Why it matters
A voice is part of who someone is. Modern voice cloning can be convincing from a few seconds of audio, which is what makes it useful for creators, and what makes it possible to misuse: fake phone calls, invented quotes, or a performer's voice used in work they never agreed to. Using it well protects the people whose voices you use, your audience, and your own reputation.
1. Get clear consent first
- Your own voice is always fine.
- Anyone else's needs their clear, informed agreement before you upload or record it. Tell them what the project is, where the audio will be used, and for how long.
- Performers should be paid and credited on terms you've agreed up front, the same as for a recording session.
- Children's voices need a parent's or guardian's permission, and abcVoiceover accounts are for people 13 and over.
- Celebrities and public figures: don't. A voice being well known doesn't make it yours to use.
2. Write it down
A short written note, even an email both of you keep, saves misunderstandings later. It should say:
- Whose voice it is, and which recording will be used.
- Which project or projects it's for.
- What the audio may be used for (a podcast, a game, a course) and where it will be published.
- How long the permission lasts, and whether it covers new lines written later.
- Any payment and how they'll be credited.
- How they can withdraw permission, and what happens to existing audio if they do.
3. Respect a change of mind
If someone withdraws permission, stop generating new lines with their voice and delete it from your projects. In abcVoiceover, saved lines keep the take they were made with even after their voice is deleted, so finished work doesn't break by accident. That means you also need to re-voice or delete the lines that voice already read, unless your written agreement says existing audio can stay.
4. Tell your audience
Say when voices are AI-generated: in show notes, credits, video descriptions or store listings. Most audiences don't mind; they mind finding out later. Platforms increasingly require it, too. YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content, and Steam asks developers to disclose AI-generated content in their games. Rules change, so check each platform's current policy before you publish.
5. Uses that are never okay
The terms of service rule these out, and so does common sense:
- Impersonating a real person, or passing off generated audio as a real recording of them.
- Putting words in someone's mouth to mislead people about what they said, including political or news content.
- Scams, fake endorsements, or trying to get past voice-based security checks.
- Harassing, threatening or bullying anyone.
- Anything illegal, hateful or sexually explicit, or that infringes someone else's rights.
The law is catching up
Many places already protect a person's voice and likeness from being used commercially without permission, and some have passed laws aimed at AI voice clones specifically, such as Tennessee's ELVIS Act of 2024. The rules differ from place to place and keep changing. This guide isn't legal advice: for anything commercial or high-stakes, check with a lawyer where you work.
How abcVoiceover helps
- It's invite-only, and every account agrees to the terms, which require consent for every voice.
- Your recordings and scripts are processed on the abcVoiceover team's own voice server; they aren't sent to an outside AI company and aren't used to train models.
- You can delete a voice, a project or your whole account yourself, at any time. See the privacy policy.