Spotify goes all-in on robot audiobook narrators

Summary

Spotify is now accepting audiobooks voiced by AI from ElevenLabs, an AI software company that generates digital narrations.
ElevenLabs can generate audiobook narrations in 29 different languages. Spotify labels any audiobooks narrated by AI on its platform.
Spotify Premium offers 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.

Spotify is doubling down on its efforts to compete with Amazon Music and Audible in the audiobook market.

Spotify has announced that it will now accept AI-narrated audiobooks from ElevenLabs, an AI software company that enables authors to create digital narrations for their work using AI voice technology. ElevenLabs lets authors narrate their audiobooks in 29 different languages and provides control over the voice and intonation of the AI-generated narration.

This move by the music streaming giant will undoubtedly pave the way for even more AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform. Spotify said this is one of its most “requested features.” Spotify labels any audiobook on the platform that is voiced by AI.

“For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option,” Spotify said in a press release. “One of our most requested features, now, authors can distribute their ElevenLabs content to Spotify and select other audiobook retailers via Findaway Voices, reaching millions of new listeners and book fans.”

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AI-narrated audiobooks aren’t new on Spotify

There are still concerns about AI-narrated audiobooks

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This isn’t the first time Spotify has dabbled with AI-narrated audiobooks. Over a year ago, the music streaming giant partnered with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks on its platform. This new partnership with ElevenLabs will simply be another avenue for authors to get their work out there in an audio format, if they are okay with their book being narrated by AI.

The free version of ElevenLabs only allows a user to generate 10 minutes of text-to-speech each month, while the Pro plan, which costs $99 a month, lets users generate up to 500 minutes (about 8 hours) of AI narration for their work. Spotify says it plans to continue to “find ways” for authors and publishers to get their audiobooks on Spotify.

Some authors are concerned about AI voice technology, as they believe it compromises the quality of the audiobook. There are also concerns about the effects on the livelihood of human narrators. In 2023, Spotify expanded its Premium subscription to offer 15 hours of audiobook listening.