Audible, the audiobook division of Amazon.com, is collaborating with American book publishers to transform print and electronic books into audiobooks narrated by artificial intelligence. This initiative aims to broaden Audible’s library, especially in non-English speaking regions.
Bob Carrigan, the CEO of Audible, emphasized the importance of making every book accessible in audio format during a recent interview. According to Carrigan, audiobooks represent the fastest-growing segment in the publishing industry, yet only a small fraction—between two and five percent—of current print and e-books are available as audiobooks. “Our goal is to close that gap,” he stated.
Publishers will have access to a selection of over 100 AI-generated voices, accommodating languages such as English, Spanish, French, and Italian, with various accents and dialects available. They can choose to produce titles exclusively for Audible, which offers more appealing royalty rates, or for a wider distribution outside the platform.
In the near future, Audible plans to introduce a translation feature that will enable users to convert text and audio into several languages beyond the original.
“Harnessing AI to expand storytelling access to a broader audience in various languages is an exciting prospect,” Carrigan remarked.
As of late last year, Audible’s membership, priced at $14.95 per month, has reached record highs. The service has recently launched in new markets, including Brazil, and is exploring new subscription options and royalty structures to maintain its competitive advantage against rivals like Spotify Technology SA, which has integrated audiobook features into its streaming service.
Typically, Audible prohibits publishers from uploading AI-narrated audiobooks created with third-party tools, indicating that collaboration with Audible’s proprietary technology is necessary to leverage its extensive audience.
Additionally, Audible has allowed self-published authors in the United States to use these AI voices for converting their e-books into audiobooks. The number of such titles available on Audible has surged to over 60,000, up from 40,000 at the same time last year.
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