OpenAI just announced that it recently conducted a small-scale preview of a new tool called Voice Engine. This is a voice cloning technology that can mimic any speaker by analyzing a 15-second audio sample. The company says it generates “natural-sounding speech” with “emotive and realistic voices.” The technology is based on the company’s pre-existing text-to-speech API and it has been in the works since 2022. OpenAI has already been using a version of the toolset to power the preset voices available in the current text-to-speech API and the Read Aloud feature. There are a bunch of samples on the company’s official blog and they sound eerily close to the real thing. I encourage you to give them a listen and imagine the possibilities, both good and bad. OpenAI says they see this technology being useful for reading assistance, language translation and helping those who suffer from sudden or degenerative speech conditions. The company brought up a Brown University pilot program that helped a patient with speech impairment issues by creating a Voice Engine clone pulled from audio recorded for a school project. Despite the potential benefits, bad actors would certainly abuse this technology to engage in some serious deepfake tomfoolery, which is already a problem. With this in mind, Voice Engine isn’t quite ready for prime time, as there are serious privacy concerns that must be met before a full rollout. OpenAI acknowledges that this tech has “serious risks, which are... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-29 19:03:56 UTC ]
Libro.fm members can get two of these audiobooks for one credit during their BOGO sale and support indie bookstores at the same time. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-06-18 15:55:47 UTC ]
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Income from audiobooks reached a record £268m in 2024, according to figures from the Publishers Association• The 10 best audiobooks for summerWhether it’s plugging in to Benedict Cumberbatch reading Austen while doing the washing up or listening to Meryl Streep narrate Nora Ephron’s Heartburn on... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-06-18 14:58:21 UTC ]
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Audiobook listeners and listening hours on Spotify increased by more than 30% and 35%, respectively, from January 2024 to January 2025 in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, helping to boost audio sales of several major publishers, according to the streaming service. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Everand, the online e-book and audiobook subscription service and subsidiary of Scribd, has acquired the social reading and book club app Fable, which has three million users and hosts more than 100,000 book clubs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-06-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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At least nine publishers in Poland are hoping for government approval to create a joint audiobook and ebook sales platform. The post Polish Publishers Hope To Open an Audiobook and Ebook Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-06-10 01:02:41 UTC ]
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More Americans indicate being "very interested" in audiobooks in 2025 than the previous year, plus other sales and listenership data from a new survey. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-06-03 13:29:39 UTC ]
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Digital audio accounted for 99 percent of 2024's US audiobook revenues, per newly released survey results. The post Audio Publishers Association: US Audiobook Sales Reach $2.22 Billion appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-06-03 07:20:31 UTC ]
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AudioFile has named the three winners of its annual Golden Voice awards, which honors voice actors who have made significant contributions to audiobook publishing. The recipients are Vikas Adam, Kimberly Farr, and Hillary Huber. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King’s 'Never Flinch' is the #1 book in the country. Plus Ali Hazelwood has a 'Problematic Summer Romance' and Annabel Monaghan reassures everyone that 'It’s a Love Story'. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries’ e-book and audiobook programs are especially vulnerable to the Trump administration’s budget cuts. Libraries across the United States are cutting back on e-books, audiobooks, and loan programs after the Trump administration suspended millions of dollars in federal grants as it tries... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2025-05-19 19:30:00 UTC ]
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Your dreams of becoming an audiobook narrator can finally come true! Here's how to use Yoto to record personalized audiobooks for kids. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-15 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Selected publishers are working with an early release of Audible's AI-voiced audiobook production, with translation and accents to follow. The post Audible Opens AI-Narration to Selected Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-05-13 20:32:00 UTC ]
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Amazon brand will offer more than 100 artificial intelligence-generated voices in English and other languagesAudible has announced plans to use AI technology to narrate audiobooks, with AI translation to follow.The Amazon-owned audiobook provider has said it will be making its AI production... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-05-13 16:56:54 UTC ]
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Novels by Stephen King and Ocean Vuong, Ron Chernow’s latest blockbuster biography, a new graphic novel by Alison Bechdel and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2025-04-30 09:01:09 UTC ]
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Whether you’re a print reader or audiobook listener, this family drama-laden dark Appalachian mystery is a must read. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-16 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Pop on your headphones and immerse yourself in these excellent audiobook mystery series. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-04-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Touting an investment of €1 million, Spotify builds on its French and Benelux audiobook operations to open a new production initiative. The post Spotify Opens French and Dutch Audiobook Production appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-04-11 08:01:49 UTC ]
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Audible's Lee Jarit spoke at London Book Fair, describing the company's market gains and ACX's operations. The post London Book Fair: An Audiobook Update From Audible appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-03-19 19:07:05 UTC ]
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The streaming giant has launched a short-form audiobook publishing program for self-published genre fiction authors, following reports of nearly tripling its catalog growth over the past year by attracting younger listeners to its platform. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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New Harper Lee short stories coming this fall, a day in the life of an audiobook narrator, the It Books of March, and more news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-03-09 15:00:00 UTC ]
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