What it is and why
The HeyGen + ElevenLabs combo makes video without a camera or a studio: HeyGen generates a talking AI avatar from your text, ElevenLabs gives you lifelike multilingual voiceover and voice cloning. Reach for it when you need to scale content: training clips, multilingual versions, a talking head for a landing page or a newsletter — when filming for real is expensive or you need a lot of video fast.
How to set it up (step by step)
- Sign up at heygen.com and elevenlabs.io — both have free tiers (with minute/character limits). Billing is in foreign currency.
- A voice in ElevenLabs. Pick a stock voice or clone your own (upload a sample — you need consent and the rights to that voice!). Tune stability and expressiveness.
- Generate the voiceover. Paste the text → pick a voice and language → get the audio. ElevenLabs handles dozens of languages, Russian included.
- An avatar in HeyGen. Pick a stock avatar or create your own (from a photo or video — again, only with that person's consent).
- Assemble the video. In HeyGen paste the script → pick the avatar → drop in the audio from ElevenLabs (or use HeyGen's built-in voice).
- Polish. Add a background, on-screen text, a logo, subtitles.
- Translate the video (HeyGen Video Translate): upload a finished clip → get a version in another language with lip sync.
- Export and publish. Add a note that the video was created with AI (ethics and transparency).
Ready-made recipe
A multilingual onboarding clip with no filming: you write a product welcome script → voice it in ElevenLabs in Russian with your cloned voice → assemble the video with an avatar in HeyGen → use Video Translate to produce English and Spanish versions with lip sync → drop it on the landing page and into the welcome email. One script → three languages → zero shooting days. Non-negotiable: consent for the voice and face, plus an "AI" label.
What it costs (honestly)
How it works: both have a free tier with limits (HeyGen — video minutes per month, watermarked; ElevenLabs — voiceover characters per month). Paid plans are bundles of video minutes and voiceover characters, plus voice cloning and no watermark. You are paying two services. Billing is in foreign currency. Check exact amounts and limits with the providers, they change.
When it fits / when it doesn't
- Fits: you need a lot of video or a talking head without filming; multilingual versions; training or marketing content; scale.
- Doesn't fit: you need the live charisma and trust of a real person; sensitive topics where an AI avatar puts people off (uncanny valley); you do not hold the rights to the voice or face you want to use.
Risks and responsibility
Consent for voice and face is mandatory — you may not clone someone else's voice or build an avatar from someone else's photo without permission (image and voice rights, plus deepfake legislation and the risk of lawsuits). Label videos as AI-generated (transparency builds trust). If the clip is an ad, it needs ORD labelling. Be careful with personal data in scripts. See the section disclaimer.
🤖 Prompt helper
You are an AI video producer (HeyGen + ElevenLabs). I need a clip: "{goal, length, language(s), audience}". Give me: (1) a script written for avatar voiceover (with timing and a hook); (2) ElevenLabs voice settings (stability/expressiveness) for this job; (3) how to assemble it in HeyGen and whether translation is needed; (4) a checklist for consents and the "AI" label. Write the script in {language}.