ languages. These are ElevenLabs’ statements about its own product. They are not results from an independent test, and the quality of a given language in a podcast format has not been verified.
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No physical equipment is required
The documented workflow runs entirely in Studio or through the API. You do not need a microphone to create a podcast, and the reference material does not recommend any particular device. Headphones or speakers are only useful for listening to the output.
What is verified and what is not
- Documented by ElevenLabs: the GenFM steps, the source formats, the API endpoint and its options, the duration bands, the output settings and the billing note.
- Not independently tested: the quality of generated scripts and audio, whether a duration band is met in practice, and how well each language performs in podcast form.
- Not established: any independent statistics on listener outcomes, production savings or cost compared with other methods. The vendor guide describes time and cost savings in general terms; those descriptions are not measured results.
- Changeable: plan prices, quotas, GenFM access beyond the paid-subscription requirement, supported models, quality presets and the API billing split. Check these on ElevenLabs’ current pages before you rely on them.
The Bottom Line
For a single episode built from a document or article, use GenFM in Studio, review the draft text, and convert it. For an application that creates episodes repeatedly, use the Create Podcast API with POST /v1/studio/podcasts. If you already have a script that must not change, skip the podcast generators and use a new empty audio project or audiobook narration. Confirm pricing and API billing before you commit, because both are changeable.
Quick Recap
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