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 ]
Husband and wife duo Polly Samson and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd have teamed up to work on the audiobook of Samson's novel A Theatre for Dreamers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 22:58:40 UTC ]
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Given monster stories by Mary Shelley, Stephen King and other masters of the macabre, Brooks is trying to fill some awfully big shoes here. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-09 15:19:49 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Audio is bringing together wellbeing experts, including fitness author Chloe Madeley and performance coach Sara Milne Rowe, in a new audio anthology, The Here and Now. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-09 10:56:54 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. Host Michele Cobb speaks with narrator Julia Whelan, one of AudioFile’s 2020 Golden Voices,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-08 09:15:30 UTC ]
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If your local bookstore is all sold out of its books on anti-racism, good. Finally. Backorder them for yourself. But in the meantime, the audiobook version of Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the 2016 National Book Award... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-04 14:34:08 UTC ]
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The audiobook of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING by Ibram X. Kendi is currently available for free on Spotify. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-06-04 12:58:03 UTC ]
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Publishers are increasingly seeking out audio talent that reflects the race and experience of the books’ authors and characters. But what constitutes a black, Latino or Asian voice? Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-06-03 12:00:12 UTC ]
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While many readers have understandably found refuge from pandemic anxiety with thick biographies and door-stopping classics, others have had trouble focusing for long periods. With work laptops constantly open and homeschooled children orbiting, the solution to our short attention spans might be... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-02 08:48:22 UTC ]
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Today's news marks the next step in Beat Technologies' drive to create bespoke D2C audiobook and ebook platforms for marquee-level publishers. The post Norway’s Beat Technology Signs a Denmark Trio for an Audiobook Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-29 13:48:10 UTC ]
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Get listening to Kevin R. Free audiobook performances with this guide to for where to start. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-29 10:34:44 UTC ]
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Everyone peaked too early. You remember. The beginning of lockdown, when suddenly half of your friends were FaceTiming you about Tiger King, or downloading a language app, and so many people ordered yoga mats online that they took an estimated six weeks to be delivered. Now the yoga mat... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-05-22 15:30:00 UTC ]
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The National Literacy Trust has partnered with cosmetics company Lancôme to launch an audiobook club for young women. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-18 13:24:10 UTC ]
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It’s a long-standing joke in lockdown now – among those of us quarantined, self-isolating, or lucky enough to keep working from home – that we don’t know which day it is. Or even which week. And did I shower this morning, or was it yesterday? Our immediate surroundings have been so similar for... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-05-15 14:46:20 UTC ]
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I am not going to write about the illness; the headaches, the pain in my lungs and chest, the loss of smell (wine has still not yet been consumed), the breathlessness, the trip to A&E… Yep a seven long week Covid drama and if I had to use an emoji to illustrate the whole sodding experience,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-11 08:59:32 UTC ]
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Once upon a time, round about the start of the year, there was a settled order in the audiobook recording world. A relatively small number of voice artists had at-home recording setups – often a booth, built in a spare room or the garden shed, which gave the experienced narrator greater... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-10 19:59:08 UTC ]
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Having just acquired Sonolibro, Saga Egmont director Lasse Korsemann Horne sees the Spanish-language audiobook market as a key territory for expansion. The post Denmark’s Saga Egmont on Its Acquisition of Spain’s Sonolibro appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-07 15:29:40 UTC ]
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“Mum” and “Phantom Thread” star Lesley Manville will narrate the audiobook of Richard Osman's forthcoming novel, The Thursday Murder Club. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-01 14:43:02 UTC ]
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Itching for a great audiobook that's on the shorter side? Here are four under four hours long. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-01 10:40:12 UTC ]
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Even if social distancing has helped you to achieve the nigh impossible task of watching your entire Netflix queue, there’s still a trove of media to consume. Sonos has teamed up with OverDrive -- makers of the audiobook lending app Libby -- to let c... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2020-04-30 14:37:36 UTC ]
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Learn more about the lives and thoughts of these authors with these nonfiction audiobooks by bi+ women of color, including memoirs and essay collections. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-21 10:31:22 UTC ]
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