- Audible is incorporating AI-powered audiobook narration, trained on professional narrators’ voices.
- A select group of U.S.-based narrators will participate in training the AI with their voices.
- Narrators will maintain control over how their AI-generated voice is used, including adjustments to pacing and pronunciation.
- Participants will be compensated on a royalty-sharing basis, earning for every audiobook that uses their AI-generated voice.
Main AI News:
Audible, Amazon’s audiobook platform, has introduced a new initiative to integrate AI-driven narration, utilizing the voices of professional narrators. A selected group of U.S.-based narrators will be part of this program, where AI will learn from their voice recordings. The technology will then be employed to produce audiobook narrations, with narrators maintaining control over using their AI-generated voice for specific titles, including adjustments to pacing and pronunciation. Narrators participating in the initiative will be compensated under a royalty-sharing model, receiving ongoing earnings for each audiobook produced using their AI voice.
Audible’s latest step towards embracing AI in audiobook production signals a broader evolution in the industry. The Amazon-owned platform has selected a group of U.S. narrators to train AI with their voices, allowing the technology to generate new audiobook recordings. This collaboration provides narrators oversight over their synthetic voices, letting them approve and refine how it’s used in different works and make adjustments like pronunciation or pacing. The royalty-sharing compensation model ensures that these narrators benefit from every AI-generated audiobook that features their voice, promoting sustained income over time.
Conclusion:
Audible’s move to integrate AI-driven narration marks a significant shift in the audiobook industry. By combining AI technology with professional voice talent, Audible is pushing forward a hybrid model that reduces production time while leveraging human expertise. This approach increases efficiency and provides narrators with a continuous revenue stream, as their voices can be reused across multiple projects. For the broader market, this could drive faster content generation and offer more personalized options for consumers while setting the stage for evolving roles within the creative industry.
