What does an hour of AI narration cost?
Want to estimate the cost of an hour of AI narration? Media models price per image, second or minute rather than per token, so the math is different. This page helps teams producing audio content get a realistic monthly figure for their volume.
Results update automatically as you type.
- Rate
- $15/1M chars
- Per day
- $7.50
- Per month
- $225.00
Why this isn't trivial
The part people underestimate: an hour of speech is tens of thousands of characters, so TTS rate times length drives the cost. In practice the biggest savings come from using an efficient TTS tier for long-form narration, so it is worth modelling before you commit.
How it's calculated
We estimate this by converting an hour of speech to characters and pricing at the TTS rate. Every figure uses the current provider prices baked into the site (reviewed daily), and you can override any input to match your own assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters is an hour?+
Tens of thousands, depending on speaking rate; the tool estimates from words per minute.
Which tier for narration?+
Balance voice quality against per-character cost for long content.
Are these prices up to date?+
Yes. The model prices behind this calculator are refreshed and reviewed daily, so your estimate reflects current provider rates rather than a stale snapshot.
Related
Estimates for planning. Pricing data last reviewed 28 July 2026.