Spotify will use AI to replicate podcasters’ voices and translate them to other languages

Spotify revealed a groundbreaking AI-powered feature designed to translate podcasts into various languages using the original host’s voice. The innovation relies on OpenAI’s voice generation technology, introduced on the same day, which can construct realistic synthetic voices from just a few seconds of spoken audio.

Spotify emphasized that this feature aims to enhance the authenticity and naturalness of the podcast listening experience by preserving the unique speech characteristics of podcast hosts. The company collaborated with notable podcasters such as Dax Shepard, Lex Fridman, Monica Padman, Steven Bartlett, and Bill Simmons on select past and upcoming episodes to develop and test this capability.

In the initial phase, episodes were translated into Spanish, French, and German, with plans to make them accessible to both free users and paid subscribers in the coming days and weeks. These languages were chosen based on their popularity among podcast listeners on the platform. Spanish was the first focus during the pilot stage, with German and French following promptly.

Spotify did not disclose specific details regarding the cost of implementing this feature. However, they expressed their commitment to exploring opportunities to extend this service to podcasters worldwide. Additionally, Spotify is already in the process of utilizing this technology for comedian Trevor Noah’s upcoming podcast.

“This is just the beginning,” Spotify declared, signaling their ongoing dedication to advancing language accessibility and user experience within the podcasting sphere.