ElevenLabs, a leading AI voice technology company, has introduced ElevenReader Publishing, a platform designed to help authors create and distribute AI-narrated audiobooks for free.
Authors can upload manuscripts in formats like ePub, DOCX, or PDF, choose from a range of AI-generated voices, and publish directly to the ElevenReader app, available on iOS and Android.
To expand distribution, ElevenLabs has also partnered with Spotify. Through Findaway Voices, Spotify’s audiobook distribution platform, authors can make their AI-narrated audiobooks available to millions of listeners.
It’s worth noting that AI-generated audiobooks remain controversial. While AI voices have advanced significantly, they can still lack the nuanced emotional depth that human narrators provide. There are also concerns about the impact of AI narration on professional voice actors, as the technology is disrupting traditional audiobook production methods.
Despite these concerns, the continued rise of AI-narrated audiobooks seems inevitable. With estimates suggesting that less than 5% of books ever become audiobooks—largely due to high production costs—AI-generated narration presents a cost-effective alternative for authors. But the question remains: will listeners embrace them?
You can learn more about using ElevenReader Publishing to create an AI-generated audiobook here:
