Apple's New AI-Powered Audiobook Narration Service

It introduced a selection of audiobooks that make use of its AI-driven digital voices.

There may be a few titles with a notation that reads, "Narrated by Apple Books," when you search Apple Books for your next audiobook. This is due to the fact that the tech giant has made a list of films that utilize its recently introduced AI-powered digital narration service. The company claimed that the service "produces high-quality audiobooks from an ebook file" using the cutting-edge speech synthesis technology it had created.

The Guardian claims that Apple recently contacted independent publishers that might be interested in collaborating for the project's launch. According to reports, authors were informed that the technology's creator would cover the costs associated with converting their books into audiobooks and that they would receive royalties as a result.

At that stage of the process, Apple, as secretive as always, reportedly remained unidentified and demanded that partners sign non-disclosure agreements.

Apple mentioned in its statement that hiring voice actors and creating audiobooks may run authors and publishers thousands of dollars. It's not always possible for independent authors, especially those who are just starting out, to set aside that much money. However, the audiobook industry has had rapid growth in recent years; it generated $1.6 billion in sales in 2021, and according to experts, the industry might be worth over $35 billion by 2030. By not producing audiobook versions of their books, authors would not only be missing out on possible revenue opportunities, but also on the chance to establish their brands and fan bases while the market is still developing.

The IT Company claimed that more people will be able to create audiobooks thanks to its digital narration technology. That is accurate, and if the experiment is successful, it may alter the course of audiobooks in the future. But digital audio books aren't exactly new, and their synthetic tones make them generally difficult to listen to. In his response to The Guardian, David Caron, a co-producer at a sizable Canadian audiobook publisher, also brought up an essential point: "The narrator adds a whole other level of artistic expression to the audiobook. They are producing something that differs from a print book yet is nonetheless valuable as an artistic medium."

Apple currently gives authors a choice between a soprano and a baritone digital voice. Based on the samples the company provided, they appear to be quite human, but the sound clips were brief and might not be an accurate picture of the audiobook's overall quality. For the time being, Apple is only accepting books in the fiction genres of romance and a select few other categories. The books must already be on Apple Books, be written in English, and have editorial approval. However, it is trying to increase the accessibility of AI narration and will soon make it available to writers of nonfiction and self-development. Additionally, the business will introduce two more digital voices for those genres. For the time being, searching for "AI narration" in Apple Books will bring up audiobooks that make use of Apple's AI.