Sep 10, 2024 23:00:00

Amazon's audiobook service 'Audible' launches AI voice replicas created by narrators

Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) , Amazon's official audiobook production platform, has launched a system where narrators can create their own AI voice replicas and receive compensation for each title that is used to read aloud a book, as part of an effort to turn more books into audiobooks. A small number of narrators have already been invited to the US-only beta version.

The ACX Blog | ACX
https://www.acx.com/mp/blog/now-in-beta-narrator-voice-replicas-on-acx

Amazon's Audible to Create AI Voice Replicas of Select Audiobook Narrators - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-09/amazon-s-audible-to-create-ai-voice-replicas-of-select-audiobook-narrators

Amazon is allowing Audible narrators to clone themselves with AI - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/9/24239903/amazon-audible-audiobook-narrators-ai-generated-voice-clones

ACX announced in a blog post on September 9, 2024 that it will enable narrators to create and monetize their own AI voice replicas. In this system, narrators submit sample audio recordings, and ACX creates high-quality AI voice replicas.

When ACX produces audiobooks, they hold auditions for narrators. The narrator who created the AI voice replica can choose to have the AI voice replica do the voice for the audition, as well as to do the voice themselves. If the audiobook rights owner chooses to have the AI voice replica do the voice for the audiobook as a result of the audition, the AI voice replica will be used to voice the audiobook.

Narrators can use ACX's production tools to manage and review the final product, edit pronunciation errors, adjust speaking pacing, and more, ensuring the quality of their work using AI voice replicas. Additionally, through ACX's royalty share model, narrators can receive compensation for each title in which the AI voice replica is used.

ACX said, 'Audible will not use Voice Replica in additional content without the narrator's approval. Audible is committed to making Voice Replica a benefit to both narrators and authors, and will closely monitor the impact of the beta on our catalog and community. Titles narrated with Voice Replica will be indicated as such in the narrator section of the product detail page.'

A small number of narrators will be invited into the beta in the second week of September to create AI voice replicas, with Audible creators saying the voice replica option will be available sometime in 2024.

Bloomberg said, 'The initiative, which begins this week, is meant to add more audiobooks to the service quickly and cheaply -- and to welcome traditional narrators into an increasingly automated world that has made many wary of audiobooks.'

Starting in 2023, Amazon began offering audiobook creation tools using synthetic speech to users of the Kindle Store's self-publishing service, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) . As of May 2024, it was reported that the number of audiobooks using synthetic speech had reached approximately 40,000.

Amazon's audiobook platform 'Audible' has released about 40,000 AI-narrated works - GIGAZINE