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 winners of 2023 Audie Awards were announced this week. The award honors the best audiobook performances in 26 categories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-30 17:36:40 UTC ]
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The ebook and audiobook distributor Bookwire opens its presence in a seventh country, looking to the United States for new business. The post Germany’s Bookwire Announces Opening a United States Subsidiary appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-30 16:58:12 UTC ]
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At the Audio Publishers Association's first in-person Audie Awards ceremony since 2020, Viola Davis's 'Finding Me' took home the prize for Audiobook of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In this in-depth BookBeat review, let’s find out what makes this service better than Scribd for English-language audiobook listeners. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-24 10:33:00 UTC ]
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Blackstone Publishing has built a backlist of about 800 print and 950 e-book titles since it released its first books in those formats in 2016. The goal now, company president Anthony Goff said, is to continue to ramp up production across all formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The recipes in foodie audiobooks add that something extra and deserve to be heard by audiobook listeners. Here's why. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-22 10:36:00 UTC ]
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The Norwegian developer of bespoke audiobook platforms, Beat Technology, is creating a new service, 'Volume,' for Poland's Sonia Draga. The post Poland’s Draga Group Announces an Audiobook Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-13 18:04:35 UTC ]
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The vertical TikTok-style video feed has invaded a lot of the apps we use on a daily basis and now it's officially coming to one more. After announcing a beta test last year, Spotify will begin rolling out a new design for the Home section of its mobile app with a "more visual, dynamic" look.... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-08 18:33:59 UTC ]
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The German Audiobook Prize opens the Lit.Cologne festival with new 2023 honors in seven categories including 'Best Radio Play.' The post The German Audiobook Prize Names Its 2023 Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-01 12:52:23 UTC ]
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Celebrate your love of audiobooks with these cute audiobook-themed shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, mugs, stickers, and more!- Gia R. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-28 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Spotify is waving goodbye to its heart icon. The company is combining the icon, which enables you to quickly save music to your library, with the "add to playlist" prompt under a single plus button.The plus button works a little differently on Spotify than it does on Apple Music, where tapping... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-27 18:15:00 UTC ]
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What’s the best audiobook service? In this Scribd vs Audible rundown, let’s break down their features, pricing, pros and cons, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-23 11:39:00 UTC ]
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Audiobook subscription company Storytel cites a 22-percent increase year over year, at 3.2 billion Swedish kronor. The post Storytel Touts Q4 Results in a ‘Truly Remarkable Year’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-17 13:56:54 UTC ]
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Looking for a great new audiobook to put in your ears? Check out the new audiobooks Libro.fm users are most excited to listen to. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-16 11:30:00 UTC ]
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After a backlash, Spotify paused an arrangement that allowed Apple to train machine learning models on some audiobook files. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-02-14 16:03:54 UTC ]
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Viola Davis, one of the best actors of her generation, achieved EGOT status last night at the Grammys when she went home with the hardware for Best Audiobook (Narration and Storytelling), for reading her own memoir, Finding Me. (EGOT is when someone has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-06 15:16:55 UTC ]
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Viola Davis won a Grammy Award Sunday for the recording of her memoir, Finding Me. She has previously won an Emmy, Oscar and two Tony awards. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-02-05 22:33:19 UTC ]
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The former president's $49.8 million lawsuit alleges that Woodward and Simon & Schuster breached his copyright interests by publishing an audiobook based on interviews recorded for Woodward’s 2021 book 'Rage.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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No, kids CAN'T get the books being banned at libraries and bookstores, Mr. King. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-01-27 11:40:00 UTC ]
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First week of the controversial memoir’s sales breaks official UK records reports Nielsen, Guinness World Records and WaterstonesPrince Harry’s Spare has sold almost half a million copies in the UK in its first week on sale, making it the fastest-selling nonfiction book since records... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-17 16:13:57 UTC ]
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