Spotify’s AI-narrated audiobooks have me worried for the future of music
- Spotify is partnering with ElevenLabs
- ElevenLabs offers human-like AI audio that can seamlessly narrate audiobooks
- Can we expect more AI-generated content on Spotify in the future?
Spotify audiobooks narrated by AI are set to increase as the streaming company enters into a new partnership with ElevenLabs, a company responsible for one of the best AI voice generators.
The expansion means that audiobooks on Spotify can now be narrated in 29 languages thanks to ElevenLabs’ excellent natural-sounding speech technology. The AI software will give authors tools to control the voice and intonation of the narrator to create the best-sounding non-human audio possible.
AI-narrated audiobooks are nothing new for Spotify, the company has collaborated with Google Play Books to use similar software to that of NotebookLM for authors wanting to create audiobooks without hiring a narrator or doing it themselves. This partnership will increase the choice for authors and expand the amount of AI-narrated content on the platform for consumers.
In the partnership announcement statement Spotify said, “For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option.”
The statement goes on to confirm that listeners will be able to differentiate between human voices and those generated by AI thanks to metadata information that will be visible on Spotify and all other retailers that use the platform. The description will also state, “This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.”
ElevenLabs audio on Spotify has begun rolling out, so keep an eye on your audiobook descriptions to check if your narrator is human or not.
Is this good for the listener?
When CEO Daniel Ek said Spotify would ‘double down’ on music in 2025, there was concern as to what that exactly could mean. With an expected Spotify HiFi release and AI’s looming impact on all tech companies, 2025 is going to be a huge year for the streaming service, and this partnership with ElevenLabs is the first taster of what to expect.
AI-generated audio is getting seriously impressive, so much so that I bet you’ve probably listened to an audiobook or a podcast voiced by artificial intelligence and not even noticed. There are obviously huge benefits to AI narration, allowing authors to get their books to a wider audience without the need for extra resources, but do we, as listeners, really want to start listening to voice software?
Could AI narration be the first step towards that ‘double down’ on music, with an end goal of AI-generated audio in your Spotify playlist to help expand the music offering on the platform? After all, many of us may already listen to AI-generated lo-fi beats and other background noise without even noticing.
AI audio is still in its infancy but it’s rapidly evolving, and Spotify’s push to increase its audiobook offering by partnering with a major AI voice generation company could just be the beginning.
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Spotify is partnering with ElevenLabs ElevenLabs offers human-like AI audio that can seamlessly narrate audiobooks Can we expect more AI-generated content on Spotify in the future? Spotify audiobooks narrated by AI are set to increase as the streaming company enters into a new partnership with ElevenLabs, a company responsible for…
