AI Sound Effects with ElevenLabs SFX v2

Quick guide

1. Open Sound Effects in the ElevenLabs interface.
2. Describe the scene in natural language. Include subject, action, setting, perspective, intensity, and timing.
3. Set duration with the slider. Up to 30 seconds per effect. Short clips suit taps and impacts. Longer clips suit ambience.
4. Ask for a loop in the prompt with phrases like loop cleanly. If a Loop control is available, enable it for seamless ambience.
5. Refine with constraints. Use texture words like warm, crisp, metallic, wet, gritty, muffled. Use distance words like close, mid, far. Exclude with no voices, no music.
6. Export as WAV for editing or MP3 for quick use. Output is 48 kHz which suits video, film, television, and games.

Prompt formula

Use this structure for consistent results.

[Subject] + [Action] + [Environment] + [Perspective or Distance] + [Texture or Tone] + [Timing] + [Loop or Tail] + [Exclude]
Example. Coffee pouring into a ceramic mug in a quiet tiled kitchen. Close mic. Warm and detailed. Short drip tail. No voices.
    

Copy and paste prompts

Foley and everyday

• Close mic coffee pouring into a ceramic mug in a quiet kitchen. Gentle drip tail. No voices.
• Single sip from a mug. Close mic. Subtle inhale and swallow. No background hum.
• Laptop keyboard typing at a steady pace. Mid perspective. Crisp clicks. No desk thumps.
• Footsteps on dry leaves in a suburban park. Mid distance. Light breeze. No traffic.
• Paper page turn. Close mic. Clean whoosh with a soft thud at the end.

Nature and ambience

• Dawn birdsong in a suburban garden. Far perspective. Soft ambience. Loop cleanly. No dogs.
• Gentle rain on a tin roof. Mid perspective. Smooth consistent pattern. Loop seamlessly.
• Beach shoreline with small waves and light wind. Wide stereo feel. Loop cleanly. No gulls.
• Forest at midday with insects and occasional twig snaps. Natural dynamics. Loop seamlessly.
• Night crickets in a rural field. Soft bed. Loop cleanly. No cars.

User interface and product

• Soft UI tap. Short bright tick with no tail. Close and clean. No reverb.
• Positive notification chime. Two note arpeggio. Warm and friendly. Very short tail.
• Negative error blip. Short percussive click with a low pitch dip. No smear.
• Slide transition whoosh. Fast airy sweep up then stop. No bass rumble.
• Camera shutter click. Crisp mechanical snap. Close mic. No crowd noise.

Cinematic and trailer

• Deep cinematic braam with slow swell and short decay. Wide stereo. No melody.
• Riser that builds for four seconds then hard stop. Clean transient. No hiss.
• Impact hit with metal debris and air burst. Close perspective. Tight tail.
• Reverse whoosh into a punchy hit. Short reverb. No tonal note.
• Low tension drone with subtle movement. Loop seamlessly. No percussion.

Urban and mechanical

• City street ambience at midday. Light traffic bed. Occasional distant horn. Loop cleanly.
• Electric scooter pass by from left to right. Doppler effect. No crowd voices.
• Air conditioner hum. Mid distance. Smooth constant tone. Loop seamlessly.
• Keyboard mechanical switch test. Close mic. Even rhythm. No desk noise.
• Door open and close. Metal handle. Short latch click. No footsteps.

Voice adjacent

• Crowd walla ambience in a lobby. Far perspective. Indistinct murmurs only. No words.
• Single cough in a quiet room. Close mic. Short realistic tail. No extra breaths.

Pro tips

• If a loop clicks at the join, ask for a clean seamless loop or trim a small amount from head and tail.
• If an effect feels busy, add phrases like minimal texture or reduce movement.
• For exact timing, generate slightly longer than needed, then trim to picture.
• Keep ambience and spot effects on separate tracks. Mix ambience lower to avoid clutter.

FAQ

How long can a single effect be
Up to 30 seconds in SFX v2.

Can I make seamless ambience loops
Yes. Ask for a loop in the prompt. If a Loop control is available, enable it.

What sample rate does SFX v2 output
Forty eight kHz which suits film, television, video, and games.