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Apple launched AI-narrated audiobooks in its digital storefronts. This is a move that is sure to have a ripple effect on the lucrative talking book marketplace. And it may be the “beginning of the end for human narrators,” according to the online newspaper The Guardian. The Apple store now offers a variety of books with voice-over content performed by artificial intelligence. The Apple Books for Authors website calls the feature “digital narration.”  Just a few years ago only big-name publishers and tech platforms produced audiobooks. But the marketplace has been expanding. Pandemic-related school closures created a boom in digital audio content. Nationwide trends show that families in general and specifically students show an increase in audiobooks. According to the Audio Publishers Association, 61% of parents say their children (ages 17 and younger) listen to audiobooks, compared to 49% reported in 2020. 

AI-narrated audiobooks quirks

If you search for "AI narration" in the Books search field, you get a list. Many of the books so far are small publishers and low-volume books. The audiobooks are listed in the Books app as "Narrated by Apple Books." SAMUEL AXON  According to Samuel Axon, the AI voice tones are “mostly benign, and they could be mistaken for real human voices with a short listen. We did hear some anomalies, though—for example, an odd pronunciation of the city "San Antonio."  Apple reached out to independent and indie book publishers. And told them the tech giant would front all costs to create a digital narration. And also offered to pay authors royalties on sales of AI-narrated audiobooks.  Some of the publishers agreed. For example, Draft2Digital is now offering its authors free AI-narration for their books. According to the website, “If you have a book for sale on Apple Books, directly or via Draft2Digital, you can now easily generate your audiobook with the help of Apple Books digital narration.” And it gives additional details, “Once you select your book, we'll use the eBook file as the content your digital narrator will "read". If you prefer human narration, D2D continues to partner with Findaway Voices.” “Sign up through Draft2Digital and Findaway Voices will waive your set-up fee. This is a big bonus for smaller publications and authors who may not have the budget for human narration. The downside is that voice actors and narrators may soon be out of a job. And also, Apple and other tech companies may gain more leverage over the blossoming industry where commissions are the key to success.