AI Audiobooks Flood Audible, Dividing Authors and Listeners

A new breed of audiobook is taking over digital bookshelves, as artificial intelligence (AI) voices replace professional voice actors. This AI audiobook revolution has been turbo-charged by Amazon, which introduced a beta tool last year allowing self-published authors to generate AI “virtual voice” narrations for their ebooks. The result? Over 40,000 AI-narrated titles have flooded onto Audible, Amazon’s audiobook platform, as reported by Bloomberg.

For indie writers seeking to break into the lucrative audiobook market without incurring hefty professional voiceover fees, Amazon’s free virtual narration tool is a game-changer. One blogger cited in the report claimed that converting an ebook to audio using AI narration took just 52 minutes, bypassing the expensive studio recording route. However, opinions on this new technology are mixed.

Some authors, like George Steffanos, have embraced the AI audiobook trend due to financial constraints. Steffanos launched an audiobook version of his existing book, acknowledging a preference for human-generated works but stating that “the modest sales of my work were never going to support paying anyone for all those hours of narration.”

However, not all listeners are giving the virtual voice glowing reviews. While the AI audiobooks are clearly labeled as such, some have complained about the lack of an option to filter them out when browsing Audible’s catalog. Human narrators are also expressing concerns about potential job losses as the technology improves. Narrator Ramon de Ocampo ominously warned on social media about Amazon’s virtual voice threat, stating, “[It’s] not taken all the jobs. But it’s trying to.”

Major publishers, including HarperCollins, have already entered into deals with AI voice companies to produce audiobooks across languages using this technology. Even Apple joined the trend last year by selling audiobooks with AI-based narration, which caused controversy when the actors claimed they were unaware of it.

The tensions at play highlight the differing priorities and tradeoffs facing each group. Budget-constrained indie authors find easy and free audio conversions appealing, while listeners accustomed to human narration quality find the lack of a filter option frustrating. Publishers aim to embrace cost-saving technology without alienating consumers, but narrators fear their careers may be undermined.

Share this post

Let's Create free account on audie. No credit card required, give Author’s Voice a try!

Resend Verification Email

Enter your email to receive the verification code

[uv_resend_verification_form]