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An Update On AI-Narrated Audiobooks [May 2022]
I've been talking about AI narration for several years now, but it's just starting to go mainstream and I've been getting emails every day recently asking the same questions, so this is a round-up article with the most important information.
For context, I am an audiobook narrator. I narrate my own non-fiction and short stories. I absolutely value human narrators, and I have spent tens of thousands of dollars hiring professional narrators for my novels and non-fiction over the last decade. I am also a futurist and I embrace AI tools as part of my creative and business practice.
This episode covers:
* Why are AI-narrated audiobooks an important development?* “AI voices are robotic and don't have the right intonation. No one wants to listen to that.”* Will AI-narrated audiobooks put real human narrators out of a job?* What services can you use to create AI-narrated audiobooks? How much does it cost?* Can anyone create an AI-narrated audiobook? What intellectual property rights do you need to hold?* Where can you sell AI-narrated audiobooks? Can you just upload them everywhere?* What price should an AI narrated audiobook be?* How can you make sure that listeners know this is AI-narrated? Why is labeling important?* How do you market AI-narrated audiobooks?* Where is AI narration heading in the next few years?
This episode is sponsored by my patrons at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Thank you for enabling me to continue exploring the future of creativity and the author business model.
You can find out lots more on how AI can help you create and earn more in my course on The AI-Assisted Author. You can find all my courses here on Teachable.
I'd love to know what you think. Please leave a comment here or tweet me @thecreativepenn or email me if it's more personal.
Why are AI-narrated audiobooks an important development?
Most content in written words is not available in audio format, primarily because it is expensive to produce, and many countries and languages don't have an established audiobook production ecosystem.
It's important to have written word content in audio for accessibility reasons, but also because many people choose to consume in audio. It's easier to listen than read with your eyes because you can do other things at the same time, driving, exercising, chores, etc.
There is room for all formats and our job is to make sure our books are available in whatever format the customer chooses. Personally, I listen to a lot of non-fiction audiobooks while exercising, cooking, cleaning, and doing chores, as well as when traveling to rest my eyes. My husband listens to epic fantasy audiobooks every evening for relaxation.
Audio content also needs to be more diverse. Why do I always have to listen to business books read by a US male voice? Why can't I choose the voice of the narrator?
People identify with people who speak like them. Why can't someone choose the accent they prefer as well as the language and gender in the same way we choose the vo...