Spotify is making another major move into the audiobook industry by partnering with ElevenLabs, a leading AI-powered voice synthesis startup. This collaboration allows authors to create audiobook versions of their works in 29 languages—quickly and affordably.
What Does This Mean?
✔ Spotify has already accepted AI-narrated books through its Google Play Books partnership, but this offers authors an additional tool.
✔ ElevenLabs lets authors select different voices, with Pro subscribers able to generate up to 8 hours of audio per month.
✔ AI-narrated books will be labeled to maintain transparency, as Spotify still values human narration but wants to support smaller authors.
Why Is Spotify Doing This?
🎙 Competing with Amazon & Audible – AI narration expands the catalog, bringing in books that wouldn’t otherwise get professional studio recordings.
📚 Reviving forgotten classics & niche authors – Lower costs make audiobooks accessible to more independent writers.
Spotify is betting on a mix of human and AI voices, and it’s becoming clear that AI is here to stay in the audiobook industry.
