Audible just launched a beta feature called "Ask a Question" that gives listeners AI-powered context without pausing the story. Rolling out to U.S. users across thousands of public-domain titles like Pride and Prejudice, you can simply type a query about plot points or historical references and get instant answers while the narration continues uninterrupted.
Audible just launched an end-to-end AI audiobook production suite for publishers, featuring over 100 voices across English, Spanish, French, and Italian. Later this year, a beta translation tool will also add speech-to-speech translation that preserves a narrator's original voice across languages. It’s a massive push to turn unvoiced backlists into global audio.
Audible just started testing Maven, an AI search assistant that helps listeners find titles using natural language requests like asking for an uplifting novel with a female lead. The feature is currently available to about half of its U.S. customers on iOS and Android. Audible is also testing AI-curated collections and review summaries.
Amazon's Audible has quietly added over 40,000 AI-narrated titles since launching its free virtual voice beta for self-published authors. While indie writers love turning ebooks into audiobooks in just 52 minutes, listeners are begging for a filter button, and voice actors warn their careers are actively being squeezed out.
