--- title: Best Sound Effects API 2026: ElevenLabs vs Pika vs MMAudio description: Best sound effects APIs in 2026 compared: ElevenLabs, Pika SFX, MMAudio, Stable Audio and ModelsLab on price, clip length, formats and where each one wins. url: https://modelslab.com/best-sound-effects-api-2026 canonical: https://modelslab.com/best-sound-effects-api-2026 type: website component: Seo/BestSoundEffectsApi2026 generated_at: 2026-10-07T20:09:43.704485Z --- AudioGen Best Sound Effects API 2026 — ElevenLabs vs Pika vs MMAudio vs ModelsLab --- Last updated Oct 7, 2026 · By ModelsLab Engineering The best sound effects API depends on clip length, volume and whether you start from text or from video. ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2 is the one for 30-second clips and loops, Pika SFX the cheapest per second, MMAudio the one for video-synced foley, Stable Audio 2.5 the one for long clips, and ModelsLab the flat-rate option. Written by ModelsLab — including where we are the wrong choice. [Try the ModelsLab SFX API](https://modelslab.com/register) [API Documentation](https://docs.modelslab.com) - ElevenLabs: $0.12 / minute - Pika SFX: $0.0002 / second - ModelsLab: $0.001 / second or $149 flat The Short Answer --- ### Best sound effects API by use case - Clips up to 30 s with loops and 48 kHz WAV: ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2 — $0.12 per minute of audio - Cheapest per second: Pika SFX — $0.0002 per second plus a $10/month membership - Foley synced to a video: MMAudio — text or video in, $0.001 per second on fal - Longest clips: Stable Audio 2.5 — up to 190 s, $0.20 per generation - Flat price at volume, one key for every model: ModelsLab — $0.001 per second, or no per-effect charge on the $149/month plan Sound Effects APIs Compared --- What each API takes as input, how long a clip can be, what it returns and how it charges. | API | Model | Input | Max length | Output | Price | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | ElevenLabs | Sound Effects v2 | Text | 30 s | MP3; WAV 48 kHz for non-looping effects | $0.12 / minute | | Pika (dev.pika.art) | Pika SFX | Text | 20 s | mp3 | $0.0002 / s + $10/month | | fal | MMAudio V2 | Text or video | 30 s | Not listed | $0.001 / s | | Stability AI | Stable Audio 2.5 | Text | 190 s | mp3 or wav | $0.20 / generation | | fal | Sonilo v1.1 | Text | 180 s | wav, mp3, aac, flac | $0.0018 / s | | WaveSpeed | Mirelo SFX 1.6 | Text (video on fal as Mirelo SFX v1) | 60 s | Not listed | $0.01 / s | | ModelsLab | Stable Audio Open 1.0 | Text | 15 s | mp3, wav, flac (44.1 kHz stereo) | $0.001 / s, $0.0047 minimum; none on $149 plan | Read on each provider's own page or API schema on October 6, 2026. "Not listed" means the provider's page did not state it. Each API, Honestly --- ### ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2 Clips up to 30 seconds, a loop option and 48 kHz WAV for non-looping effects — the widest feature set among the per-second APIs here. Its API price list says $0.12 per minute of audio, which is $0.002 per second; its own FAQ and docs describe the billing differently, so test the invoice on a small batch. Shortlist it when those features matter more than price. ### Pika SFX The cheapest per second we found: $0.0002, charged only for successful runs, for 1 to 20 second mp3 clips. The Pika developer platform adds a $10/month membership, so at very low volume the membership is most of the bill. Pika’s API FAQ says API outputs are licensed for commercial use. ### MMAudio MMAudio generates audio from text or from a video, which makes it the natural pick for foley that has to land on the frame. On fal the text-to-audio endpoint costs $0.001 per second for clips up to 30 seconds; Replicate runs it on GPU time at about $0.0049 a run. ### Stable Audio 2.5 and Sonilo Both handle long audio: Stable Audio 2.5 runs up to 190 seconds at a flat $0.20 per generation on Stability AI’s API (and on fal), and Sonilo v1.1 on fal runs up to 180 seconds at $0.0018 per second. Use them for ambience beds and long transitions rather than one-shots. ### ModelsLab ModelsLab runs Stable Audio Open 1.0 on its own GPUs at $0.001 per second with a $0.0047 minimum, for 3 to 15 second clips in mp3, wav or flac, in about 13 seconds per effect. On the $149/month Open Source Unlimited plan there is no per-effect charge, and the same key covers image, video, speech and LLM APIs, plus ElevenLabs Sound Effects at $0.06 per generation. ### Where ModelsLab is the wrong choice If you need clips longer than 15 seconds, ModelsLab cannot do it in one request; ElevenLabs (30 s), Sonilo (180 s) and Stable Audio 2.5 (190 s) can. If you need sound generated from a video, use MMAudio or Mirelo: our endpoint takes text only. If you want the lowest bill for a few hundred effects a month, Pika SFX costs less. And if ElevenLabs is the only model you use, call ElevenLabs directly — our ElevenLabs resale at $0.06 per generation costs more than its own API. Price per 10-Second Effect --- The same fourteen offers, sorted by the cost of one 10-second effect. | Provider | Model | Listed price | 10-second effect | Max length | |---|---|---|---|---| | Pika (dev.pika.art) | Pika SFX | $0.0002 / second + $10/month membership | $0.002 | 20 s | | Replicate | MMAudio (zsxkib/mmaudio) | ≈ $0.0049 / run (L40S GPU time) | ≈ $0.0049 | Not published | | ModelsLab | Stable Audio Open 1.0 | $0.001 / second, $0.0047 minimum; none on the $149 plan | $0.01 | 15 s | | fal | MMAudio V2 | $0.001 / second | $0.01 | 30 s | | fal | Sonilo v1.1 | $0.0018 / second | $0.018 | 180 s | | ElevenLabs | Sound Effects v2 (eleven\_text\_to\_sound\_v2) | $0.12 / minute of audio | $0.02 | 30 s | | fal | ElevenLabs Sound Effects V2 | $0.002 / second | $0.02 | 22 s | | fal | Stable Audio 3 Small SFX | $0.0206 / audio | $0.0206 | 120 s | | WaveSpeed | Kling text-to-audio | $0.035 / run | $0.035 (max 10 s) | 10 s | | Segmind | ElevenLabs sound generation | $0.05 / generation | $0.05 | Not published | | ModelsLab | ElevenLabs Sound Effects (eleven\_sound\_effect) | $0.06 / generation | $0.06 | Not published | | WaveSpeed | Mirelo SFX 1.6 | $0.01 / second | $0.10 | 60 s | | Stability AI | Stable Audio 2.5 | 20 credits ($0.20) / generation | $0.20 | 190 s | | fal | Stable Audio 2.5 | $0.20 / audio | $0.20 | 190 s | Every price read on the provider's own page on October 6, 2026, in the unit the provider publishes. ElevenLabs lists Sound Effects at $0.12 per minute on its API pricing page, while its FAQ says sound effects are billed per generation and its docs say 40 credits per second when a duration is set. Replicate bills GPU time, so its cost per run varies. Pika's $10/month membership is charged on top of usage. Listen Before You Choose --- Four unedited 5-second effects from the ModelsLab endpoint (Stable Audio Open 1.0), generated on October 6, 2026. Run the same prompts on any API you shortlist and compare by ear. ### Door creak Prompt: “Heavy wooden door creaking open slowly in a stone hallway” [Door creak sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/door-creak.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/door-creak.mp3) ### Thunderstorm Prompt: “Thunderstorm with heavy rain and a close lightning strike” [Thunderstorm sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/thunderstorm.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/thunderstorm.mp3) ### Laser shots Prompt: “Sci-fi laser gun firing three quick shots” [Laser shots sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/laser-shots.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/laser-shots.mp3) ### Glass shatter Prompt: “Glass bottle shattering on a concrete floor” [Glass shatter sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/glass-shatter.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/glass-shatter.mp3) How to Pick in Three Checks --- ### 1. Clip length and input One-shots under 15 seconds fit every API here. Ambience beds over 30 seconds narrow the field to Stable Audio 2.5, Sonilo and Mirelo. Audio for an existing video narrows it to MMAudio and Mirelo. ### 2. Your real monthly volume Convert every price to your typical clip length and monthly count. A $149 flat plan beats $0.001 per second above about 14,900 ten-second effects a month; below that, per-second pricing wins. ### 3. Your own ears Run the same ten prompts — your genre, your sounds — through each shortlisted API and listen. We have not run a blind quality test between these models, and a published ranking will not match your catalogue. Sources --- Every price and limit on this page, with the page we read it on and the date. - [ElevenLabs API pricing](https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/api) — Sound Effects $0.12 per minute; FAQ "billed per generation", read 2026-10-06 - [ElevenLabs sound effects docs](https://elevenlabs.io/docs/overview/capabilities/sound-effects) — 40 credits per second with a duration, formats, read 2026-10-06 - [ElevenLabs sound effects API reference](https://elevenlabs.io/docs/api-reference/text-to-sound-effects/convert) — duration 0.5–30 s, eleven\_text\_to\_sound\_v2, read 2026-10-06 - [Pika SFX pricing](https://dev.pika.art/models/pika/pika-audio/pika-sfx/pricing) — $0.0002 per second, read 2026-10-06 - [Pika API pricing](https://dev.pika.art/pricing) — $10/month membership fee, read 2026-10-06 - [fal MMAudio V2 text-to-audio](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/mmaudio-v2/text-to-audio) — $0.001 per second, read 2026-10-06 - [fal ElevenLabs Sound Effects V2](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/elevenlabs/sound-effects/v2) — $0.002 per second, read 2026-10-06 - [fal Sonilo v1.1 text-to-sound-effects](https://fal.ai/models/sonilo/v1.1/text-to-sound-effects) — $0.0018 per second, read 2026-10-06 - [fal Stable Audio 3 Small SFX](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/stable-audio-3/small/sfx/text-to-audio) — $0.0206 per audio, read 2026-10-06 - [fal Stable Audio 2.5](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/stable-audio-25/text-to-audio) — $0.20 per audio, read 2026-10-06 - [WaveSpeed Mirelo SFX 1.6](https://wavespeed.ai/models/mirelo-ai/sfx-1.6/text-to-audio) — $0.01 per generated second, read 2026-10-06 - [WaveSpeed Kling text-to-audio](https://wavespeed.ai/models/kwaivgi/kling-text-to-audio) — $0.035 per run, read 2026-10-06 - [Stability AI pricing](https://platform.stability.ai/pricing) — Stable Audio 2.5 = 20 credits, 1 credit = $0.01, read 2026-10-06 - [Replicate MMAudio](https://replicate.com/zsxkib/mmaudio) — about $0.0049 per run on L40S, read 2026-10-06 - [Segmind sound generation pricing](https://segmind.com/models/sound-generation/pricing) — $0.05 per generation, read 2026-10-06 - [Stable Audio Open 1.0 model card](https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-audio-open-1.0) — Stability AI Community License Sound effects API guides --- [### Sound Effects API The ModelsLab endpoint: price, limits, samples, curl and Python.](/text-to-sfx) [### Sound effects API pricing Price per second and per 10-second effect across 14 offers.](/sound-effects-api-pricing) [### ElevenLabs sound effects alternative What switching costs, what you gain and what you lose.](/elevenlabs-sound-effects-api-alternative) [### API status Request errors logged per endpoint, last seven days.](/status) Related Sound Effects APIs --- - [Sound Effects API](/text-to-sfx)Stable Audio Open 1.0 at $0.001 per second. - [Sound effects API pricing](/sound-effects-api-pricing)Price per second across 14 offers. - [ElevenLabs sound effects alternative](/elevenlabs-sound-effects-api-alternative)Half the per-second rate, and what you give up. - [Cheapest AI API](/cheapest-ai-api)Image, video and speech prices side by side. - [Unlimited AI API](/unlimited)Every self-hosted open-source model for $149/mo. Get Expert Support in Seconds We're Here to Help. --- Want to know more? You can email us anytime at Chat with support[View Docs](https://docs.modelslab.com) It depends on the job. For clips up to 30 seconds with a loop option and 48 kHz WAV, ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2. For the lowest price per second, Pika SFX. For foley synced to a video, MMAudio. For flat-rate volume on one key that also covers image, video and speech, ModelsLab’s Stable Audio Open endpoint. Decide by clip length, monthly volume and whether you start from text or from video. ElevenLabs v2 allows clips up to 30 seconds and a loop option, at $0.12 per minute of audio on its own API. ModelsLab runs Stable Audio Open 1.0 at $0.001 per second — half that rate — for 3 to 15 second clips, with no per-effect charge on the $149/month plan. ModelsLab also resells ElevenLabs at $0.06 per generation, which costs more than going direct. They do different jobs. MMAudio generates audio from text or from a video, so it suits foley synced to footage; on fal it costs $0.001 per second for up to 30 seconds. Stable Audio Open 1.0 is text to audio only. We have not run a blind quality test between them, so generate the same prompts on both and listen. Stable Audio 2.5 (up to 190 seconds on Stability AI’s API), Sonilo v1.1 (up to 180 seconds on fal) and Stable Audio 3 Small SFX (up to 120 seconds on fal). ElevenLabs allows 30 seconds, Pika SFX 20 seconds and ModelsLab 15 seconds. Yes. Pika SFX is on the Pika developer platform at $0.0002 per second of audio, for clips of 1 to 20 seconds in mp3. The platform charges a $10/month membership fee on top of usage. For a large library of short one-shots such as footsteps, UI clicks and impacts, cost per effect and batch volume decide it: Pika SFX, MMAudio on fal or a ModelsLab flat plan. For hero sounds, shortlist ElevenLabs as well and compare by ear. Every API here is cheap enough to generate several variations per sound and keep the best one. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the best sound effects API in 2026? It depends on the job. For clips up to 30 seconds with a loop option and 48 kHz WAV, ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2. For the lowest price per second, Pika SFX. For foley synced to a video, MMAudio. For flat-rate volume on one key that also covers image, video and speech, ModelsLab’s Stable Audio Open endpoint. Decide by clip length, monthly volume and whether you start from text or from video. ### ModelsLab vs ElevenLabs: which is better for sound effects? ElevenLabs v2 allows clips up to 30 seconds and a loop option, at $0.12 per minute of audio on its own API. ModelsLab runs Stable Audio Open 1.0 at $0.001 per second — half that rate — for 3 to 15 second clips, with no per-effect charge on the $149/month plan. ModelsLab also resells ElevenLabs at $0.06 per generation, which costs more than going direct. ### Is MMAudio better than Stable Audio Open? They do different jobs. MMAudio generates audio from text or from a video, so it suits foley synced to footage; on fal it costs $0.001 per second for up to 30 seconds. Stable Audio Open 1.0 is text to audio only. We have not run a blind quality test between them, so generate the same prompts on both and listen. ### Which sound effects API supports the longest clips? Stable Audio 2.5 (up to 190 seconds on Stability AI’s API), Sonilo v1.1 (up to 180 seconds on fal) and Stable Audio 3 Small SFX (up to 120 seconds on fal). ElevenLabs allows 30 seconds, Pika SFX 20 seconds and ModelsLab 15 seconds. ### Does Pika have a sound effects API? Yes. Pika SFX is on the Pika developer platform at $0.0002 per second of audio, for clips of 1 to 20 seconds in mp3. The platform charges a $10/month membership fee on top of usage. ### Which API is best for game sound effects? For a large library of short one-shots such as footsteps, UI clicks and impacts, cost per effect and batch volume decide it: Pika SFX, MMAudio on fal or a ModelsLab flat plan. For hero sounds, shortlist ElevenLabs as well and compare by ear. Every API here is cheap enough to generate several variations per sound and keep the best one. --- *This markdown version is optimized for AI agents and LLMs.* **Links:** - [Website](https://modelslab.com) - [API Documentation](https://docs.modelslab.com) - [Blog](https://modelslab.com/blog) --- *Generated by ModelsLab - 2026-10-08*