npx skills add ...
npx skills add elevenlabs/skills --skill sound-effects
npx skills add elevenlabs/skills --skill sound-effects
Generate sound effects from text descriptions using ElevenLabs. Use when creating sound effects, generating audio textures, producing ambient sounds, cinematic impacts, UI sounds, or any audio that isn't speech. Supports looping, duration control, and prompt influence tuning.
Generate sound effects from text descriptions — supports looping, custom duration, and prompt adherence control.
Setup: See Installation Guide. For JavaScript, use
@elevenlabs/*packages only.
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
text | string (required) | — | Description of the desired sound effect |
model_id | string | eleven_text_to_sound_v2 | Model to use |
duration_seconds | number | null | null (auto) | Duration 0.5–30s; auto-calculated if null |
prompt_influence | number | null | 0.3 | How closely to follow the prompt (0–1) |
loop | boolean | false | Generate a seamlessly looping sound (v2 model only) |
Pass output_format as a query parameter (cURL) or SDK parameter:
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
mp3_44100_128 | MP3 44.1kHz 128kbps (default) |
pcm_44100 | Raw uncompressed CD quality |
opus_48000_128 | Opus 48kHz 128kbps — efficient compressed |
ulaw_8000 | μ-law 8kHz — telephony |
Full list: mp3_22050_32, mp3_24000_48, mp3_44100_32, mp3_44100_64, mp3_44100_96, mp3_44100_128, mp3_44100_192, pcm_8000, pcm_16000, pcm_22050, pcm_24000, pcm_32000, pcm_44100, pcm_48000, ulaw_8000, alaw_8000, opus_48000_32, opus_48000_64, opus_48000_96, opus_48000_128, opus_48000_192.
Common errors:
import { ElevenLabsClient } from "@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js";
import { createWriteStream } from "fs";
const client = new ElevenLabsClient();
const audio = await client.textToSoundEffects.convert({
text: "Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain",
});
audio.pipe(createWriteStream("thunder.mp3"));curl -X POST "https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/sound-generation" \
-H "xi-api-key: $ELEVENLABS_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"text": "Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain"}' \
--output thunder.mp3# Looping ambient sound, 10 seconds
audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
text="Gentle forest ambiance with birds chirping",
duration_seconds=10.0,
prompt_influence=0.5,
loop=True,
)
# Short UI sound, high prompt adherence
audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
text="Soft notification chime",
duration_seconds=1.0,
prompt_influence=0.8,
)try:
audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(text="Explosion")
except Exception as e:
print(f"API error: {e}")