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 ]
CMA says it is considering whether Penguin Random House’s $2bn deal would lessen competitionAuthors fear the worst if Bertelsmann takes over Simon & SchusterThe UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Penguin Random House’s $2bn (£1.45bn) takeover of Simon & Schuster,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-03-22 09:00:30 UTC ]
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The surge in digital audiobook sales has helped numerous publishers grow in the last few years, and perhaps none have benefitted more than Podium Audio. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Subscription service Scribd adds audiobook titles, opening with 'Black Imagination,' to its newly launched Scribd Audio brand. The post Scribd Announces an Audiobook Production Line, Highlighting Independent Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-03-09 14:00:22 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Audio has launched Ahab, a global online casting platform for voiceover actors in any business. The platform was originally developed as an internal tool for PRH's audiobook producers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Charlotte Ritchie, the star of “Ghosts” and “Feel Good”, will narrate the audiobook of Lia Middleton's debut thriller When They Find Her (Michael Joseph). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-28 22:42:39 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster Children’s Books is to launch an audiobook partnership with the Daily Mail. It will also feature a retail tie-in with Waterstones, with a campaign fronted by children’s author and actor Ben Miller (pictured). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-24 18:49:20 UTC ]
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Last March, amid the myriad upheavals and uncertainties that marked early pandemic life, various scientists and public health officials started to model out how many cases and deaths we might be looking at in the long run, and the press, unsurprisingly, took great interest in their work. A team... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-02-23 13:34:38 UTC ]
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Skyhorse Publishing, the imprint behind director Woody Allen's memoir, is considering suing HBO for sampling its audiobook for a documentary series. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-02-22 22:46:48 UTC ]
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From stickers to mugs and awesome tees, show off your passion for listening with these sweet gifts for audiobook lovers. - Kelly Jensen Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-17 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Why do some audiobooks have two versions with different or same narrator? Here’s what to do if undecided on picking an audiobook version. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-15 11:37:00 UTC ]
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Richard Armitage, Sheila Atim and Joseph Fiennes are starring in five new audiobook adaptations of stories from 2000 AD, including Judge Dredd and Halo Jones. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-14 17:22:53 UTC ]
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Audiobook company RBmedia has acquired Booka, a Barcelona-based audiobook publishing company, and its full catalog of Spanish language titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The digital distributor reports a rise in audiobook titles of 123 percent in 2020 over the previous year. Print-on-demand advanced 18 percent. The post Germany-Based Bookwire in 2020: Titles Up 11 Percent Over 2019 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-02-08 05:46:46 UTC ]
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Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the hit Netflix series "Bridgerton", is reading the audiobook for An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon, out with Dialogue Books in March. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-08 01:26:23 UTC ]
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Stephen King is publishing a new thriller with Hodder in August 2021, Billy Summers. The book–about a unique hitman, "a good guy in a bad job”–has been billed as “part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-31 23:25:01 UTC ]
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“Much of what has been created to give purpose to lonely, empty hours will not be seen by future generations—the muffins eaten, the gardens remodeled or abandoned. Words on the page, though, have longevity.” Anne Youngson considers pandemic hobbies and writing fiction. | Lit Hub What it’s like... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-29 11:30:33 UTC ]
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As a verb, one definition of essay is to try. As horrible as 2020 was, let’s pretend it means to try again. Audiobooks of self-contained pieces between twenty and sixty minutes seem perfectly suited for walks, commutes, and household chores. Essays might also be perfect for attention spans... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-28 09:48:07 UTC ]
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Whether you're practicing a language, or want to read a book in its original language, try these audiobook apps for language learning. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-01-20 11:39:00 UTC ]
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These beautifully narrated audiobook short story collections tell precise, polished tales about Black women, the fantastical, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-01-19 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens. Miebaka Yohannes narrates The Black Friend with a conversational tone that mirrors Frederick... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-19 09:47:00 UTC ]
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