Audiobooks over the course of the last few years have gained so much popularity, and in the past two years specifically, their popularity has increased by up to 10%. Everyone has a difficult routine, and it is not easy to find time to read, so the readers are now turning into listeners. It does not matter if they are professionals, parents, or fitness enthusiasts; everyone is carrying headphones to listen to a book.
The problem with the authors who are self-published is that they cannot afford the cost. The charges are really high, and the cost for traditional narration can go to $150-$400. For top-tier voices, it can go up to $1500, and for a book that has a word count between 40,000 and 50,000 words, it can cost you anywhere between $1200-$6000.
All this cost has really made it difficult for people to choose audiobook options. Well, the good news is that you can now get it done through an AI voice.
In the article below, we are going to talk about different platforms that allow AI narration, places where the AI-generated audiobooks are not allowed, the amount of money that you can save, and the exact flow of work that will help you turn your book into one of the Best audiobooks. We will also discuss why it is the right time for you to go into the audio market. So let’s get started without any delay.
Why AI Voiceover Should Be Your Go-to Option
AI in Publishing has really been transforming so much in an amazing way. The benefit of choosing AI voice technology is that it has now reached a place where the voices are natural and they express emotions in just the right way. AI has now made it really easy to turn your books into Top Audiobooks because they definitely do not sound artificial.
Those authors who do not write fiction can get AI voices at an amazing quality with almost 95% less cost. The best thing about this is that you do not have to spend weeks narrating because it can easily be done in hours.
Platforms That Accept AI-Generated Audiobooks (2024–2025)
Looking for platforms that accept AI-generated audiobooks? Let’s dive in and find out
Google Play Books / Google Audio AI: FULL AI SUPPORT
Google has launched a proper AI narration program, which has male and female voices, different languages that you can choose from, the sound is studio quality, and there are also auto-generated chapters. It allows AI-generated voices, and the cost goes up to $30, depending on how many revisions you make.
Kobo Writing Life: AI Narration Allowed
There is another platform known as Kobo Writing Life that thoroughly accepts professionally produced AI voices. The best part is that there is no extra fee from Kobo. All you have to do is supply the audio and that is it. There are various AI tools that you can use, like ElevenLab, Speechki, Murph, play.ht.
Speechki (Distributed to 50+ Platforms)
You can use the platform Speechki, which will help you provide professional AI narration that you can distribute to
- Spotify
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Storytel
- Nook
- Audiobooks.com
The overall cost can range between $50 to 1 $50 per hour, which is still a lot cheaper than human narrators.
Findaway Voices by Spotify: AI ACCEPTED (But Disclosed)
Findaway Voice by Spotify isn’t another platform that allows AI, but you should disclose that the book is narrated by AI.
ACX / Audible: AI NARRATION NOT ALLOWED (Yet)
ACX is a platform that does not allow narration, and you have to make sure that the generation is done by humans only. Any narration that is AI-generated is completely prohibited, so you cannot use it for your audiobooks if the voice is generated by AI.
Apple Books: AI Audio Not Yet Allowed
Apple Books also currently does not allow AI voices, and you have to have a human-produced audio to have your book on Apple Books.
How Much Can Authors Save with AI Audiobooks?
We understand that you want to know how much an ortho can save when they are going ahead with AI audiobooks. Here is a breakdown of the overall cost.
Depending on the per-hour rate, the human narration can cost you anywhere between $1000-$4000. If you choose a popular narrator, then the cost is definitely going to be a lot more.
On the other hand, when you’re choosing a narration, you pay a lot less because with platforms like Google AI, ElevenLabs Speechki, and Play.ht you have to pay an amount as little as $20, and the maximum that you can go up to is $500. This is definitely a lot of money that you are going to save if you choose AI narration instead of human narrators.
Which Books Work Best With AI Voice?
If you’re not well aware of which books are the best when it comes to AI voice, we are going to mention the list below so you can understand it thoroughly according to your genre.
- Business
- Entrepreneurship
- Mindset
- Parenting
- Fitness
- Psychology
- Self-help
- Digital skills
- Money & finance
- Productivity
When it comes to fiction books, there are definitely a lot of emotions involved, and you have to add a little drama as well, so the human narrators work the best for that.
Workflow: How to Turn Your Book Into an AI Audiobook
Turning your book into an AI audiobook is really easy because you just have to follow five simple steps for that. The first thing that you have to do is upload your manuscript to any of the platforms that you want to get AI waste generated from. Then you have to choose the style that you want to get it narrated in, like calm, deep-toned motivational, etc.
After this, you have to adjust the pronunciation of the book as well as the speed. After these steps, you have to generate the full audio. Then you have to choose the platform where you want to publish the book.
Why is It the Best Time to Enter the Audiobook Market
Coming to the last question, which is why this is the best time to enter the audiobook market, we have three strong reasons why you should opt for it.
- Firstly, the consumption is definitely exploding. People are now choosing audio content more than ever, so you should take maximum benefit.
- With that, the competition for now is still low. You should opt for this option before the competition becomes unmanageable.
- Lastly, those who adopt early definitely dominate. You should go ahead with the option that will help you boost your presence and visibility.
Final Thoughts
AI narration is definitely a profitable business because you do not have to spend any money to get popularity. Audiobooks have not yet exploded a lot, so you can still shine and stay relevant to your readers, but now known as your listeners. Your conversions will be boosted, and you will be able to increase your revenue by 3 times, so there’s definitely no need to think too much and just dive right into it.
FAQs
1. How to listen to audiobooks?
You can easily listen to the audiobooks on different devices by using different platforms. For example, you can listen to them on Apple Books, Google Play Books, etc.
2. Does Kindle have audiobooks
Yes, Kindle definitely has audiobooks that you can listen to while you are working or doing whatever you want to do alongside.
3. How long does it take to produce an AI audiobook?
The time to produce an AI audiobook is a lot less than human narration. For example, it can easily be done in just a few hours, as compared to when human narration takes weeks to complete.
4. What are the future trends of AI in the audiobook industry?
According to the trends, AI in the audiobook industry is definitely going to explode, and you should take part in it while it is still booming, so you can rise more than other authors.
5. Can I sell AI-created audiobooks commercially?
Yes, you can sell AI-created audiobooks, but you have to make sure you have all the important licensing to not get into any sort of trouble later on.
