Your plan for commoditized AI audio models

The quick answer

As the technology behind realistic voices becomes common, you need a new strategy. Follow these three steps to stay ahead.

1. Evaluate your current use of AI audio models and identify your dependency on specific tools or voices.
2. Shift your strategic focus from the technology itself to unique applications and a superior user experience.
3. Build a proprietary content engine with a strong brand voice that AI audio models can amplify, not replace.

What commoditized AI audio means for you

The CEO of ElevenLabs, a leader in voice synthesis, recently stated that the core technology his company sells will become a commodity. He predicted that within two to three years, the differences between competing AI audio models will become minor.

This does not mean the technology is losing its power. In the short term, high-quality AI audio is still a significant advantage. It means the unique edge of having a realistic AI voice will soon disappear as the tech becomes widely available and affordable.

Your strategy must evolve from simply using an AI voice to building a system around it that no a competitor can copy.

The short-term advantage is real but temporary

Mati Staniszewski of ElevenLabs was clear: right now, these models are a game changer. Brands using them for podcasts, video voiceovers, and accessibility are seeing real results in efficiency and reach. The problem is relying on that advantage for too long.

When a technology is commoditized, its value shifts from possession to application. Think of it like a website builder. In the early 2000s, just having a professional website was a huge advantage. Now, it's the standard. The advantage now comes from your site's strategy, content, and user experience, not the tool you used to build it.

This is the future of AI audio. The question you need to ask is not "Which AI model is best?" but "How can I use this common tool to create uncommon value?"

Your 4 step plan for AI differentiation

Winning in a world of commoditized AI requires a plan. Your competitive advantage will no longer be the tool, but the strategy you build around it. Here is a step-by-step process to create a durable marketing advantage using AI audio.

Step 1: Audit your current audio stack

Before you can build a new strategy, you need a clear picture of your current state. Document every instance where your business uses AI-generated audio. An honest audit now prevents strategic gaps later.

Use this checklist to guide your audit:

• Tool Inventory: List every AI audio tool you use (e.g., ElevenLabs, Play.ht, Descript). Note the subscription tier and cost for each.
• Use Case Analysis: For each tool, document what you use it for. Is it for internal training videos, public-facing social media content, podcast production, or website accessibility features?
• Dependency Check: How reliant are you on a single provider? Are you using a specific custom voice clone that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere?
• Performance Metrics: How do you currently measure success? Is it based on production speed, cost savings, or audience engagement? Be specific.

This audit gives you a baseline. It shows you where AI audio provides value and where you are most vulnerable to market shifts. The goal is to understand your reliance on the technology itself versus the system you have built around it.

Step 2: Define your unique application

Once the technology is a commodity, differentiation comes from how you apply it. Simply converting your blog posts to audio is a good start, but it will not be enough. You must create an application of AI audio that is unique to your brand and valuable to your customer.

Think beyond simple text-to-speech. Consider interactive or personalized experiences:

• Dynamic Audio Ads: Use an AI voice to create thousands of ad variations that mention a listener's city, local weather, or a specific product they viewed.
• Personalized Audio Summaries: Imagine a SaaS tool that provides users with a daily vocal summary of their account activity or performance metrics.
• Interactive Audio Guides: Build a "choose your own adventure" audio guide for your product, where users can ask questions and hear pre-recorded, AI-voiced answers.

The key is to connect the audio tool to your proprietary data or a unique workflow. A fully managed digital presence should integrate these unique features to create a memorable brand experience. This is how you build a moat around your business that another company cannot cross just by signing up for the same AI service.

Step 3: Build a proprietary content engine

An AI model can generate a voice, but it cannot generate your company's core insights, perspective, or personality. Your most defensible asset is your original thought leadership. The AI voice is just the delivery mechanism.

Focus on creating a rock-solid process for producing high-quality source content. The script is the real differentiator.

A simple content engine framework includes:

1. Quarterly Theme Planning: Define 3-4 core topics you will own for the next quarter. All content, including your audio scripts, will align with these themes.
2. Structured Scriptwriting: Create templates for your audio scripts. A template ensures consistency in tone, structure, and calls to action. It makes the writing process faster and keeps your brand voice tight.
3. Rigorous Review Process: Your scripts must be fact-checked, edited for clarity, and reviewed for brand alignment before they ever touch an AI model. The quality of the final output depends entirely on the quality of the input.

Your content engine is your factory for creating value. The AI audio model is just one machine on the assembly line.

Step 4: Create a superior user experience

When every brand has access to a hyper-realistic AI voice, the user's experience with that audio will determine who wins. How your audio is presented, integrated, and delivered becomes a critical point of differentiation.

Focus on the technical and design details:

• Seamless Integration: Is your audio player clunky and generic, or is it custom-designed to fit your website's aesthetic? It should feel like a native part of your platform, not a third-party plugin.
• Performance and Speed: Audio files must load instantly. A website built to convert prioritizes speed. Slow-loading audio will cause users to abandon the content before they even hear it.
• Accessibility Features: Offer more than just the audio. Provide synchronized, interactive transcripts that highlight words as they are spoken. Include controls for playback speed.

A superior user experience shows respect for the user's time and attention. It turns a simple piece of audio content into a premium brand experience. This is an investment in your brand's perception that pays dividends long after the novelty of AI voices wears off.

Measuring success beyond AI model quality

As AI audio models become commoditized, the metrics you use to track success must also evolve. "How realistic does it sound?" is a question for the engineers at ElevenLabs. Your marketing team needs to answer a different set of questions.

Your focus must shift from the quality of the tool to the business results it generates. The technology is a means to an end, not the end itself.

New metrics for your AI audio strategy

Start tracking KPIs that reflect business value, not just technical capability. Your new dashboard should prioritize engagement and conversion over simple fidelity.

Adopt these metrics to measure what matters:

• Audio Completion Rate: What percentage of users listen to your audio content all the way through? This is a direct measure of how engaging your scripts are.
• Engagement on Audio-Enabled Pages: Do pages with an audio version have a lower bounce rate or a higher time on page? Use A/B testing to get clear data.
• Conversion Lift: Track whether call-to-action buttons placed near your audio player get more clicks. Does offering an audio summary of a product increase sales?
• Production Efficiency: Measure the time and cost saved by using AI audio instead of manual recording and editing. This helps justify the investment and can be found in your audit from Step 1.

These metrics tie your audio strategy directly to business outcomes. They prove the ROI of your entire content engine, not just the monthly subscription cost of your AI tool.

The future of AI in marketing

This trend is not unique to audio. We are seeing it across the entire AI landscape, from image generation to large language models. Foundational models, like those discussed in the original TechCrunch article, are becoming powerful, accessible, and cheap.

According to analysis from firms like Gartner, the real, long-term opportunity lies in the specific and creative application of these models. The advantage is moving from those who *build* the AI to those who *apply* it most effectively.

Your business can build a sustainable advantage by focusing on strategy over tools. A consistent monthly marketing plan helps you anticipate these shifts and adapt your tactics before the market forces you to.

The race is no longer about having the best AI. It is about using common AI tools in the most strategic and creative way to serve your customer.