On Thursday, Spotify announced that it now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. Given that ElevenLabs is currently among the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to boost the quantity of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform.
To upload an audiobook narrated by AI, authors need to download the file package from ElevenLabs and then visit Findaway Voices, Spotify’s audiobook distribution service. The recording must then go through a review process before it can be published. Spotify labels titles that have been narrated by AI.
With ElevenLabs, authors can narrate their audiobooks in 29 different languages. While the free version only allows for 10 minutes of text-to-speech each month, the $99/month Pro plan generates up to 500 minutes of narration.
The latest partnership comes two years after Spotify teamed up with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library.
However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks is expected to stir considerable debate within the publishing community. Some industry professionals argue that these AI recordings may compromise the overall quality of audiobooks for listeners.
