Play.ht
by PlayAI (formerly Play.ht; acquired by Meta)
Generative text-to-speech and voice cloning platform (shut down in 2025)
Last reviewed 2026-06-20
Play.ht (PlayHT) was a generative text-to-speech and voice-cloning platform. It started in 2016 as a Chrome extension for listening to Medium articles, then grew into an AI voice product offering a large library of natural-sounding stock voices across dozens of languages, instant and high-fidelity voice cloning, an SSML-aware studio editor, and a developer REST API. After rebranding to PlayAI it added real-time conversational voice agents and PlayNote (turning documents and media into podcasts). It served content creators, developers, and businesses building narration, audiobooks, IVR, and voice agents, and competed directly with ElevenLabs. The company was acquired by Meta in July 2025 in an acquihire and the standalone product was wound down: new sign-ups stopped in August 2025, the public API went dark on July 26, 2025, and the service was permanently shut down on December 31, 2025, reportedly deleting user accounts, audio, and voice clones with no successor product or migration path. This entry is marked deprecated; it is the same company documented at play-ai under its later brand.
What it can do
Generate natural-sounding speech (TTS)
AssistantConverted text to speech using a library of 800+ stock voices across 40+ languages, with SSML controls for pitch, rate, volume, and custom pronunciation.
sourceClone voices
AssistantInstant voice cloning from a short sample plus a higher-fidelity professional clone trained on more audio, used for branded narration and personalized content.
sourceStudio editor and developer API
AssistantA browser studio for editing multi-voice scripts and a REST API plus real-time streaming for embedding TTS into applications.
sourceConversational voice agents (under the PlayAI brand)
SupervisedAfter rebranding to PlayAI it added real-time voice agents for support and sales across web and phone, configured inside business flows.
source
Strengths
- +Large stock-voice library with broad language coverage
- +Full stack historically: TTS, voice cloning, studio editor, and a developer API
- +Low-latency real-time voices validated by a Meta acquisition
Limitations
- −The product is dead with no successor and no migration path
- −It was an acquihire (team and tech, not product continuity)
- −Existing users were reportedly stranded, with saved audio and voice clones deleted
Overview
Play.ht (PlayHT, YC W23) was a generative text-to-speech and voice-cloning platform founded in 2016 by Mahmoud Felfel and Hammad Syed. It began as a Chrome extension for listening to Medium articles and grew into a full AI voice product competing with ElevenLabs. The company later rebranded to PlayAI; this entry covers the Play.ht-branded product and is the same company documented at play-ai.
What it does
Play.ht converted text to speech using a large library of stock voices (reported at 800+) across 40+ languages, with SSML controls for pitch, rate, volume, and pronunciation. It offered instant voice cloning from a short sample and a higher-fidelity professional clone, a browser studio for editing multi-voice scripts, and a REST API with real-time streaming for developers. After rebranding to PlayAI it added real-time conversational voice agents and PlayNote, which turned documents and media into podcasts.
Integrations & setup
It exposed a public REST API and real-time streaming, integrated with tools like Zapier and WordPress, and was available via the Groq console for low-latency inference. Its models were proprietary in-house voice models.
Pricing
No longer purchasable. Historically it offered a free tier (around 12,500 characters per month with attribution) and paid subscriptions, with reported tiers near $39/mo and $99/mo plus enterprise contracts for API access and dedicated support.
Best for / not for
Not usable today: the product is shut down. Historically it suited content creators and developers who wanted a large voice library, voice cloning, and a simple API for narration, audiobooks, and IVR. It is not a fit for anyone needing a live, supported product, since there is no successor or migration path.
Status
Marked deprecated. Meta acquired the company in July 2025 in an acquihire; the API went dark July 26, 2025, sign-ups froze in August, and the service fully shut down December 31, 2025, reportedly deleting user data.
Alternatives
ElevenLabs is the most cited replacement; Murf and Descript cover narration and editing workflows; Cartesia, Deepgram, and Resemble AI offer low-latency TTS and voice APIs for developers.
What people are saying
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FAQ
Is Play.ht still available?+
No. Play.ht (which rebranded to PlayAI) was acquired by Meta in July 2025 and the standalone service was permanently shut down on December 31, 2025, with the public API turned off in July 2025. There is no successor product.
What happened to Play.ht?+
It was acquired by Meta in an acquihire; the team joined Meta's voice and Superintelligence Labs effort, and the standalone product was wound down rather than continued. Reports say user accounts, audio, and voice clones were deleted at shutdown.
What is the difference between Play.ht and PlayAI?+
They are the same company. Play.ht (PlayHT) was the original brand, founded in 2016 as a Medium-reading Chrome extension; it later rebranded to PlayAI and added conversational voice agents before the Meta acquisition and shutdown.
Sources
- Meta acquires voice startup Play AI (TechCrunch) · accessed 2026-06-20
- PlayHT - Y Combinator company profile · accessed 2026-06-20
- PlayHT: everything to know (Play.ht blog) · accessed 2026-06-20
- Top 7 PlayHT alternatives in 2026, best replacements after shutdown (ElevenLabs) · accessed 2026-06-20
Last reviewed 2026-06-20