✍️ We’re retiring a selection of older stock voices on 15 December 2026. These voices were built on an older third-party engine that we can’t improve or update. We’re retiring them to focus on our newer voice technology. The voices we recommend in their place offer better stability and expressiveness.
This article explains which voices are affected, what happens before and after 15 December, and how to move your videos to a new voice.
How to Replace a Voice
To replace a retiring voice, use the notice in the editor. The notice recommends a replacement voice and offers a few alternatives.
Open your video in the editor.
In the notice, review the suggested replacement.
Select Play to hear the suggested voice.
Select Compare to hear the same line in the original voice and then in the new one.
Select Replace all to swap the voice across your video, or choose one of the other suggested voices.
Select Undo straight away if you’re not happy with the new voice.
You can also choose any other voice from the catalog.
✍️ We’ve chosen each replacement to be as close to the original as we can, but every voice is unique. Your video may sound a little different after you switch. We recommend listening through your video after you replace the voice.
What Changes When You Replace a Voice
When you replace a voice, three things affect how your video sounds.
Timing: We adjust the pace of each scene so your video’s timing stays close to the original. If the timing of a scene still changes by a large amount, we flag the scene so you can check it.
Pronunciation: Pronunciation fixes you’ve applied in the video carry over. Glossary entries set for a language or locale also carry over. Glossary entries set for one specific voice don’t carry over.
Accents: For some accents, such as Scottish, South African and Mexican English, the closest available match may sound quite different. We recommend listening to the suggestions before you choose.
Which Voices Are Affected
The following 65 stock voices will retire on 15 December 2026.
English (US)
English (US)
Announcer (m), Booming (m), Bright (f), Clear (f), Commercial (m), Commercial (f), Compassionate (m), Deadpan (m), Deep (f), Easygoing (f), Energetic (m), Expressive (f), Fluttery (f), Friendly (m), Laidback (m), Lively (m), Lively (f), Lively 2 (m), Narrative (f), Oratory (m), Peaceful (m), Precise (f), Professional (f), Promotional (f), Reassuring (m), Relaxed (f), Serious (m), Smart (f), Soft-spoken (m), Sonorous (m), Southern (f), Thoughtful (m), Timbered (m), Trustworthy (m), Understanding (f), Upbeat (m), Warm (f), Young (m), Youthful (f), Jess (f), Jessica (f), Liam (m)
English (UK)
English (UK)
Didactic (m), Honest (m), Lively (f), Resonant (m), Scottish (m), Soft (f), Soothing (m)
English (Australia)
English (Australia)
Coarse (m), Confident (m), Energetic (f), Peaceful (m), Serious (m)
English (Canada)
English (Canada)
Energetic (m), Mature (m)
English (South Africa)
English (South Africa)
Honeyed (f), Lively (m)
English (Ireland)
English (Ireland)
Youthful (m)
English (Mexico)
English (Mexico)
Enjoyable (m)
Multiple Languages
Multiple Languages
Fresh (f), Inviting (m), Sincere (f), Timeless (m), Wise (m)
✍️ Some retiring voices share a name with voices that are staying. For example, Lively in English (UK) is retiring, while Lively in English (Australia) is not. To check whether a voice is retiring, turn off the Hide retiring voices filter in the voice picker. Retiring voices show a Retiring 15 Dec badge.
What to Expect Until 15 December
Until 15 December, your existing videos keep working. You can open, edit and generate videos that use a retiring voice as normal.
Editor Notice
When you open a video or template that uses a retiring voice, a notice in the editor tells you when the voice retires and suggests a replacement. The notice also appears when you create a video from a custom template, or add scenes from one.
If you’re not ready to choose, select Remind me later. The notice reappears on your next login.
If your video also uses an avatar that’s being upgraded, you may see the avatar upgrade prompt first. Switching to the upgraded avatar also updates the voice to the voice recommended for the new avatar.
Choosing a Replacement
You choose the replacement voice. The notice recommends a voice and offers a few alternatives. Play any of them to hear it, or compare it with the original voice. Select Replace all to switch every scene in your video in one step, and select Undo straight away if you change your mind.
Generate Reminder
If a video still uses a retiring voice, the Generate menu shows a short reminder with a link to choose a replacement. You can still generate the video as normal until 15 December.
Voice Picker and Recommendations
Retiring voices are hidden in the voice picker by default, using a new Hide retiring voices filter. Turn the filter off to see them, marked with a Retiring 15 Dec badge.
Retiring voices are removed from voice recommendations and stock templates.
You can keep creating new videos with retiring voices until 15 December.
After 15 December, retired voices no longer appear in the voice picker.
What Happens After 15 December
After 15 December, you can’t generate videos with a retired voice. This applies in the Synthesia app, through the API, in bulk, and through the Assistant.
Existing Videos
Videos that use a retired voice stay in your library and remain editable. To generate or regenerate one of these videos, replace the retired voice first. A notice with the suggested replacements stays in the editor until you’ve chosen a new voice.
Generated Videos
Videos that are already generated keep playing. Finished videos you've shared or published are not affected, and you can keep using any files you've downloaded. You can also download these videos again after 15 December.
Downloading Videos
You can still download finished videos that use a retired voice after 15 December. This applies to any video you generated before the voice retired. The downloaded file keeps the original voice, and you can keep using it as normal. To change the voice in a video, replace the retired voice in the editor and generate the video again.
Templates
Custom templates that use a retired voice show the same notice. When you create a video from a custom template, or add scenes from one, you choose a replacement voice before you can generate. We don’t replace a voice unless you choose to.
API, Bulk and Assistant
Requests that use a retired voice return a notice that the voice has retired. This includes requests that create a video from a template that uses a retired voice, and requests that regenerate an existing video. Replace the voice in your request or template to continue.
Localized Video Creation
When you create a localized version of a video, we pick a recommended voice for the new language. We never pick a retiring voice for you.
Before 15 December, you can still choose a retiring voice yourself after the localized version is created. The voice is hidden in the voice picker by default.
After 15 December, you can’t choose a retired voice. If you chose a retiring voice yourself and haven’t replaced it by then, replace it before you generate the video.
If a job fails because of a retired voice, no credits are used.
Dubbing
Dubbing uses your cloned voice, so dubbing isn’t affected unless you select a retired voice yourself. When you dub a video with a voice clone, retired voices aren’t available.
If you edit an existing dubbed video, we suggest a recommended voice for that language.
Before 15 December, you can still choose a retiring voice yourself after the dubbed video is created.
After 15 December, you can’t generate that dubbed video until you replace the retired voice.
Tips and Notes
💡 Replace voices before 15 December. Replacing a retiring voice now means you can generate your videos without interruption after the retirement date.
💡 Use Compare before you choose. Compare plays the same line in the original voice and then the new one, so you can judge the closest match for your video.
💡 Download any videos you need before you change a voice. Replacing a voice and generating again creates a new version with the replacement voice, so keep a copy of the original if you want it.
✍️ Check flagged scenes after you switch. If a scene’s timing changes by a large amount after you replace a voice, the scene is flagged so you can review it before you generate.
💬 FAQs
Will my existing videos stop working?
Will my existing videos stop working?
No, existing videos won’t stop working when a stock voice retires. Videos that are already generated keep playing, and videos that use a retired voice can still be opened and edited. After 15 December, you need to replace the retired voice before you can generate those videos again.
Can I keep using retiring voices after 15 December?
Can I keep using retiring voices after 15 December?
No, you can’t use a retiring voice after 15 December. After 15 December, these voices are retired and can’t be used to generate videos. Your videos stay in your library, and you can switch to a replacement voice in a few steps.
Can I get the exact same voice back after it retires?
Can I get the exact same voice back after it retires?
No, a retired voice can’t be recreated, so each replacement is a different voice. We’ve chosen the closest matches, and you can listen to the replacements, or compare them with the original voice, before you decide.
Do I need to do anything for videos I’ve already generated?
Do I need to do anything for videos I’ve already generated?
No, you don’t need to do anything for videos you’ve already generated. Generated videos keep playing after the retiring voices retire on 15 December.
Who should I contact if I have questions about retiring voices?
Who should I contact if I have questions about retiring voices?
If you have questions about retiring voices, contact your account manager or Synthesia Support
Related Resources
📚 To learn more, check out How do I change an Avatar’s voice?
📚 To learn more about voice settings and the voice picker, check out Using the Script Box in Synthesia
📚 To learn more about pronunciation scopes, check out How do I use the Glossary in Synthesia?