ElevenLabs Launches Free AI Audiobook Publishing Platform, Partners with Spotify

ElevenLabs Launches Free AI Tool for Audiobook Publishing

ElevenLabs Introduces ElevenReader: Free AI Audiobook Publishing for Authors ElevenLabs has introduced ElevenReader Publishing, a free AI-powered tool that allows authors to effortlessly convert their books into audiobooks. Designed to simplify the audiobook production process, this platform supports multiple file formats, including ePub, DOCX, and PDF. With advanced AI-generated speech, authors can create professional-quality audiobooks within minutes. Currently supporting English, ElevenLabs plans to expand to 31 more languages, revolutionizing audiobook accessibility for independent authors worldwide. The tool uses AI to generate realistic speech. Authors can import books in ePub, DOCX, or PDF formats. converts text into professional-quality narration within minutes. Currently the tool supports English books, with plans to add 31 more languages soon. ElevenReader Publishing integrates with the ElevenReader app. Listeners can choose from thousands of to personalize their experience. Authors receive audience insights including analytics on listener engagement. The platform also includes a beta program. Authors can earn $1.10 per listener who engages for more than 11 minutes. This feature is currently available only to US-based authors due to tax regulations. ensures that authors keep full rights to their work. There are no exclusivity requirements. Authors can distribute their audiobooks freely outside the platform. For more advanced features, can use Studio, ElevenLabs' premium suite. Studio allows fine-tuned voice customization, pacing control, and multi-speaker selection. ElevenLabs partnered with Findaway Voices by Spotify Just recently . Authors can now export audiobooks directly to Spotify. Several best-selling authors have praised the platform. Leeanna Morgan, a USA Today best-selling author, highlighted the customization options available to listeners. Joseph Nassise, a New York Times best-selling author, noted the tool's ability to transform written works into high-quality audio. Science fiction author E.S. Martell shared that he was initially skeptical of AI audio books but was impressed by ElevenLabs' results. The launch of ElevenReader Publishing marks a shift in audiobook accessibility. Independent authors can now produce and distribute high-quality audiobooks without cost. ElevenLabs aims to give every story a voice. By this they are making audiobooks more widely available.

ElevenLabs AI will create audiobooks for you at no cost within minutes

ElevenLabs, the buzzy New York-based company specializing in AI audio tools, is diving headfirst into the world of audiobook publishing. Merely days after inking a deal with Spotify to push audiobooks on its streaming platform, the company is dangling a freebie offer to lure authors away from the Amazon Audible behemoth. The AI upstart is opening access to its ElevenReader Publishing platform for all, and it will be accessible via the ElevenReader app for Android and iOS devices. The best part about the new publishing platform is its zero-cost approach, and a built-in distribution network targeting a global audience. Recommended Videos As expected, all the narration voices will be provided from the ElevenLabs AI audio models library, which the company claims will offer "realistic, versatile and contextually-aware speech." Speed is another crucial factor here, as compared to human narration, authors can simply import their text files and the audiobook will be created "in minutes." The company says authors will be able to pick from over a thousand AI voice options. Moreover, readers will also be able to pick an audio narration voice of their choice in the ElevenReader app. As expected, the company is targeting independent publishers and authors. Writers seeking more granular controls over aspects such as narration pacing, multi-speaker tools, and voice customization will have to pay for the Studio suite offered by ElevenLabs. A big shift for the audiobook industry As of now, audiobook generation is limited to English, but the company plans to add 31 more languages into the pool. Once an audiobook is published, it will be distributed globally via the company's reader platform. Just like Amazon's Audible platform, ElevenReader will also offer a royalty worth $1.10 per person who spends a minimum of 11 minutes listening to an audiobook. However, the royalty program is currently limited to the US only, as the company is still hashing out the taxation details for overseas markets. Audiobooks are more popular than ever before. Yet the costs of producing audiobooks means many stories go unheard. Now any independent author or publisher can upload their book's text, preview with thousands of voices, and share for distribution on the ElevenReader app -- all at... pic.twitter.com/rBO4Dp30VD — ElevenReader (@elevenreader) February 25, 2025 Akin to streaming music and video platforms such as Spotify and YouTube, authors will be able to check out detailed engagement metrics and analytics with the ElevenReader Publishing platform. Another notable element is the absence of any exclusivity clause, which is a divisive element for authors who onboard the Amazon Audible platform. "Your work remains yours. There are no exclusivity restrictions by joining our program," ElevenLabs notes. However, rival platforms may not be particularly enthusiastic about AI-narrated audiobooks. "Please note that many other audiobook platforms like Audible, Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble may not accept AI-narrated audiobooks," ElevenLabs warns. For now, ElevenReader Publishing is completely free for authors to publish their audiobooks, and so is the ElevenReader app for smartphone users. Of course, it's an AI platform that is offering tools which threaten real human jobs of voice actors, and every other professional involved in the business of producing audiobooks. ElevenLabs, on its end, says it paid over a million dollars last year to voice actors in compensation.

ElevenLabs now lets authors create and publish audiobooks on its own platform | TechCrunch

Voice AI company ElevenLabs is now letting authors publish AI-generated audiobooks on its own Reader app, TechCrunch has learned and the company confirmed. The announcement comes days after the company partnered with Spotify for AI-narrated audiobooks. ElevenLabs, which raised a $180 million mega-round last month, started inviting authors to try out their publishing program through their app on a trial basis last year, TechCrunch previously spotted. That program is newly open to all authors as of today. The company confirmed the development to TechCrunch, explaining the idea is to provide affordable and accessible tools for audiobook creation, which might have otherwise cost much more to produce in a studio. The platform itself aims to compete with Audible, which ElevenLabs believes offers lower royalty rates for authors. Under its model, ElevenLabs' audiobooks will be offered within its own Reader app and the company will pay authors when users engage with their content. Currently, it pays roughly $1.10 to authors when listeners engage with an audiobook for 11 minutes or more. ElevenLabs said the average user spent 19 minutes listening to the published books on its app during the testing phase. While the startup thinks that these rates are among the best in the industry, they could still change as the program scales. At launch, the payout is offered to authors in the U.S. and for English-only titles. Later, it aims to extend payouts to titles in the 32 languages it supports for audiobooks. The company also plans to create a marketplace where authors can sell their content. The bigger opportunity for ElevenLabs involves authors and publishers generating audiobooks using its AI tech by way of its paid plans ranging from $11 to $330 per month. This is less expensive than booking studio time and paying voice actors. Notably, ElevenLabs has already powered other audio platforms like Pocket FM and Kuku FM to turn text into audio content. The company's move to become a publishing and distribution surface to host more indie content is in line with ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski's plans to expand into more consumer experiences.

Spotify partners with ElevenLabs to distribute AI audio books

Spotify's audiobook distribution platform has previously also partnered with Google Play Books for the same. Spotify has started accepting audiobooks narrated by ElevenLabs' artificial intelligence (AI) software, a move that will 'lower the barrier to entry' for authors and expand their reach, the music distribution platform said. According to the company, ElevenLabs - a start-up developing AI-powered audio tools to create synthetic voices - provides authors with a cost-effective way to create "high quality" digitally narrated audiobooks. Using the company's AI software, authors can have their books narrated in 29 languages for distribution on Spotify - one of the world's largest audiobook providers worldwide. This, however, is not the first time Spotify has begun accepting digitally narrated audiobooks. The company's audiobook distribution platform Findaway Voices previously partnered with Google Play Books for the same in 2023. Moreover, to help distinguish between human and AI narration, digitally narrated audiobooks will be marked both in the audiobook's metadata as well as in the book description. ElevenLabs provides users with 10 minutes of "ultra high quality" text to speech per month for free. However, the platform's paid versions, including a "creator" plan, costs $22 a month, and provides 100 minutes of text to speech. Just weeks earlier, ElevenLabs raised $180m in a Series C funding round, driving its total valuation up to more than $3bn. The round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz (A16z) and Iconiq Growth, alongside a number of new and existing investors. According to the start-up, its latest funding round will allow the company to expand its R&D, creating more expressive and controllable voice AI, as well as expand its tools for developers and businesses. In just two years the start-up has created "1,000 years of audio content", it said. Moreover, the 2022 founded company works with more than a dozen companies spread across sectors, including Nvidia, ESPN, The New Yorker and Harper Collins, as well as AMGI Studios. Early last year, the start-up reached unicorn status after an $80m Series B funding round co-led by A16z and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and entrepreneur Daniel Gross. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Spotify partners with ElevenLabs to expand its library of AI-narrated audiobooks | TechCrunch

On Thursday, Spotify announced that it now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs' AI voice technology. Given that ElevenLabs is currently among the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to boost the quantity of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform. To upload an audiobook narrated by AI, authors need to download the file package from ElevenLabs and then visit Findaway Voices, Spotify's audiobook distribution service. The recording must then go through a review process before it can be published. Spotify labels titles that have been narrated by AI. With ElevenLabs, authors can narrate their audiobooks in 29 different languages. While the free version only allows for 10 minutes of text-to-speech each month, the $99/month Pro plan generates up to 500 minutes of narration. The latest partnership comes two years after Spotify teamed up with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library. However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks is expected to stir considerable debate within the publishing community. Some industry professionals argue that these AI recordings may compromise the overall quality of audiobooks for listeners.

Spotify now offers its listeners AI-narrated audiobooks

In a move expected to dramatically increase the quantity of available audiobooks, Spotify announced on Thursday that will begin accepting titles narrated by vocal AIs from ElevenLabs. "For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option," the company wrote in its announcement post, pointing out that AI narration has been one of its most requested features. "Authors can use the ElevenLabs platform to narrate their audiobooks in 29 languages, with complete control over voice and intonation." Recommended Videos In order to submit a digitally-narrated book to Spotify, authors will first have to upload their work to ElevenLabs where the platform's AI will generate a voiceover. Please note that unless you're having it narrate a pamphlet, you'll likely need to shell out for one of ElevenLabs subscriptions, which can range from $22 per month for the Creator tier to $1,320 per month for the Business tier. According to rival vocal AI startup, Speechify, an average-length audiobook runs for around 10 hours. Once the AI has completed its generative task, authors can simply download the resulting file package before uploading that to Spotify's audiobook distribution service, Findaway Voices. The submission will then be reviewed (presumably by humans and not just another AI) for accuracy before being published. Spotify will clearly label its AI-narrated offerings as such so that readers can easily identify them. Whether established authors, many of whom are already rightfully wary of allowing AI systems to use their works as training fodder, will embrace the new service remains to be seen. Hugo and Locus award-winning author, John Scalzi, for example includes a rider in his contracts guaranteeing that only human narrators work on his books. I have it as a contractual point that my narration has to be done by humans. — John Scalzi (@scalzi.com) 2025-02-20T18:04:00.259Z

Spotify is making it easier to release audiobooks narrated by AI

Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews. Spotify is bringing more AI-narrated audiobooks to its platform via a new partnership with ElevenLabs. On Thursday, the audio streaming giant announced it would begin accepting audiobooks recorded using ElevenLabs' AI voice software, saying it "recognizes the potential of digital voice-narration to grow and expand the audiobook market." To be clear, AI-recorded audiobooks are already permitted on Spotify, albeit with several restrictions. Spotify's audiobook distribution platform, Findaway Voices, only accepts digitally recorded audiobooks from "specific partners" -- having previously also partnered with Google Play Books -- and requires each recording to undergo review before publishing. ElevenLabs is one of the most recognizable AI voice providers on the market, however, which could lead to a surge in synthetically voiced audiobooks on Spotify's platform. Authors can use ElevenLabs to narrate their audiobooks in 32 languages, with a wide selection of synthetic voices to choose from. The free version of the software only provides 10 minutes of text-to-voice per month. There are several premium tiers available that expand this limitation, but users will need at least the $99 monthly Pro subscription to generate 500 minutes of narration -- roughly the length of the average audiobook. While Spotify says it "firmly believes in the power of human narration," the company believes that digital voices could make audiobook production more cost-effective for smaller authors and make it easier to create audiobooks of older, backlist titles that would otherwise be ignored. Spotify says that all AI-narrated titles will have their metadata marked and be clearly identified to listeners in book descriptions with "this audiobook is narrated by a digital voice."

Spotify adds more AI-generated audiobooks

NEW YORK (AFP) - Spotify began accepting audiobooks narrated by digital voices created by artificial intelligence (AI) software firm ElevenLabs, pitching it as a cost-effective option for authors. The Sweden-based music, book and podcast streaming service began accepting digitally narrated audiobooks in late 2023 with Google Play Books as its partner. Audiobooks narrated by software instead of humans come with descriptions telling people that is the case, according to Spotify. Spotify described its digital voice partnership with Google at the time as a "win-win" development allowing more authors and listeners access to audiobooks. "We're excited to begin accepting audiobooks from ElevenLabs, an AI software company that provides easy-to-use, high-quality voice narration technology," Spotify said in a blog post. Those who own the rights to books can use ElevenLabs technology to narrate the works in any of dozens of languages, with control over voice and intonation, according to Spotify. Apple has offered audiobooks narrated with digital voices through its App Store since early 2023.

Spotify's audiobook selection is expanding further into AI narration

Read update Spotify reached out with further details Summary Spotify is expanding into AI audiobooks through ElevenLabs for affordability and accessibility. Concerns arise over the potential loss of human touch and quality with AI voice narration. The move towards AI in audiobooks may lead to job loss and a focus on saving money rather than helping humans. Spotify has been busy diversifying its content beyond music for the last few years, with its subscriber count and revenue up over the last year. So expanding its expansions further makes a whole lot of sense. However, Spotify also appears to be eagerly jumping on the AI bandwagon, which is a little concerning. Sure, the recently floated AI remixes wouldn't be the end of the world and may actually prove useful, but Spotify has just announced its opening support for ElevenLabs audiobooks, which offers AI voice narration as a cost-effective means for authors to create audiobooks. While the accessibility and affordability angles are enticing, the loss of humanity for a medium centered around it is pretty questionable, if not short-sighted. Related 12 best music players on Android in 2025 Streaming or local, the choice is yours, with plenty of audiophile options in the mix Posts Spotify and ElevenLabs make it easier for authors to create audiobooks But at what cost? To be clear, Spotify already offers AI audiobooks through Findaway Voices, its audiobook platform for independent authors, but there is a limit on what kind of AI audiobooks Findaway is willing to publish, and each recording undergoes a review process (per The Verge). So, at the outset, more AI audiobooks on Spotify don't necessarily sound like a horrible thing, and the goal of offering an affordable way to get books narrated should be a boon to smaller authors who can't afford celebrities to voice their works. Still, there is a worry Spotify could soon be flooded with AI audiobooks, as all it takes is an investment in the $99 monthly Pro subscription to ElevenLabs to generate enough narration for a full book. It'll be plenty affordable for anyone to get their book narrated by AI for Spotify, though one has to wonder how ripping the humanity out of a very human thing such as voice narration is a good thing. Sure, the accessibility aspect can't be discounted; more people will be able to listen to books than before, books that likely weren't ever going to see an audiobook version before the task became affordable with AI. But the truth is AI voice narration isn't as good as real humans, at least not yet, and your subscription to Spotify will still be charged (with prices that will likely continue to go up) even though you'll get a lesser product with AI narration compared to real human voicework. There's also a potential for job loss for those performing narration work, as there is no doubt most companies would fully switch to AI if it worked better. So the path is clear, and it likely has little to do with actually helping humans, but more so is just a great way to save and make money, which is what most things boil down to in the corporate world. So yes, it's encouraging to see Spotify expanding its content into more AI audiobooks through its partnership with ElevenLabs, but at the same time, the rush to displace human work with bots is pretty palpable when it still often comes at the expense of quality, something Spotify should stay conscious of if it plans to continue its uptrend through 2025. UPDATE: 2025/02/21 13:58 EST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ Spotify reached out with further details This isn't new -- Spotify has accepted digital voice-narrated audiobooks from Google Play Books for distribution for some time now. Spotify firmly believes in the power of human narration. Technology will never replace the need for human narration. This integration is another option for authors and publishers, and it's totally up to them to decide if it makes sense for their titles. While we firmly believe in the power of human narration at Spotify, we've also been hard at work to find ways to broaden access to the format so more authors can have their work heard. We've heard from our authors and publishers that they love ElevenLabs' high quality and easy-to-use tools and are happy to open up support for content made with their platform. Digital Voice Narration can provide real value in lowering the barriers of entry -- it can expand audiobook production to smaller markets, make the process more cost-effective for emerging authors to publish audiobooks, and give publishers/authors the ability to create audiobooks of older, backlist titles that may not be a focus otherwise.

Spotify audiobooks just added more AI-narration support, and now your next listen might not be so human anymore

Can we expect more AI-generated content on Spotify in the future? Spotify audiobooks narrated by AI are set to increase as the streaming company enters into a new partnership with ElevenLabs, a company responsible for one of the best AI voice generators. The expansion means that audiobooks on Spotify can now be narrated in 29 languages thanks to ElevenLabs' excellent natural-sounding speech technology. The AI software will give authors tools to control the voice and intonation of the narrator to create the best-sounding non-human audio possible. AI-narrated audiobooks are nothing new for Spotify, the company has collaborated with Google Play Books to use similar software to that of NotebookLM for authors wanting to create audiobooks without hiring a narrator or doing it themselves. This partnership will increase the choice for authors and expand the amount of AI-narrated content on the platform for consumers. In the partnership announcement statement Spotify said, "For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option." The statement goes on to confirm that listeners will be able to differentiate between human voices and those generated by AI thanks to metadata information that will be visible on Spotify and all other retailers that use the platform. The description will also state, "This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice." ElevenLabs audio on Spotify has begun rolling out, so keep an eye on your audiobook descriptions to check if your narrator is human or not. When CEO Daniel Ek said Spotify would 'double down' on music in 2025, there was concern as to what that exactly could mean. With an expected Spotify HiFi release and AI's looming impact on all tech companies, 2025 is going to be a huge year for the streaming service, and this partnership with ElevenLabs is the first taster of what to expect. AI-generated audio is getting seriously impressive, so much so that I bet you've probably listened to an audiobook or a podcast voiced by artificial intelligence and not even noticed. There are obviously huge benefits to AI narration, allowing authors to get their books to a wider audience without the need for extra resources, but do we, as listeners, really want to start listening to voice software? Could AI narration be the first step towards that 'double down' on music, with an end goal of AI-generated audio in your Spotify playlist to help expand the music offering on the platform? After all, many of us may already listen to AI-generated lo-fi beats and other background noise without even noticing. AI audio is still in its infancy but it's rapidly evolving, and Spotify's push to increase its audiobook offering by partnering with a major AI voice generation company could just be the beginning.

Spotify Looks to Expand AI-Narrated Audiobooks On Its Platform

SiriusXM Looks to YouTube (and Spotify) to Help Grow Podcast Subscribers Spotify will now accept more AI-narrated audiobooks on its platform through a partnership with ElevenLabs. The AI software company provides voice narration that has the ability to narrate books in 29 languages and gives the author control of the voice and intonation. Books that use AI narration will be marked in the metadata on Spotify and the book description will lead with the statement, "This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice." Spotify had already supported digital voice-narrated content created with Google Play Books, however, this adds in another possibility for authors, as Spotify's audiobook production platform, Findaway has specific rules around working with AI narration services. "As Spotify continues to roll out audiobooks to new listeners worldwide, we're committed to providing authors with tools that help them reach those listeners and lowering the barrier to entry so more authors than ever can have their books heard," the company said in a statement. Spotify launched its audiobooks offering in September 2022, following its acquisition of audiobook production platform Findaway in November 2021. The company began offering 15 free hours of listening to premium members in the U.S. starting in November 2023. The company has been positioning its move into audiobooks as another way to diversify its business model, after heavily investing in the podcasting space. The revenue generated from this segment has not yet been broken out in the company's earnings. "This greatly improves our offering, which will lead to people increase their engagement with Spotify, which will then, of course, reduce churn," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said of the audiobooks offering in November 2023. "Now, in addition to that, this gives great flexibility to our business, which will ultimately help our revenue and profits."

Spotify's taking the humanity out of audiobooks with expanded AI narration

WhatsApp has a new legal status and it could mean changes for the platform Summary Spotify is expanding into AI audiobooks through ElevenLabs for affordability and accessibility. Concerns arise over the potential loss of human touch and quality with AI voice narration. The move towards AI in audiobooks may lead to job loss and a focus on saving money rather than helping humans. Spotify has been busy diversifying its content beyond music for the last few years, with its subscriber count and revenue up over the last year. So expanding its expansions further makes a whole lot of sense. However, Spotify also appears to be eagerly jumping on the AI bandwagon, which is a little concerning. Sure, the recently floated AI remixes wouldn't be the end of the world and may actually prove useful, but Spotify has just announced its opening support for ElevenLabs audiobooks, which offers AI voice narration as a cost-effective means for authors to create audiobooks. While the accessibility and affordability angles are enticing, the loss of humanity for a medium centered around it is pretty questionable, if not short-sighted. Related 12 best music players on Android in 2025 Streaming or local, the choice is yours, with plenty of audiophile options in the mix Posts Spotify and ElevenLabs make it easier for authors to create audiobooks But at what cost? To be clear, Spotify already offers AI audiobooks through Findaway Voices, its audiobook platform for independent authors, but there is a limit on what kind of AI audiobooks Findaway is willing to publish, and each recording undergoes a review process (per The Verge). So, at the outset, more AI audiobooks on Spotify don't necessarily sound like a horrible thing, and the goal of offering an affordable way to get books narrated should be a boon to smaller authors who can't afford celebrities to voice their works. Still, there is a worry Spotify could soon be flooded with AI audiobooks, as all it takes is an investment in the $99 monthly Pro subscription to ElevenLabs to generate enough narration for a full book. It'll be plenty affordable for anyone to get their book narrated by AI for Spotify, though one has to wonder how ripping the humanity out of a very human thing such as voice narration is a good thing. Sure, the accessibility aspect can't be discounted; more people will be able to listen to books than before, books that likely weren't ever going to see an audiobook version before the task became affordable with AI. But the truth is AI voice narration isn't as good as real humans, at least not yet, and your subscription to Spotify will still be charged (with prices that will likely continue to go up) even though you'll get a lesser product with AI narration compared to real human voicework. There's also a potential for job loss for those performing narration work, as there is no doubt most companies would fully switch to AI if it worked better. So the path is clear, and it likely has little to do with actually helping humans, but more so is just a great way to save and make money, which is what most things boil down to in the corporate world. So yes, it's encouraging to see Spotify expanding its content into more AI audiobooks through its partnership with ElevenLabs, but at the same time, the rush to displace human work with bots is pretty palpable when it still often comes at the expense of quality, something Spotify should stay conscious of if it plans to continue its uptrend through 2025.