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 ]
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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Listen to an exclusive audiobook excerpt of Ruth Ware's new psychological thriller, THE TURN OF THE KEY, narrated by Imogen Church! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-08-06 10:33:59 UTC ]
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Audiobook and large-print publisher W F Howes has acquired the Dr Alexander Gregory trilogy by self-published author Louise Ross. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-04 18:27:22 UTC ]
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Nearly 100 million Americans will be hopping in the car for a road trip this year, according to AAA, with most of us embarking in the summer. A recent survey commissioned by the Audio Publishers Association reveals that 74 percent of audiobook readers prefer to read them in cars. Given those... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-02 08:50:47 UTC ]
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Carcanet Press is launching an audiobook series featuring recordings of poetry collections read by the authors themselves. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-30 14:17:40 UTC ]
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Authors Jenny Eclair, Kit de Waal, Sally Gardner and Bali Rai have been made ambassadors for national audiobook charity Listening Books as it marks its 60th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-29 18:56:21 UTC ]
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Audible has made great strides toward cornering the coveted Thirsty Parents market today by announcing that Fleabag‘s Hot Priest Andrew Scott will be narrating an audiobook collection of Beatrix Potter stories. Well played, Audible! I don’t have any children, but you better believe that my next... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-25 15:30:56 UTC ]
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Audible will next month release an audiobook collection of Beatrix Potter stories, narrated by Andrew Scott. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-25 10:58:57 UTC ]
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Seeing its audiobook unit sales double year-over-year, Russia's digital retailer now has a new presence in the Polish market. The post Russian Ebook and Audiobook Player LitRes Opens Sales in Poland appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-07-23 05:30:01 UTC ]
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Independent audiobook publisher RB Media is redoubling its politics and current events publishing with the creation of a new imprint, Kalorama Audio. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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