Use your own OpenRouter key

What you need

Sign in to Kissandra. Hangout settings saves the key on your account.

You'll also want an OpenRouter account. That's where the models for chat run, and where the voices you send through the key get billed. If you don't have one yet, the next section walks you through creating it.

You can use any public voice from ElevenLabs even without an account. Find the voice and copy its voice ID. You'll want an ElevenLabs API key if:

• You want a private voice that only you own.
• You want those lines billed on your own ElevenLabs account, instead of Kissandra voice credits.

Get a key

• Create an account at openrouter.ai.
• Add credits on OpenRouter.
• Create an API key. It starts with sk-or-. You can do that from OpenRouter keys.
• In a hangout, open Settings.
• Paste the key under OpenRouter API Key and choose Save Key.

Use for text and Use for voice both start selected. Clear either checkbox later if you want that part back on Kissandra credits. Clear Key removes the key.

Text

Select Use for text to send Hangout's written requests through your OpenRouter account. That covers character replies, greetings, chat summaries, inspiration, and redoing a line. OpenRouter bills those.

Clear Use for text to put writing back on text credits. Voice is a separate checkbox. Images and videos still use Kissandra credits.

Voices

In a hangout, open Settings and select the character. Voice is on that tab. The dropdown is our selection of voices. It mixes ElevenLabs and xAI. You can use either kind from that list without an account of your own.

Select Use for voice to bill ElevenLabs speech on your OpenRouter account. Clear it to keep those lines on voice credits.

xAI speech is not billed to your OpenRouter account.

Under the dropdown, ElevenLabs voice ID takes a 20-character ID. While that box holds a valid ID, Hangout uses it for that character instead of the dropdown.

A public voice is one someone already shared. Paste its ID. It works with your OpenRouter key when Use for voice is selected, and with voice credits when that checkbox is clear. A public ID does not need an ElevenLabs account.

A voice you make yourself stays on your ElevenLabs account. Voice cloning means you upload a short recording and ElevenLabs builds a voice that sounds like it. Designing a voice means you build one with their tools instead of a recording. Either way, they give you an ID.

To use a voice you made:

• Create or design the voice on ElevenLabs, then copy its ID.
• Add your ElevenLabs API key at OpenRouter integrations. That lets OpenRouter use voices on your ElevenLabs account.
• Paste the ID in Hangout and select Use for voice.

Kissandra never asks for that ElevenLabs key and does not store it.

When that ElevenLabs key is used, OpenRouter can charge a fee from your OpenRouter credits, after a free allowance that depends on your plan. ElevenLabs bills your ElevenLabs account for the audio. The current fee and allowance are on OpenRouter pricing. Details are in their bring-your-own-key guide.