Get an ElevenLabs API key
How to create an ElevenLabs API key for text to speech, limit what it can spend, what the free plan covers, and how to store it in BizWax.Ai.
1. Why ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs turns text into natural speech, in stock voices or one you clone, and makes sound effects. Adding your key lets BizWax tools that produce audio use your own ElevenLabs account, voices and plan.
No BizWax tool uses an ElevenLabs key yet. You can store it now so it is ready when one does.
2. Create the API key
- 1Go to elevenlabs.io and sign in, or create an account. The free plan is enough to create a key and try the API.
- 2Open the API keys page in your account settings (elevenlabs.io/app/settings/api-keys).
- 3Create a new key and name it something you will recognise later, such as "BizWax".
- 4Optionally limit which features the key can use, how many credits it may spend, and which IP addresses may use it. A limit protects your plan if the key ever leaks.
- 5Copy the key and store it somewhere safe. If you lose it, create a new one and delete the old.
ElevenLabs keys start with "sk_".
3. Add it to BizWax
- 1In BizWax, open Account, then API keys.
- 2Paste the key into the ElevenLabs field and save.
- 3The key is encrypted before it is stored, and only the last 4 characters are ever shown again.
ElevenLabs bills your own plan for what you generate. Check your usage in your ElevenLabs account.
4. Using the key in your own code
Software sends the key in a header called "xi-api-key" with every request. ElevenLabs suggests storing it as an environment variable named ELEVENLABS_API_KEY, for example in a .env file that is never committed. Keep it on a server: never put it in code that runs in a visitor's browser.
5. Plans and credits
Speech is paid for in credits. The free plan includes 10,000 credits a month but no commercial licence, so anything you publish for a business, such as an ad or a client video, needs Starter or a higher plan. Check elevenlabs.io/pricing for current prices.
6. Keep it safe
Treat an API key like a password. Anyone who has it can spend on your account. Never post it publicly, commit it to a git repository, or paste it into a chat. If a key is ever exposed, revoke it in the provider console and create a new one.
Give each project its own key with a credit limit. If one leaks, it can only spend what you allowed, and you can delete it without breaking the others.
Common questions
Is the ElevenLabs API free?
There is a free plan with 10,000 credits a month, which is enough to try the API. It does not include a commercial licence, so for ads, client work or anything you sell, you need Starter or a higher paid plan.
Where do I find my ElevenLabs API key?
In your ElevenLabs account settings, on the API keys page (elevenlabs.io/app/settings/api-keys). It lists your keys by name; create a new one if you have lost the one you copied.
What is ELEVENLABS_API_KEY?
It is the environment variable name ElevenLabs suggests for storing your key, so code and tools can read it without the key being written into the code. The key itself starts with "sk_" and is sent in the "xi-api-key" header.
How do I stop a key from overspending?
Set a credit limit on the key when you create it, and restrict it to the features it needs. Use a separate key per project, so you can see what each one costs and switch one off without touching the rest.
Can I use ElevenLabs voices in commercial videos?
Yes on a paid plan: Starter and above include a commercial licence. The free plan does not, so do not use free-plan audio in ads or client work.
Does BizWax.Ai use my ElevenLabs key?
Not yet. You can store it in Account, then API keys, where it is encrypted, so it is ready when a BizWax tool that makes audio uses it. ElevenLabs bills your own plan for anything generated with it.
Checked against ElevenLabs's own pages on 3 October 2026. Providers change free tiers and minimums often.
You have the key. Give it something to do.
A voice still needs something worth saying. BizWax.Ai writes the hook people hear first, turns one article into content for five platforms, and makes finished ads and clips, with everything you make saved to one Library. You can store your ElevenLabs key there today, ready for when a tool uses it. Creating an account is free and includes some tools outright, plus free credits each week. The $20-a-month plan runs everything.
Create your account