Audible Expands AI Audiobook and Translation Features

Amazon's Audible is expanding its audiobook library through partnerships with publishers to convert print and e-books into AI-narrated audiobooks, offering over 100 AI-generated voices in multiple languages and dialects. Publishers can choose between a managed end-to-end production or a self-service option, with ongoing improvements to AI voice quality. Audible plans to introduce beta AI translation tools later this year, allowing English audiobooks to be translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and German, with both text and speech translation options and human review for accuracy. The initiative seeks to address the limited availability of audiobooks and make more stories accessible globally. However, writers and voice actors have criticized the move, citing concerns that AI narration may lack the artistry and emotional nuance of human performances. Despite these objections, AI-narrated audiobooks are rapidly gaining traction, with competitors like Spotify also expanding their offerings.