A person’s voice is part of their identity. It carries personality, humour, and emotion, and it is how most people connect with family and friends. Most people living with ALS/MND will lose some or all of their ability to speak.
Voice preservation means recording your voice so that a communication device can later speak in a voice that sounds like you. This page explains the options, when to start, and how to get support.
On this page
When to start │ Your options │ Getting started │ Free voice cloning │ Why it matters │ Alliance position │ Resources
Start early, while your voice is clear
Voice preservation works best when recordings are made early, while speech is still clear. Talk to a speech-language pathologist soon after diagnosis, even if your speech has not changed.
If your voice has already started to change, options may still be available, including using older recordings. Recording can be tiring, so spread it over several short sessions.
Voice preservation is a personal choice. Some people prefer to use a standard computer voice, and that is also a good option.
Voice preservation options
There are three main approaches to preserving a voice. They work differently and can be used together.
Message banking
Message banking records words and phrases exactly as you say them. These can be everyday phrases, such as “Hello, how are you?”, or personal ones: terms of endearment, favourite sayings, a laugh, or calling a pet. When played back on a device, they sound exactly as recorded, with your own tone and emotion. Recorded messages cannot be changed or used to create new sentences.
Voice banking
Voice banking records you reading a set list of sentences. Software uses these recordings to create a synthetic version of your voice. A communication device can then say anything you type, in a voice similar to your own.
Voice cloning
Voice cloning uses artificial intelligence to create a realistic copy of your voice from recordings. Some services can also work from existing audio, such as videos or voice messages. Like voice banking, a cloned voice can say anything you type on a communication device.
Many people combine approaches. Message banking keeps the phrases that matter most, with their original tone and emotion, while a banked or cloned voice can be used to say anything else.
Getting started
- Ask your speech-language pathologist or ALS/MND clinic about the options available where you live
- Check which options work with your current or future communication device
- Ask about costs and funding, which vary between countries and services
- Ask family and friends which of your phrases and sayings they would most like to keep
Free AI voice cloning through ElevenLabs
Through the ElevenLabs Impact Program, anyone living with ALS/MND, anywhere in the world, can access a free Pro voice clone licence. A voice clone is a personalized AI replica of your own voice that can be added to a communication device and used to speak on your behalf.
Getting started takes three steps:
- Create your ElevenLabs account through the Impact Program.
- Record or upload audio files of your voice.
- Add your voice clone to your communication device.
Why voice preservation matters
Orlando Ruiz, founder of the Asociación Colombiana de ELA (ACELA) and a person living with ALS/MND, explains what losing your voice means, and how voice preservation can protect dignity, independence, and identity.
Alliance position
Voice preservation should be available to everyone who needs it. The Alliance believes every person living with ALS/MND should be able to access voice preservation at diagnosis, wherever they live.
Voice preservation is not designed, intended, or made available for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease, or for use as a medical device. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or judgment.
Resources from our members
Explore additional resources about voice banking, message banking, and voice cloning developed by Alliance member associations.
Voice Banking and Message Banking
MND Association · English
Information about how voice banking and message banking work, how to bank your voice, and where to find support.
MND and Communication
Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association · English
Information about message banking, voice banking, and voice cloning, including the Irish Message Banking Project.