> This is a page from the ElevenLabs documentation. For a complete page index, fetch https://elevenlabs.io/docs/llms.txt. For the full documentation in a single file, fetch https://elevenlabs.io/docs/llms-full.txt.

# ElevenAPI quickstart

By the end of this guide you will have a working script that sends a text string to the ElevenLabs API and plays the returned audio through your speakers. You will learn how to authenticate with an API key, install the SDK, and make your first text-to-speech request.

For guides covering other capabilities — streaming, voice cloning, speech-to-text — see the [Tutorials](/docs/eleven-api/guides/cookbooks) section.

> **Tip**
>
> Use the [ElevenLabs text-to-speech skill](https://github.com/elevenlabs/skills/tree/main/text-to-speech) to generate speech from your AI coding assistant:
>
> ```bash
> npx skills add elevenlabs/skills --skill text-to-speech
> ```

## Using the Text to Speech API

#### Create an API key

[Create an API key in the dashboard here](https://elevenlabs.io/app/settings/api-keys), which you’ll use to securely [access the API](/docs/api-reference/authentication).

Store the key as a managed secret and pass it to the SDKs either as a environment variable via an `.env` file, or directly in your app’s configuration depending on your preference.

**`.env`**

```js title=".env"
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=<your_api_key_here>
```

#### Install the SDK

#### SDK

We'll also use the `dotenv` library to load our API key from an environment variable.

```python
pip install elevenlabs
pip install python-dotenv
```

```typescript
npm install @elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js
npm install dotenv
```

#### CLI

Install the ElevenLabs CLI. Homebrew (macOS) and Scoop (Windows) are recommended.

**`Homebrew (macOS)`**

```bash title="Homebrew (macOS)"
brew install elevenlabs/tap/elevenlabs
```

**`Scoop (Windows)`**

```powershell title="Scoop (Windows)"
scoop bucket add elevenlabs https://github.com/elevenlabs/scoop-bucket
scoop install elevenlabs
```

**`npm`**

```bash title="npm"
npm install -g @elevenlabs/cli
```

**`curl`**

```bash title="curl"
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/elevenlabs/cli/releases/latest/download/elevenlabs-cli-installer.sh | sh
```

> **Tip**
>
> Working with an AI coding assistant? Run `elevenlabs generate-skills` in your project to write a
> `SKILL.md` for every command group into `skills/`, so your assistant knows the CLI's full surface
> without you pasting docs. Use `--output-dir` to put them elsewhere. This reads the CLI's own
> embedded API definition, so it needs no API key and works offline — and it stays in step with
> whichever CLI version you have installed.

Then authenticate — this opens your browser to authorize the CLI:

```bash
elevenlabs auth login
```

> **Note**
>
> To play the audio through your speakers, you may be prompted to install [MPV](https://mpv.io/)
> and/or [ffmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/).

#### Make your first request

#### SDK

Create a new file named `example.py` or `example.mts`, depending on your language of choice and add the following code:

```python
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from elevenlabs.client import ElevenLabs
from elevenlabs.play import play
import os

load_dotenv()

elevenlabs = ElevenLabs(
  api_key=os.getenv("ELEVENLABS_API_KEY"),
)

audio = elevenlabs.text_to_speech.convert(
    text="The first move is what sets everything in motion.",
    voice_id="JBFqnCBsd6RMkjVDRZzb",  # "George" - browse voices at elevenlabs.io/app/voice-library
    model_id="eleven_v4",
    output_format="mp3_44100_128",
)

play(audio)

```

```typescript
import { ElevenLabsClient, play } from "@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js";
import "dotenv/config";

const elevenlabs = new ElevenLabsClient();
const audio = await elevenlabs.textToSpeech.convert(
	"JBFqnCBsd6RMkjVDRZzb", // "George" - browse voices at elevenlabs.io/app/voice-library
	{
		text: "The first move is what sets everything in motion.",
		modelId: "eleven_v4",
		outputFormat: "mp3_44100_128",
	},
);

await play(audio);

```

Then run it:

```python
python example.py
```

```typescript
npx tsx example.mts
```

You should hear the audio play through your speakers.

#### CLI

Generate speech and save it to an MP3 file:

```bash
elevenlabs text-to-speech convert \
  --voice-id JBFqnCBsd6RMkjVDRZzb \
  --model-id eleven_v4 \
  --text "The first move is what sets everything in motion." \
  --output-format mp3_44100_128 \
  --output audio.mp3
```

Open `audio.mp3` to hear the result.

## Next steps

#### [Stream audio](/docs/eleven-api/guides/how-to/text-to-speech/streaming)

Reduce latency by streaming audio as it generates rather than waiting for the complete file

#### [Browse voices](https://elevenlabs.io/app/voice-library)

Explore 10,000+ voices and swap the example voice ID for one that fits your use case

#### [Clone a voice](/docs/eleven-api/guides/how-to/voices/instant-voice-cloning)

Create a custom voice from a short audio recording

> ElevenLabs provides APIs and SDKs for text to speech, voice cloning, speech to text, sound effects, voice isolator, voice changer, and conversational AI agents. Build voice-enabled applications with lifelike audio generation.