7 AI tools you should try shouldn’t be a huge list you’ll never use. Here’s a tight, creator-friendly stack with quick wins, links to the official tools, and simple workflows you can ship today.
Table of Contents
- Who this list is for
- 1) Zapier — Turn Repetitive Tasks into Automated Flows
- 2) Google AI Studio — Build with Gemini, Prototype Copilots
- 3) ChatGPT Canvas — Edit Only the Parts You Want
- 4) Udio — Make Custom Songs in Minutes
- 5) ElevenLabs — Hyper-Realistic AI Voices
- 6) Perplexity — An AI Answer Engine with Sources
- 7) Descript — Edit Videos Like Editing Text
- A 30-Minute Workflow to Test These Today
- FAQ
Who this list is for
Solo creators, YouTubers, and small teams who want real leverage: automate a boring task, create original assets (music/voice/video), and research faster—without rebuilding your whole stack.
1) Zapier — Turn Repetitive Tasks into Automated Flows
Zapier glues your apps together and now adds AI steps (summarize, tag, rewrite) mid-flow. Start tiny: one trigger, one action, then add an AI step once it works.
- 10-minute win: When a YouTube comment mentions “bug/issue,” auto-create a Notion task and DM yourself a summary.
- Naming: “YT→Notion: bug mentions” beats “Zap 1.” Keep flows human-readable.
- Don’t: Over-branch. If you need 3+ filters, split into two Zaps.
2) Google AI Studio — Build with Gemini, Prototype Copilots
Google AI Studio is the quickest on-ramp to Gemini: test prompts, get an API key, and sketch small copilots (table cleanup plans, draft classifiers) before coding.
- 10-minute win: Paste a messy CSV snippet → ask for a cleanup plan you can apply in Sheets.
- Tip: Save “prompt cards” so you don’t reinvent your best prompts every time.
3) ChatGPT Canvas — Edit Only the Parts You Want
ChatGPT Canvas lets you drop a long draft, select a paragraph, and change just that (tone, clarity, examples) without wrecking the rest.
- 10-minute win: Paste a product page; improve only the hero paragraph. Leave specs/pricing untouched.
- Micro-prompts: “friendlier,” “bullet benefits,” “cut 20% fluff.” Short beats vague.
4) Udio — Make Custom Songs in Minutes
Udio turns a short text brief into usable music for intros/reels. Keep it instrumental under voiceover; export WAV/MP3 and normalize for social.
- Prompt formula: genre + energy + length + “no vocals.” Example: “upbeat synth pop, 15s, instrumental.”
- Consistency: Save your favorite prompts (genre + 2 adjectives) for a repeatable sound.
5) ElevenLabs — Hyper-Realistic AI Voices
ElevenLabs is great for product demos and tutorial VO. Choose a neutral voice, keep sentences short, export 44.1 kHz WAV, then compress to 192 kbps MP3.
- 10-minute win: Turn a 90-second script into clean VO; add natural pauses around key claims.
- Heads-up: Check license/attribution rules if you’re on the free tier.
6) Perplexity — An AI Answer Engine with Sources
Perplexity gives concise answers with citations you can click and verify—handy for “compare X vs Y” or quick fact-checks before you publish.
- 10-minute win: Ask for a pros/cons table + 3 recent sources; click through and verify before you post.
- Follow-ups: “Make it simpler,” “turn into a checklist,” “give 2 counter-arguments.”
7) Descript — Edit Videos Like Editing Text
Descript auto-transcribes, lets you cut by text, deletes fillers in bulk, and exports captions fast—perfect for tight shorts and tutorials.
- 10-minute win: Import a talking-head clip → remove “um/uh” → export a 60-second cut with burned-in captions.
- Workflow: First pass by text, then a quick timeline polish for pacing/music beats.
A 30-Minute Workflow to Try Them Today
- 0–5: Draft a 60–90s script (Canvas); generate VO (ElevenLabs).
- 6–10: Create a 12–15s instrumental bed (Udio).
- 11–18: Rough-cut in Descript; remove fillers; add captions.
- 19–25: Research one claim with Perplexity; verify sources.
- 26–30: Automate a boring step in Zapier (publish → log to Notion + Slack ping).
FAQ
Which two should I start with if I’m overwhelmed?
Descript (to ship edits faster) + Zapier (to remove one repetitive step). Add Perplexity for quick research sanity checks.
Can I replace my whole stack with these?
No. Use them as accelerators. Keep the tools that already work; remove friction where it hurts most.
Wrap-Up
Don’t collect tools—collect outcomes. Pick one bottleneck, ship one workflow, and measure time saved. That’s how AI tools you should try actually turn into results.
