Audible is investing heavily in AI to drive the production of more audiobooks. They are unveiling a new set of tools for select publishers as part of an invite-only program. Audiobooks will be produced via a fully integrated, end-to-end AI production technology.
There are two new pathways that publishers can choose from: a quickly growing and improving selection of more than 100 AI-generated voices across English, Spanish, French, and Italian with multiple accents and dialect options, and they will be able to access voice upgrades for their titles as Audible’s technology evolves. The new two systems are;
- Audible-managed, end-to-end production: Through our end-to-end service, Audible handles the entire audiobook production process for selected titles, managing every step from initial text ingestion to published audiobook.
- Self-service production: Publishers access the same underlying technology while directing their production process, independently producing high-quality audiobooks.
Later in 2025, Audible will focus on AI-driven translations to reach a broader audience. They are developing translations from English to Spanish, French, Italian, and German. Publishers can opt for human review from professional linguists to ensure translation accuracy and cultural nuance, and will be able to review the translations themselves in our text editor.
Audible will offer two translation pathways: text-to-text translation for manuscripts (after which publishers can select either professional or AI narration), and speech-to-speech translation that preserves original narrators’ voice and style across languages. Our audiobook experts will help guide publishers to identify ideal titles from their catalogues, creating new opportunities to connect stories with listeners worldwide.
“Audible believes that AI represents a momentous opportunity to expand the availability of audiobooks with the vision of offering customers every book in every language, alongside our continued investments in premium original content,” said Bob Carrigan, the chief executive of Audible. An option to utilize professional human linguists for verification of translation accuracy will also be available.
Carrigan added: “We’ll be able to bring more stories to life – helping creators reach new audiences while ensuring listeners worldwide can access extraordinary books that might otherwise never reach their ears.”
Publishers are not the only ones to benefit from Audible’s AI tech. Since last year, Audible has allowed self-publishing authors in the US to use its virtual voice technology to turn their ebooks into audiobooks. There are currently over 60,000 of these audiobooks that exist.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.