New Naming Guidelines for AI-Narrated Audiobooks
The Audio Publishers Group (part of the UK Publishers Association) and the Audio Publishers Association have collaborated to create international guidelines on how to label AI narrated audiobooks.
At present, various terms for different kinds of AI narration are being used interchangeably in the marketplace, which leads to confusion among publishers, retailers and consumers.
The new guidelines have been produced in consultation with publishers, retailers, distributors and metadata providers from the US, Canada, UK and Europe. They aim to promote consistency across the industry, to give consumers clear information and allow them to make informed choices when purchasing audiobooks.
The guidelines are issued as non-binding recommendations only. They make no judgements on the use of AI narration; they only contain recommendations on how publishers and retailers might name AI narrated products and convey them in the most transparent and consistent way. The focus in selecting terms was that they would be easy for publishers and retailers to use and interpret, and for consumers to understand. The guidelines are available on the Publishers Association website.
Jon Watt, Chair of the UK Publishers Association’s Audio Publishers Group, said:
“With the proliferation of AI-narrated audiobooks, it is vital that our industry has an international language that allows publishers, retailers and consumers to distinguish between different narration types. It is only by giving consumers the chance to make informed choices around AI-narrated products that we as an industry can maintain consumer confidence in our products. To bring the broadest benefit, it is our hope that publishers and retailers will adopt these naming practices and convey them to consumers.”
Michele Cobb, Executive Director, Audio Publishers Association, commented:
“By working together to create thoughtful guidelines, we help to ensure transparency, protect consumer trust, and recognize technological changes, all while maintaining the integrity of the audiobook experience.”
Summary of the AI Narration Naming Guidelines:
AI VOICE
An AI-based synthesized voice that has been generated using samples from a large group of unidentified speakers. An example of this is Google’s “Auto Narration” voices, such as “Archie” or “Mary”.
AUTHORIZED VOICE REPLICA (AVR)
An AI-based voice that has been generated using authorized/licenced samples from a specific human voice and seeks to replicate that voice.
An example of this would be a publisher working with a deceased author’s estate to create an authorized voice replica based on archive samples of the author’s voice.
In the past, replication has also been referred to as ‘cloning’. For the purposes of these guidelines, ‘cloning’ refers to unauthorized replication where a human has not given permission for their voice to be replicated.