Link: Amazon is allowing Audible narrators to clone themselves with AI

Amazon is set to train AI-generated voice clones of Audible narrators to enhance audiobook production. This beta program, initially available only in the US, promises quicker output by utilizing these advanced voice technologies.

The project's goal is to expand the audiobook catalog, prioritizing a balance between the interests of authors, narrators, and listeners. By extending involvement to rights holders later this year, Amazon aims to fully leverage the initiative’s potential.

Narrators volunteering for the beta will submit voice recordings to create their AI duplicates, maintaining the option to choose or reject projects involving their voice replicas. They will also oversee the final productions to ensure accuracy and satisfaction.

Participants can adjust their AI replicas' pronunciation and pacing, ensuring the final audiobook feels authentic. Amazon guarantees compensation through a Royalty Share agreement, although detailed payment structures remain undisclosed.

Amazon ensures that narrators retain control over the usage of their voice replicas, forbidding the use of these AI-generated voices without explicit consent. This control extends to both the approval of projects and Audible’s overall usage of the generated voices.

Audible's expansion into AI voices mirrors its Kindle Direct Publishing initiative, though has sparked concerns among traditional narrators about future job securities. Despite utilizing virtual voices in numerous titles, Audible lacks a filter for users preferring human-narrated audiobooks, highlighting a potential area for user experience improvement. #

--

Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.