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 ]
A federal judge is set to weigh in on whether the controversial audiobook program amounts to copyright infringement—and publishers are feeling good about their chances. But should they? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Testaments’ and Stephen King’s “The Institute’ are the top-selling books in the country; each moved more than 100,000 print units in its first week on sale. Other new releases include the memoir ‘The Education of an Idealist’ by Samantha Power and ‘She Said’ by... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Audials AG has released Audials One 2020, a major new version of its comprehensive stream capture suite. The suite brings together all the tools available separately in three other products: Audials Music 2020 (music and audiobook recording), Audials Movie 2020 (video streams) and Audials Radio... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2019-09-16 13:08:51 UTC ]
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Anheuser-Busch InBev is poised to launch Bud Light Seltzer as part of a new product blitz, according to reports from two beer trade publications. Citing sources from the brewer’s distributor meeting this week, Beer Business Daily reported that the brewer was developing a seltzer line extension... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2019-09-13 13:12:06 UTC ]
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Bonnier Books UK will feature recordings of convicted killers in an audiobook of true crime bestseller Talking with Serial Killers: The World’s Most Evil. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-11 20:04:55 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House has announced a star-studded cast including "Fleabag" and "Game of Thrones" actors to narrate a new series of 50 Penguin Classics audiobooks. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-10 22:34:58 UTC ]
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The book is animated by a central concern that could not be more relevant: the inhumane treatment of children. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-09-09 23:55:38 UTC ]
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Paperback Classics, a new audiobook imprint from Oasis Family Media, will bring vintage pulp paperbacks from the 1930s to the 1970s to audio. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood’s much-anticipated new novel The Testaments will be turned into a TV show by Hulu and MGM, it has been revealed. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-04 06:45:47 UTC ]
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FutureBook has launched an audio originals writing competition, which will see the winning work published as an audiobook and the successful author hosted at the FutureBook Conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-03 00:18:49 UTC ]
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Enter to win a a digital audio download of THE FLIGHT GIRLS Audiobook by Noelle Salazar. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-08-31 10:33:52 UTC ]
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Amazon's audiobook company Audible has agreed to delay parts of its disputed speech-to-text feature until permission and licensing issues are resolved. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-29 22:46:55 UTC ]
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Who knew that the Maine woodlands could be so terrifying? Hulu has announced that the second season of Castle Rock, the horror anthology series based on the stories of Stephen King, will debut on October 23rd. Showrunners Sam Shaw and Dustin Thompson... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2019-08-29 18:12:00 UTC ]
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Independent science fiction and fantasy publisher Baen Books has partnered with audiobook company RBmedia for an audiobook program. Under the agreement, the two companies will publish more than 170 audiobooks over the next three years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-08-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild is supporting the Association of American Publishers (AAP) as the organisation sues Amazon’s audiobook company Audible over a new speech-to-text feature. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-27 10:51:31 UTC ]
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Major US publishers have filed a lawsuit against Amazon's audiobook company Audible in a row over a new speech-to-text feature which they say is a violation of copyright law. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-26 15:42:06 UTC ]
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Actor Hayley Atwell will narrate the audiobook for The Confession by Jessie Burton, as Picador reveals plans for the launch campaign. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-22 03:35:34 UTC ]
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Actor Russell Tovey will read the audiobook for terminally ill playwright Joe Hammond’s forthcoming memoir, A Short History of Falling: Everything I’ve Observed About Love Whilst Dying. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-21 21:12:16 UTC ]
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Taron Egerton will narrate the audiobook edition of Elton John's forthcoming autobiography, Me. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-21 12:02:50 UTC ]
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Audible's push into original content now includes a team-up with a company best-known for its comic books and TV shows. The Amazon-owned audiobook service has struck a deal with Skybound, the team behind The Walking Dead, to create multiple Audible... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2019-08-13 18:43:00 UTC ]
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