{"id":27834,"date":"2023-01-05T11:18:18","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T11:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/05\/apple-books-ditches-voice-actors-for-ai-narration\/"},"modified":"2023-01-05T11:18:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T11:18:18","slug":"apple-books-ditches-voice-actors-for-ai-narration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/05\/apple-books-ditches-voice-actors-for-ai-narration\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Books ditches voice actors for AI narration"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Apple has quietly released a series of audiobooks where the narration is entirely generated by Artificial Intelligence \u2014 and it sounds surprisingly good. <\/p>\n

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We all read books during the pandemic, but for some actors, reading them aloud in front of a home microphone was their chief income in lockdowns. Now there’s a strong chance that they won’t be needed any more, because Apple is replacing them with AI-generated voices. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There’s more to audiobook narration than the voice, there is a lot in the recording and then the compression of the audio file. But ultimately, an audiobook must be engaging, and from an initial sampling, Apple’s new range sounds unexpectedly good. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As first spotted by The Guardian<\/em>, Apple Books now has a large selection<\/a> of novels with AI narration. The newspaper says that Apple had intended to launch the catalog in mid-November 2022, but delayed it. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Guardian<\/em> says it specifically delayed the launch because of layoffs at Meta and also the turmoil surrounding Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Combined, the publication says there was a dark cloud over the technology sector. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It’s likely, then, that Apple expects a backlash from actors and publishers. This is perhaps why the release has, so far, gone without any announcement. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most of the books so far appear to be chiefly romance titles<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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To even find a book that has this feature, users have to search for the phase “AI Narration.” When they do, they get a seemingly endless list of chiefly romance novels, each with the same note in the listing. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“This is an Apple Books audiobook narrated by a digital voice based on a human narrator,” it says. Users can then preview the book and the voice. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Apple does not explain how the voice is “based on a human narrator,” but the preview samples sound much better than if Siri were reading them. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reportedly, Apple has been approaching publishers over creating partnerships, though initially it was not revealed as the company behind the project. Firms were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, and told that Apple would pay the production costs. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It’s not known which publishers were approached and turned down Apple, but reportedly some did, and The Guardian<\/em> spoke with ones from Canada. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The narrator brings a whole new range of art in creating audiobook, and we believe that’s a powerful thing,” David Caron from a Canadian audiobook publisher, told the newspaper. “They’re creating something that is different from the print book, but that adds value as an art form.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“When you have really great writing and really talented narration, you’re coming up with something special,” continued Caron. “That’s worth investing in.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Literary agent Carly Watters says the move is Apple looking to make money and not seeing what makes audiobook narration valuable. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Companies see the audiobooks market and that there’s money to be made,” Watters told the newspare. “They want to make content. But that’s all it is.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s not what customers want to listen to,” continued Watters. “There’s so much value in the narration and the storytelling.” <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n