Amazon has hit upon a novel scheme of speeding up audiobook production. It has asked several Audible narrators to clone their voices so that the cloned voice can then be used to create new audiobooks. This, Amazon hopes will lead to the creation of more audiobooks affordably and in less time and with fewer resources. The above however is currently in the beta testing phase and is only applicable to US-based narrators. Amazon also stated the program would be extended to include authors, publishers, and agents by the end of this year.

Each narrator will be required to submit their voice samples. This will be used to create an exact replica which will then be used for creating audiobooks. The narrators will have the right to lend their cloned voices to execute audiobook projects or their natural voices. Amazon also stated the narrators will be paid using a ‘Royalty Share’ model that is going to be decided for each title they work on. However, it stopped short on elaborating on the Royalty Share model or how much the narrators are expected to earn when their cloned voices are at work. The AI voice samples are going to be made for free.

“This beta offering will empower participants to expand their production capabilities for high-quality audiobooks, generate new business by taking on more projects simultaneously, and increase their earning potential,” Amazon revealed in a blog post.

Amazon said it will make available its production tools for the narrators to edit the pronunciations or the pacing of their AI voice. They will also be able to review the production at the end to find out errors before it is cleared for final production.

“There is a vast catalog of books that does not yet exist in audio and as we explore ways to bring more books to life on Audible, we’re committed to thoughtfully balancing the interests of authors, narrators, publishers, and listeners,” said Amazon justifying the use of AI voice for creating new audiobooks. The company initiated the process of creating audiobooks using artificial voice last year, something that led to the creation of more than 40,000 audiobooks. The latest initiative is expected to speed up the creation of audiobooks all the more.

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