ElevenLabs has launched Iconic Marketplace, a licensing platform connecting brands with rights holders of historical and celebrity voices, allowing figures like Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, and Amelia Earhart to be hired for commercial projects. The catalog includes entertainment legends, sports heroes, musical pioneers, and historical figures, with Stan Lee’s voice joining in May. The platform operates like a talent agency: brands submit project requests, and ElevenLabs connects them to rights holders, requiring approval and signed terms before audio is generated. Approved uses include film narration, advertising, games, audiobooks, podcasts, and educational content. Sir Michael Caine joined at launch, stating, “It’s not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them.” CEO Mati Staniszewski called it “a true breakthrough for ethical sourcing and licensing of celebrity content.” For historical figures, voices are reconstructed from archival recordings, extending image and likeness licensing into audio. ElevenLabs partnered with agencies like CMG Worldwide to bring more estates to the marketplace, which has expanded into licensed franchise characters, including Hasbro properties. The platform frames itself as solving “a key ethical challenge in AI-driven media creation” through ethical sourcing, though it does not resolve the structural tension regarding working voice actors competing against licensed celebrity voices.