Spotify & ElevenLabs Partner for AI-Narrated Audiobooks

Spotify Now Supports AI-Narrated Audiobooks via ElevenLabs

Spotify revealed on Thursday a new capability: acceptance of audiobooks created using the voice technology of ElevenLabs. This collaboration is anticipated to significantly increase the number of audiobooks on the platform that utilize artificial intelligence for narration.

Uploading AI-Narrated Audiobooks

Authors wishing to publish an AI-narrated audiobook must first obtain the necessary file package from ElevenLabs. Following this, they will need to utilize Findaway Voices, Spotify’s dedicated audiobook distribution service, to submit their work.

All submitted recordings are subject to a review procedure prior to public release. Spotify will clearly identify audiobooks that have been narrated using AI technology.

ElevenLabs Capabilities and Pricing

ElevenLabs empowers authors to produce audiobooks in a diverse range of 29 different languages. While a free tier is available, it limits text-to-speech generation to 10 minutes per month.

For more extensive use, a Pro subscription is offered at $99 per month, enabling the creation of up to 500 minutes of narration.

Expanding Audiobook Availability

This recent partnership builds upon Spotify’s previous collaboration with Google Play Books, initiated two years ago, to introduce AI-narrated audiobook options. Spotify intends to forge additional partnerships to further broaden its audiobook catalog.

Potential Industry Debate

The increasing prevalence of AI-generated audiobooks is predicted to spark substantial discussion within the publishing sector. Certain industry experts express concerns that these AI-produced recordings could potentially diminish the overall listening experience and quality of audiobooks.

Some believe that the nuanced performance of human narrators is difficult to replicate with current AI technology, and its widespread adoption could impact the artistic integrity of the medium.