sound-effects

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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.

2installs

Sourceconnorads/dotfiles

Added on2026-04-12

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add connorads/dotfiles sound-effects

SKILL.md Content

ElevenLabs Sound Effects

Generate sound effects from text descriptions — supports looping, custom duration, and prompt adherence control.

Setup: See Installation Guide. For JavaScript, use
@elevenlabs/*
packages only.

Quick Start

Python

python

from elevenlabs import ElevenLabs

client = ElevenLabs()

audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(
    text="Thunder rumbling in the distance with light rain",
)

with open("thunder.mp3", "wb") as f:
    for chunk in audio:
        f.write(chunk)

JavaScript

javascript

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

bash

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

Parameters

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)

Examples with Parameters

python

# 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,
)

Output Formats

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

.

Prompt Tips

Be specific: "Heavy rain on a tin roof" > "Rain"
Combine elements: "Footsteps on gravel with distant traffic"
Specify style: "Cinematic braam, horror" or "8-bit retro jump sound"
Mention mood/context: "Eerie wind howling through an abandoned building"

Error Handling

python

try:
    audio = client.text_to_sound_effects.convert(text="Explosion")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"API error: {e}")

Common errors:

401: Invalid API key
422: Invalid parameters (check duration range, prompt_influence range)
429: Rate limit exceeded

References

Installation Guide