Audible has seen a flood of AI-narrated audiobooks, with over 40,000 titles now available on its platform. While this development is celebrated by some authors for its potential revenue boost, audiobook enthusiasts are voicing their concern over the inundation of new content lacking human narration.
The trend seems to be a response to competitors like Spotify Technology SA, with Audible rolling out a new subscription plan, dubbed Audible Standard, in Australia. This budget-friendly option offers a single bestseller or new release each month, almost 50 per cent cheaper than its Premium Plus counterpart, as reported by Bloomberg.
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The shift towards AI-generated narration gained momentum after Amazon.com Inc. introduced a beta tool for self-published authors in the US, allowing them to effortlessly convert their ebooks into audiobooks using synthetic voices. This move has been met with praise from some authors, who welcomed the substantial savings in time and money. Hassan Osman, a prominent author, noted that transforming one of his books into an audiobook took only an hour to produce.
However, as the catalogue of AI-narrated titles expands, so do the grievances of audiobook aficionados. While these titles are clearly labelled, consumers criticised the absence of options to filter them out, expressing concerns over the quality and the potential impact on human narrators’ livelihoods.
Read: A quarter of Spotify Premium users engage with its audiobooks
“During the beta we are learning more about what our customers want as we continue to innovate on their behalf,” stated an Audible spokesperson cited by Bloomberg, reassuring customers that AI-voiced titles maintain an “average overall rating of 4+.”
However, apprehensions persist among consumers, with some fearing a bleak future for human narrators. One user on a forum complained, “So depressing to discover Virtual Voice narrations of audiobooks on Audible. Yes, they are good enough. Alas. Think of all that human talent that will no longer be employed.”
As I have previously written for ReadWrite, while authors in the music industry have actively resisted the encroachment of AI, audiobook narrators find themselves confronting the technology with limited recourse. Despite concerns, HarperCollins has already embarked on a partnership with ElevenLabs to voice books in multiple languages.
Read: HarperCollins partners with ElevenLabs to create audiobooks using AI
In discussions with industry insiders, there’s a cautious approach towards AI integration. While there’s consensus on its usefulness for translated works, scepticism remains regarding its broader application in audiobook narration.
Personally, I listen to a lot of audiobooks and began my foray down this particular path through Audible. There is something especially unique when listening to the author narrate their own memoir and hearing them laugh and get choked up at moments that are meaningful for them. Hence, I’m unsure how AI can replicate this.