Apple has quietly launched a catalog of books narrated by artificial intelligence in a move that could have big implications for the multi-billion dollar audiobook industry.
Also read: CES 2023: boAt set to show next-generation hearables in Las Vegas
According to The Verge, the feature represents a major shift in audiobook publishing where authors narrate their own books.
Also Read: CES 2023: ASUS Announces New ROG Laptop Lineup
According to Apple’s website, the feature is currently only available for romance and fiction books, with two digital voices available – Madison and Jackson – and two more voices – Helena and Mitchell – for non-fiction books. It will be available in .
Also Read: CES 2023: Smart Dog Collars to Track Heart Activity in Dogs
“We’re starting with fiction and romance and are accepting ebook submissions in those genres,” the company said.
For now, the service is only available in English, and Apple is very picky about the types of books digital narrators can read, the report says.
“The primary category must be Romance or Fiction (Literature, History, and Women’s Fiction are covered. Mystery and Thriller, and Science Fiction and Fantasy are not currently supported),” reads the website.
When users search for “AI Narrated” in the Books app, they find a series of romance novels with a small notice “narrated by Apple Books.”
“This is an Apple Books audiobook narrated by a digital voice based on a human narrator,” he says, listing each audiobook that uses the company’s digital narration service.
The listings are a mix of free and paid audiobooks, and the artificial voices are almost as good as users would expect.
latest technology news