I tested AI voices vs. real voices on one of my testing YouTube channels.
After I had enough data, I looked at metrics like engagement rate, likes-to-views ratio, subscribers-to-views ratio, plus many other things.
There’s no article or video I could find on the web that tested this, so I decided to do it myself.
That said, let’s look into some of the most interesting findings.
Also Read: Can AI Channels Be Monetized? [2024 Analysis]
AI Voice vs. Real Voice For YouTube: Which Is Better?
t goes like this:
I created this channel called Link Media a few years ago.
But I started testing things out only 6 months ago.
At first, I created my videos using Invideo, which is a popular text-to-video software.
You basically have to give it a script, and it will turn your script into a video, adding relevant stock images and videos over the voiceover.
That was all good and fun, but after posting more than 20 videos on the channel using Invideo’s AI voice, I started to notice things.
People weren’t loving my videos.
In fact, I’ve had many viewers saying they enjoyed the video, but they didn’t appreciate the AI voice.
To make matters even worse, one of the viewers even went around saying she would not subscribe to the channel because of the AI voice I used.
So what does that mean for you?
Does it mean you have absolutely no chance to grow your channel if you’re using an AI voice similar to mine?
No, it doesn’t.
In fact, I went the extra mile and looked at other different channels that were using an AI voiceover, and here are a few examples that show you can still grow a successful YouTube channel if you’re using AI narration.
Also Read: How Many Videos Before You Start Getting Views On YouTube? [Analysis]
Channels That Use AI Voice Successfully
Robbers IQ is one of those channels.
What’s interesting about this one is that:
- It has been using an AI voice since it started, and it is still using AI as of today.
- It has experienced tremendous growth despite the fact it is using an AI voice.
- There are still plenty of people complaining about the AI narration of the channel, even though, with over 140,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views, the channel is safe to say that it is successful.
To make matters even worse, there are mispronounced words in every one of his videos.
But this is not the only successful channel that is using an AI voice.
Here are more channels that are successful and are using an AI voice:
- The Market Whisperer [40K subs]
- AIProfitMentor [22K subs]
- AI-pocalypse [130K subs]
And the list could go on forever.
Also Read: Should You Ask Viewers To Like and Subscribe? [Case Study: Tested]
AI Voice vs. Real Human Voice: Pros and Cons
Now, it’s important to understand what some of the pros and cons of using an AI voice on your channel are.
AI Voice on YouTube: Disadvantages
There are a few cons when it comes to using an AI voice instead of a real, human-sounding voice.
- AI voices can hurt engagement, as many people prefer a human-sounding voice.
- AI voices can mispronounce words, so you need to retake sections of your script to make sure you get it right.
- AI voices are usually associated with low-quality content, so despite how good your content is, there will be people who bounce off your video right at the beginning just because you’re using an AI voice.
- Most AI voices lack the emotion and expression that a human voice actor can bring to a script.
- Good AI voices are available to many other people, so it might hurt your channel’s authenticity because the same voice is being used by hundreds or even thousands of other channels.
I think it’s fair to say that no matter what you do, there will be people out there who will click off your video simply because you’re using an AI voice.
That will hurt your retention rate.
And as you know, this is a VERY important metric YouTube looks at when deciding whether they should promote your video to a wider audience or not.
If the AI voice you’re using is obvious and lacks quality, you’re very likely to experience a significant drop in retention rate, which will further affect your channel’s possibility of getting more views.
Also Read: You Don’t Like Your Voice: Should You Use It On YouTube?
AI Voice on YouTube: Advantages
There are also a couple of advantages to using an AI voice.
- AI Voices can provide your channel with consistency, as they can maintain a consistent tone and delivery throughout your videos.
- AI Voices can generate your voiceover in just a few minutes, whereas it takes a person significantly more time to get the same job done.
- Using an AI voice is cheaper than hiring a voice actor.
- AI Voices are customizable, meaning that you can play around with the settings of the voice and adjust it to make it sound unique and appealing to your needs.
There’s much more to say about AI voices, but no matter what you do, make sure you’re using a premium AI voice if you want to increase your chances of success on YouTube.
Simply because the free ones sound very mechanical, and in most cases, no matter how good your content is, people are going to be annoyed if it sounds too mechanical.
Can You Monetize AI-Voiced Channels?
There’s a lot of debate on this topic, but here’s what you need to know.
AI-voiced channels can definitely be monetized. It’s not about the voice; it’s about your content. If your content is of high quality and helpful to people, the fact that you’re using an AI voice won’t matter to YouTube at all.
All the channels I’ve listed below are using an AI voice, and all of them are monetized.
Needless to say, there are many more AI-voiced channels out there already monetized, and many others to come in the future.
So, if not being able to get monetized is something that worries you, worry no more, as this will not affect your monetization eligibility.
As long as you’re doing your best to create high-quality content, the fact that you’re using an AI voice won’t really matter.
However, I do recommend that you focus 99% of your time on writing a good script, leveling up your editing game, and coming up with ideas that are properly packaged [title and thumbnail].
In my personal opinion, those are the things that actually make a difference when it comes to whether your channel will be successful or not.
And yes, they matter WAY more than the fact that you’re using an AI voice.
How Does YouTube Feel About AI-Voiced Channels?
YouTube doesn’t hold any grudge against AI-voiced channels. Your channel will be looked at the same way as anyone else’s, even if it is using an AI voice.
I hate to repeat myself, but…
…as I said previously, the content needs to be helpful.
If you’re able to pull that off, that’s really all you need.
Does YouTube Penalize AI-Voiced Channels?
In my opinion, YouTube never did and never will penalize AI-voiced channels.
Think about it:
Why would YouTube penalize a channel simply because they’re using an AI voice?
After all, there are countless AI-voiced channels out there that use an AI voice and are monetized.
YouTube wants people to keep on creating content. They don’t care if you’re using an AI voice.
As long as your content keeps people on the platform, you’re making them money.
So it’s a win-win situation.
Best AI Voice Software
Here’s the deal:
I’ve used several AI voices in the past 8 years.
It’s fair to say that I’ve used AI voices enough times to know what works and what doesn’t work.
And if you’re looking to use a free AI voice on YouTube, I hate to break it to you, but those free AI voices sound really bad.
I doubt you’ll find success on YouTube with such a voice.
That said, my #1 go-to place for a high-quality AI voice is ElevenLabs.
I’ve used ElevenLabs for quite a few years now.
I’ve used it on many channels, including the Link Media channel mentioned in the beginning of the article, and I find it to be one of the best AI voices out there.
In fact, when I transitioned from Invideo’s AI voice to ElevenLab’s AI voice, I noticed something interesting.
Before switching to ElevenLab’s AI voice, I would get 8 to 10 comments per 1,000 views from people saying they recognized the AI voice I was using.
The moment I switched to ElevenLab’s Voice, I only had one comment mentioning the voice. And it wasn’t even to criticize its use, but to express surprise at how good it sounded, despite the fact that the commenter could still recognize it as an AI voice.
And…
Not only that Eleven Labs has plenty of very good options to choose from, but if you really want to make your AI voice 100% unique, you also have the option to upload an audio sample of your voice and have the software create a very similar-sounding AI voice that’s only available to you.
If you want to use Eleven Labs, make sure you use my link, and you’ll get 50% off the first month.