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 ]
The Oscar-nominated actor narrates “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” in an audiobook project he says “doesn’t change my perspective so much as it amplifies it.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-08-30 09:00:11 UTC ]
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Sir Paul Nurse will narrate the audio edition of his book What is Life?, to be published by Faber in September. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-27 14:56:38 UTC ]
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Get immersed in a world and get in deep with the characters in these compelling audiobook series (and learn the length of each series). Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-08-25 10:33:00 UTC ]
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W F Howes is to release new audiobook versions of a "cult series of horror-genre" books, using 40-year-old recordings made by their original publisher The Eden Book Society. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-19 10:06:08 UTC ]
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From The New Yorker’s archive: short stories by Zadie Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Stephen King. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2020-08-16 10:00:00 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. The hosts of the “Call Your Girlfriend” podcast are warm, open, and matter-of-fact narrators... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-14 08:44:10 UTC ]
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LinkedIn offloaded presentation-sharing service SlideShare to ebook and audiobook platform Scribd for an undisclosed price. The professional network acquired SlideShare for $118.75 million in May 2012. Scribd will begin operating SlideShare Sept. 24, managing accounts and content, and Scribd... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2020-08-12 14:55:00 UTC ]
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Do you always listen to audiobooks on a certain speed? Is it worth listening on double speed to get through twice as many books? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-08-11 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King is publishing a new crime novel, Later, with Titan Books imprint Hard Case Crime in March 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-04 01:17:41 UTC ]
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Lana Del Rey is releasing her forthcoming poetry collection, Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass, on Tuesday, July 28 in digital form. In case you prefer your celebrity poetry spoken aloud, though, she has also recorded an audio version of the book, which will be released on vinyl, CD,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-24 16:04:22 UTC ]
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Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE will narrate the audiobook of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-24 00:01:04 UTC ]
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Figures for last year show sales of £6.3bn, up 20% on 2015, but the Publishers Association says sector needs government support to weather coronavirusBook sales in the UK hit record levels in 2019, driven by a surge in audiobook and nonfiction titles, according to new figures released as... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 23:01:08 UTC ]
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NetGalley has added audiobook support to its platform and launched its first app allowing members to read and listen to its content. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 18:47:51 UTC ]
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BAFTA-nominated actor Steven Mackintosh is to narrate the audiobook of Louise Candlish's 2020 thriller The Other Passenger (Simon & Schuster). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-12 17:42:43 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Audio is releasing Edinburgh Unlocked, a comedy festival in audiobook format featuring names such as Ivo Graham, Jessie Cave, Sofie Hagen and Dane Baptiste. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-12 14:00:06 UTC ]
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I May Destroy You skewers the weirdness of fandom and captures just how terrifying the publishing industry can beMichaela Coel’s critically acclaimed new TV series I May Destroy You (BBC One), the journey of a young woman uncovering and trying to deal with sexual trauma, is a show that I fall... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-11 07:00:06 UTC ]
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If thrillers with complicated relationships are your cup of murder-y tea, here are some audiobook thrillers to keep you in suspense. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-07-07 10:32:59 UTC ]
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Armchair detectives, get ready for a voyage around the world. You don't need to pack a bag--just pick up these audiobook mysteries and get sleuthing. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-07-07 10:31:58 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. On today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb revisit the Hunger Games, this... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-03 08:06:39 UTC ]
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HarperCollins is releasing an unabridged audiobook of J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit, read by Andy Serkis who starred as Gollum in the blockbuster movies. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-01 17:52:05 UTC ]
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