On Thursday, Spotify announced a partnership with ElevenLabs to officially accept audiobooks narrated using the company's AI voice technology. As one of the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to significantly increase the number of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform.
According to the new process, authors need to first download an audio file package from ElevenLabs, then access Spotify's audiobook distribution service Findaway Voices to upload it. Before publication, the recordings will go through a review process to ensure they meet the platform's standards. Notably, Spotify will clearly label those books narrated by AI so that listeners can distinguish them.
Through ElevenLabs, authors can have their audiobooks narrated in 29 languages. While the free version allows only 10 minutes of text-to-speech per month, the $99 professional plan can generate up to 500 minutes of narration. This enables more authors to leverage AI technology to create their own audiobooks.
This collaboration comes two years after Spotify partnered with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks. Spotify plans to collaborate with more companies to further expand its audiobook library. This indicates that Spotify is accelerating its efforts in the audiobook sector, striving to provide users with a richer selection of content.
However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks has sparked widespread discussion in the publishing industry. Some industry experts express concerns that AI narration may affect the overall quality of audiobooks, falling short of the performance of professional narrators. This quality concern could become a significant challenge in the future development of the audiobook market.
Key Points:
📚 Spotify partners with ElevenLabs to launch AI-narrated audiobooks, increasing content quantity.
🎙️ Authors can use ElevenLabs' AI technology to create audiobooks in 29 languages.
🛠️ This collaboration has sparked widespread industry discussion about the quality of AI narration.
