Audible is expanding its audiobook library by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to develop more accessible narration options. The platform has recently recruited a limited number of audiobook narrators to help train AI programs on how to mimic their voices. This new initiative stands to greatly enhance Audible’s abilities. It gives authors and publishers the tools to produce audiobooks faster and easier.
Similarly, in 2023, Amazon released an invite-only beta virtual voice tool for audiobooks through its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program. This new and groundbreaking feature enables U.S.-based self-published authors to turn their e-books into audiobooks using synthetic speech technology. This tool supports translations from English to Spanish, French, Italian, and German, broadening the reach of audiobooks across different languages.
The state-of-the-art virtual voice tool gives authors unlimited access to more than 100 digital voices in multiple accents and dialects. This new ability is especially attractive for indie authors, who often lack the time, money, or expertise needed to create audiobooks themselves. As a result, more than 50,000 titles on Audible are now labeled “Narrated By: Virtual Voice,” reflecting the growing trend of utilizing AI in audiobook production.
Audible’s widespread adoption of AI-generated voices is an extension of its mission to democratize the process of making audiobooks. Audible even hires voice actors that the AI can mimic. This keeps the technology connected to a human and provides variety in narration voices and perspectives. The platform’s search for “virtual voice” reveals hundreds of titles read by synthesized voices. This represents a seismic change in how audiobooks are produced and consumed.
The implementation of this technology not only streamlines the production process for authors but enhances the listener’s experience by providing a wider variety of narration styles. Now authors can concentrate on their creative storytelling, while leaving the heavy lifting of immersive narration to superior technology.
“Narrated By: Virtual Voice.”
