TL;DR

  • Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have licensed their voices to ElevenLabs for AI-generated audio applications
  • ElevenLabs launches Iconic Voices Marketplace featuring both living actors and deceased Hollywood legends
  • Company recently valued at $6.6 billion as celebrity AI partnerships accelerate across industry

Celebrity Voices Enter AI Marketplace

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have signed licensing agreements with ElevenLabs, the New York-based AI audio company recently valued at $6.6 billion. The deals allow the company to create AI-generated versions of their voices for commercial applications, positioning celebrity voice licensing as an established category within the AI industry’s entertainment partnerships.

McConaughey, who has invested in ElevenLabs since 2022, will use the technology to create Spanish-language audio versions of his newsletter Lyrics of Livin’. The actor framed the partnership as expanding his ability to “reach and connect with even more people” through multilingual content distribution.

Marketplace Model for Voice Licensing

ElevenLabs has launched the Iconic Voices Marketplace, enabling brands to license officially authorised celebrity voices for AI-generated content. Michael Caine’s distinctive voice joins a roster including deceased Hollywood figures such as John Wayne, Rock Hudson, and Judy Garland, alongside living actors like Liza Minnelli and historical figures including Amelia Earhart and Alan Turing.

Caine characterised the platform as “using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it,” positioning voice preservation and sharing as the technology’s primary purpose. The actor recently announced he would be ending his retirement for The Last Witch Hunter 2, demonstrating continued active career engagement alongside the AI licensing arrangement.

Looking Forward

The deals reflect accelerating celebrity engagement with AI platforms. Meta secured voice licensing from Judi Dench, John Cena, and Kristen Bell amongst others, whilst actors including Ashton Kutcher and Leonardo DiCaprio have made direct investments in AI companies. As celebrity voice licensing moves from experimental to mainstream, questions around compensation models, usage restrictions, and posthumous rights management will require industry-wide standardisation.

Article based on reporting by The Guardian

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