Spotify Introduces AI Audiobook Tool Powered by ElevenLabs
Spotify is expanding deeper into the audiobook market with a new AI-powered feature. The company announced a Spotify AI audiobooks tool built with ElevenLabs technology.
The feature will launch in beta this June through Spotify for Authors. However, access will initially be invite-only and limited to English-language content.
Spotify says the tool will help writers create narrated audiobooks faster and more easily.
AI Voices Aim to Help Authors
The new system uses ElevenLabs voice technology to generate audiobook narration. These AI voices sound more natural and expressive than older text-to-speech systems.
Previously, Spotify already allowed authors to upload AI-generated audiobooks from ElevenLabs. Now, creators can produce and publish books directly through Spotify for Authors.
Importantly, Spotify confirmed authors will not face exclusivity restrictions. As a result, creators can still publish their audiobooks on other platforms.
Spotify Expands Audiobook Features
Spotify also announced support for 10 more languages on Spotify for Authors. These include German, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, and Latin American Spanish. In addition, the company plans to expand its Audiobook+ subscription plans later this year. Spotify said future plans will include options for students and families, although pricing details remain unknown.
The streaming giant is also testing new audiobook discovery tools. Users will soon be able to search for books using natural language questions. Furthermore, Spotify plans to expand AI-generated playlist prompts to include audiobooks.
Spotify has heavily invested in audiobooks over the last few years. The platform now offers more than 700,000 audiobook titles worldwide. According to Spotify, audiobook listening hours increased by 60% year-over-year. The company also revealed that more than half of its audiobook listeners joined within the past year.
With AI narration tools and expanded global support, Spotify AI audiobooks could become a major part of the company’s future growth strategy.
