Amazon's audiobook arm, Audible, has launched a new initiative, asking US-based narrators to participate in developing AI voice models that can replicate their own voices. This effort is designed to streamline audiobook production, expanding the available library more swiftly and at a lower cost.
Melding Human Skills with AI
The company is encouraging professional narrators to contribute to this AI development. Unlike previous projects that used fully synthetic voices, Audible's current method aims to mix AI-generated voices with human narration. The new hybrid approach is an attempt to address narrators' concerns about the impact of automated audiobook production on their industry.
Previously, Amazon allowed self-published authors on the Kindle Store to use a generic AI voice to narrate their books. As of May, this feature has been adopted in over 40,000 audiobooks on Audible, showing a growing acceptance among both authors and listeners for AI-generated content.
Beta Testing and Future Plans
Currently in beta, and limited to the US, the program was announced on Audible's creator marketplace. The plan includes expanding to authors, agents, and publishers later in the year. Beta participants will train AI to mimic their voices by submitting recordings, with the freedom to choose projects for either live or AI-generated narration.
Narrators can utilize Amazon's production tools to modify the pacing and pronunciation of their AI replicas. Once a rights holder selects an AI-generated voice for a project, narrators can review the final product to ensure it meets their standards. This customization is aimed at maintaining the quality of Audible's offerings.
Earnings and Future Costs
In terms of compensation, Amazon will pay narrators through a “Royalty Share” model on an individual project basis. While exact earnings details were not provided, the announcement mentioned that creating a voice replica for the beta participants is currently free, hinting at potential future costs if the feature becomes widely accessible.
Audiobooks created using AI voice models will be clearly marked on their product pages, although Audible does not currently offer users an option to easily filter out these “Virtual Voice” titles if they prefer human-narrated content.
