Spotify has expanded its artificial intelligence audiobook narration capabilities through a new partnership with London-based ElevenLabs. This enhancement allows creators to produce AI-narrated audiobooks in up to 29 languages, with distribution handled through Findaway Voices.

The move comes amid Spotify's controversial bundling strategy in the U.S., where subscribers can access 15 hours of audiobooks monthly as part of their subscription. This bundling approach has faced criticism from songwriters and publishers, with the MLC challenging whether these packages qualify as true bundles.

Spotify positions this AI narration expansion as democratizing audiobook creation by reducing entry barriers for authors. However, this raises concerns about potential quality dilution, as the minimal cost of traditional narration often serves as a quality control mechanism for serious authors.

The partnership with ElevenLabs may have broader implications beyond audiobooks. While ElevenLabs primarily focuses on voice technology, their recent hiring patterns suggest development of music-related AI features.

Key Points:

• AI narration available in 29 languages
• Distribution through Findaway Voices
• All AI-narrated content will be clearly labeled
• U.S. subscribers get 15 hours of audiobook access monthly
• Partnership may extend to music-related AI features

This expansion reflects Spotify's ongoing strategy to diversify its content offerings while leveraging AI technology, though questions remain about the long-term impact on content quality and creator compensation.

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