TTS · voice cloning · 70 languages
Meta acquired PlayAI, the company behind Play.ht, in July 2025, and the play.ht site didn't load when we checked. If you need realistic text to speech and voice cloning today, here's a studio that's open.
Updated by the Kenerate AI team
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Quick answer
Updated
Meta acquired PlayAI, the startup behind Play.ht, in July 2025, and its team joined Meta; when we checked on 29 September 2026, play.ht did not load. Kenerate AI's Voice Studio is a working alternative for realistic text to speech: 555 voices from four makers, instant cloning from a 3–15 second sample, Voice Design and 70 languages.
Timeline
Only what's on the public record — nothing more.
Meta confirmed it acquired PlayAI, the voice startup behind Play.ht; an internal memo said the entire PlayAI team would join Meta.
In our check, the play.ht website did not respond. Users searching for Play.ht text to speech, pricing or voice cloning need somewhere else to go.
Look for realistic TTS, voice cloning, many languages and downloadable audio — the features Play.ht users relied on.
Checked 29 September 2026
Kenerate facts from the Voice Studio's code and Terms.
| Kenerate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Realistic TTS | 16 engines incl. ElevenLabs Eleven v3 and MiniMax Speech 2.8 | Compare on your own script with free credits |
| Voice cloning | Instant clone (3–15 s sample), saved MiniMax clones | Only clone voices you own or have permission to use |
| Languages | 70 on Eleven v3, native voices in 40 on MiniMax | Pick native voices where available |
| Long scripts | Up to 10,000 characters per clip | Split long content into clips |
| Downloads & rights | MP3/WAV/FLAC, you own your output (Terms) | No watermark |
| API | No public TTS API | Developers need an API-first provider |
Sources: TechCrunch — Meta acquires voice startup Play AI (13 July 2025) · Kenerate — Terms of Service (ownership of generated content) · Kenerate Voice Studio (engines, voices and limits from the app's code) · MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD on WaveSpeed · ElevenLabs Eleven v3 on WaveSpeed · ElevenLabs — text to speech documentation · Qwen3 TTS Voice Clone on WaveSpeed
Listen first
Real outputs from the Voice Studio, including an instant clone made from a short AI-voice sample.
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD · MiniMax
Here's the short version. Solar panels turn sunlight into direct current. An inverter turns that into the alternating current your home uses, and anything you don't use can flow back to the grid.
Qwen3 Voice Clone · Alibaba Qwen
The fire started in the grain room just after midnight. By the time the bells rang, the whole east wall was glowing orange.
Qwen3 TTS · Alibaba Qwen
You're listening to Night Shift, the show for people who do their best thinking after midnight. Grab something warm to drink. We're in no hurry.
Style: "calm late-night podcast host, relaxed, warm and unhurried"
ElevenLabs Multilingual v2 · ElevenLabs
Right, here's the plan. We launch on Monday, we listen to every piece of feedback, and we fix what matters first.
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD · MiniMax
Aquella noche, todo el pueblo se reunió en la plaza. Nadie sabía quién había encendido las luces del viejo teatro.
That night, the whole town gathered in the square. Nobody knew who had switched on the lights of the old theatre.
How to
Step 1
Paste them into the Voice Studio — up to 10,000 characters per clip.
Step 2
Browse 555 voices, describe one in Voice Design, or re-clone your own voice from a 3–15 s sample.
Step 3
Speed, pitch and emotion (MiniMax), stability and tags (ElevenLabs).
Step 4
MP3, WAV or FLAC; your files stay in your history.
See it in the app
Open Voice Studio in Text to speech and type the words you want spoken, or start from a script template.
Text to speech, emotions & tags, Hindi, voice design, cloning & chat
Chapters
Use cases
The common Play.ht use cases, covered.
Natural voices, downloadable files.
Consistent voices per course.
Long reads split into clips.
One voice across languages on ElevenLabs.
Re-clone your own voice from a short sample.
Kenerate has no public API — choose an API provider for apps.
Engines
Facts from the app's code.
ElevenLabs
Most expressive; audio tags like [whispers], [laughs], [excited]
Open ElevenLabs Eleven v3
ElevenLabs
Lifelike and consistent over long reads
Open ElevenLabs Multilingual v2
MiniMax
Most natural MiniMax voice; 7 emotions, (laughs)/(sighs) interjections, pronunciation dictionary
Open MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD
Alibaba Qwen
Instant clone from a 3–15 s sample, no training
Open Qwen3 Voice Clone
Alibaba Qwen
Describe a voice in words and hear it
Open Qwen3 Voice DesignControls
Speed, pitch, emotion and expressive tags.
MiniMax voices. 1× is the natural pace; 0.85–0.95× suits narration and learners, 1.1–1.2× suits ads and recaps.
MiniMax voices, in semitones. A few steps down sounds bigger and older; a few up sounds lighter and younger.
MiniMax: neutral, happy, sad, angry, fearful, disgusted, surprised — the same words, a different read.
MiniMax 2.8 reads 13 cues like (laughs), (sighs), (breath); ElevenLabs Eleven v3 reads audio tags like [whispers], [excited], [sarcastic].
ElevenLabs. Lower = more expressive and varied between takes; higher = steadier and more even.
MiniMax lets you pick the format and sample rate (16–44.1 kHz); every clip downloads without a watermark.
Scripts
Describe a voice you used and rebuild it with Voice Design, or re-clone your own.
Warm narrator (design)
A warm, clear male narrator in his thirties with a neutral American accent, steady and friendly, ideal for explainer videos.
Upbeat presenter (design)
An upbeat young woman with a light British accent, bright and confident, like a product presenter.
Test script
Welcome back! Today's update is short: two new features, one fix, and a big thank-you to everyone who sent feedback.
Tips
A few habits make migration painless.
Keep a list of the voices and settings you used so you can match them.
If you cloned your own voice on Play.ht, re-clone it here from a clean 10-second clip.
Test three candidate voices on one paragraph before converting a whole project.
Split long scripts into sections so regenerating one part is quick.
Only clone voices you own or have permission to use.
If your product needs an API, pick an API-first TTS provider instead.
Example uses
Illustrative examples of typical workflows, not customer reviews.
A video creator could generate a natural voice-over and download the file for any editor.
A course author could keep one consistent voice across every lesson.
A podcaster could re-clone their own voice from a short, clean sample for audio articles.
FAQ
Meta acquired PlayAI, the company behind Play.ht, in July 2025, and the PlayAI team joined Meta (TechCrunch). When we checked on 29 September 2026, the play.ht website did not load.
Link to this answerThe play.ht site didn't load in our check on 29 September 2026. If you relied on it, move your scripts and voices to an alternative.
Link to this answerKenerate offers instant cloning from a 3–15 second sample and saved MiniMax clones, alongside 555 preset voices. Only clone voices you have permission to use.
Link to this answerVoice models can't be transferred between services. Re-clone your own voice from a clean sample in Kenerate.
Link to this answerNo. Kenerate is a web studio without a public TTS API. For app integrations, use an API-first provider.
Link to this answerKenerate starts you with free credits that never expire, with no watermark.
Link to this answerIn depth
What works, what to avoid, and how the pieces fit.
In July 2025 Meta acquired PlayAI, the voice startup behind Play.ht. A Meta memo said the whole team would join the company and described PlayAI's natural voices and voice-creation platform as a match for Meta's work on AI characters, Meta AI, wearables and audio content [1].
Most Play.ht users need the same few things:
Kenerate is a good fit for creators and teams who generate voice-overs in a browser: 16 engines from four makers, cloning and design, and credits that never expire. It isn't a developer platform — if you need an API, choose an API-first provider.
Free to start. No watermark. Download every clip.
Tried it? Tell us how it went
