AI-Powered Audiobooks Now sold on Major Retail Platforms: Essential Details Explained
Ready to dive into the world of AI-narrated audiobooks? These high-tech audio books are now available on all major retailers: Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. And if you're an indie author or publisher considering adding audiobooks to your distribution strategy, you're on the right track! The audiobook market is booming, and the growth shows no signs of slowing down. So let's talk about AI voice and what it means for your publishing journey.
AI-Narrated Audiobooks: The Future is Here
AI technology has been making waves in recent years, and the publishing industry is no exception. From copyright lawsuits across continents to headlining discussions at conferences, the impact of AI on authors is a hot topic. But there's good news: employing AI in the writing and publishing process has its benefits.
By utilizing AI technology, you can:
- Generate new ideas, craft sections rapidly, and edit thoroughly with quality assurance.
- Save time and money you'd spend on writing, editing, narrating, and more.
- Optimize your publishing business, from writing to audiobook production and beyond.
For indie authors handling most things, these benefits are a game-changer. And for audiobook publishers working with numerous authors and catalogs, implementing AI is a no-brainer.
Now, let's focus on AI-narrated audiobooks specifically. You can:
- Create human-like storytelling previously unattainable with digital voices.
- Blend AI and human narrators, tailoring a unique experience for your audience.
- Cut down on costs and logistics by accessing synthetic narration capabilities from your working computer anytime.
If you're aiming to tap into the audiobook market to boost your reach and selling potential, AI voice addresses a significant portion of the obstacles that might have held you back. With costs and time requirements for creating another book format largely addressed, there's no reason to miss out on the audio market if you've got a completed manuscript.
And the best part? Most AI-narrated books on these major retailers are free to create!
Let's walk through the process for each retailer:
How to Get Started with AI Voice: Big 5 Retailers
1. Amazon
As the leading retailer of audiobooks, Amazon (with 60-75% of the US and UK audio market share) is a vital platform for distributing your audio title. To get started, sign up or log in to your Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) dashboard and apply for Amazon's Audiobook Virtual Voice Beta program. Apply Here
What else:
- You do not need a ebook in KDP Select.
- Approval can take a week or two (though there are no guarantees.)
- The production process involves selecting your ebook, sampling voices, previewing, and customizing the final touches.
2. Apple Books
You can create a digital narration with Apple Books if selling directly or distributing through their partners like Draft2Digital or our website. See Here for details on nominating your book for its audio program.
What else:
- Ebooks must be on Apple Books, be in English, and fall under popular categories such as romance, fiction, mystery and thriller, science fiction, or fantasy.
- Nominations are evaluated based on file quality, content compatibility, and editorial review. (Apple is working on expanding the program to accept more titles.)
- It can take one or two months to process and review your book.
⭐ How to Use Apple Books Digital Narration via our website
As one of Apple Books' trusted partners, you can submit your ebook for Apple's audio program with just a few clicks on our website.
- If you're already on our website: Go to your ebook settings and enable the channel under the stores distribution list. Your book gets submitted right away.
- If you're not on our website: Sign up, upload your ebook files, and enable the channel at the very last step of your setup (and don't forget to enable the rest of our website's stores as well.)
To learn more, see this guide on Apple Books Digital Narration.
*Try our website Free*
3. Google Play Books
Google's auto-narrated books option has moved out of beta. Google Play Books has also partnered with Findaway Voices by Spotify, reaching multiple channels:
- Spotify
- Apple Books
- Barnes & Noble (via B&N Audiobooks)
- Kobo
- Audiobooks.com
- Baker and Taylor
- Bibliotheca
- Overdrive
What else:
- You can download your Google Play Books audiobook files and sell your title elsewhere at the same price.
- Google's production dashboard offers numerous functions, including author training on how to pronounce certain words and choosing different narrators for various text selections.
See Here to get started.
4. Kobo
You can access Kobo's digital narration feature by filling out this request form. Once you gain access, you'll find the audiobook production process on the Kobo dashboard.
What else:
- Kobo accepts all kinds of audiobooks, including those generated through Google Play Books or other auto-narrated services.
- Kobo is relatively simple compared to other players, providing three voice options. When uploading your title, you can indicate a narrator contributor in your metadata as "Read by" "Synthesized Voice," "Female Synthesized Voice," or "Male Synthesized Voice."
5. Barnes & Noble
At present, you cannot directly upload an audiobook to Barnes & Noble. However, they accept AI audio titles through Findaway Voices by Spotify.
Findaway Voices is currently responsible for handling all of the company's audiobook distribution. At the moment, Findaway only distributes AI audiobook files created with Google Play Books' auto-narration program. This means that these are the only types of audiobooks that B&N currently allows.
Best Practices When Using Auto-Narrated Services
To sum up, here are some best practices to keep in mind when navigating the AI narration landscape:
- Choose the right voice for your content, tone, pace, and style.
- Tailor your narration for your target audience.
- Avoid a monotone narration style by fine-tuning your audio with available tools.
- Pay careful attention to pronunciation errors and manually correct them if necessary.
- Add background music to emphasize scenes or moods.
Do you have other AI tools you're curious about?
- Murf offers 120+ natural-sounding AI voices across 20+ languages and accents, starting at $39 a month.
- Podcastle is a popular choice for Amazon authors as it creates audiobooks compatible with ACX requirements. The software offers 20 different voices in English, starting as low as $12 per month.
- Speechify boasts over 130+ voices and 30 languages. Price starts at $39 per month.
That's it. Ready to delve into the world of AI-narrated audiobooks? Get started today with our free trial!
- As theaudiobook market continues to grow, publishers are exploring the use of AI technology not only for writing and publishing processes but also for narrating audiobooks.
- For indie authors and publishers, employing AI for narration can help cut down costs, optimize their publishing business, and create human-like storytelling previously unattainable with digital voices, making it easier to tap into the audiobook market.
