Apple and Google’s AI turn in a booming market may sound less than human and raise the ire of voiceover actors, but it has cost benefits
Apple and Google’s bids to automate the creation of audiobooks at a massive scale is likely to spark pushback from professional voiceover actors, and has already promptedBut Apple is targeting its “digital narration technology” atsuch as Ethridge, who could be interested in making dozens of their titles available as audiobooks but may not be able to afford the cost of hiring voiceover professionals to narrate each novel.
Many of Ethridge’s readers are senior citizens, living on a fixed income, who are voracious romance readers and want to read multiple books a week but are very “price sensitive”, she says. As older readers, they have “accessibility issues” with reading small print, making audiobooks a good option. The one novel of Ethridge’s that has been turned into an audiobook with a professional actor’s narration is wonderful, but it costs $21.99, she says, a price that is also out of range for many of her readers.
But cheaper AI narration is likely to be a good option for readers who care about cost and who “may not necessarily need the fully narrated drama experience”, she says. “A lot of people are becoming more used to listening to these voices.” And the quality of the AI speech may not matter as much, she adds, “if you are listening to the book at 1.5 speed, which I do when I walk”.
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