Today Bee Audio’s new CEO Roy Forbes sent a disturbing email to all members on their production roster. He gleefully wrote about working with 2 different international companies “who share our vision and enthusiasm” to help develop AI Text-to-Speech (TTS) for audiobooks.
I say he wrote “gleefully” because, as a professional audiobook narrator, I am skilled at analyzing an author’s printed words and interpreting the subtext, the underlying meaning.
One doesn’t have to be a professional narrator to also understand that such an email is completely tone-deaf and insulting to the workforce. We do not hold any “vision and enthusiasm” for technology meant to replace us!
Artificial intelligence can’t detect the subtext in a sentence, much less over the trajectory of an entire book. I can’t believe it ever would be that good.
One’s voice conveys the essence of being human. Nothing expresses our thoughts, feelings, and emotions better than the human voice. Words on a page can fall flat and be interpreted in different ways, where a speaker makes their views known in multiple ways like volume, pitch, tone, and pauses.
If someone only wanted to have a story read to them, they could use the text-to-speech capabilities on their computer or e-reader. Sure, the inflections and pronunciations are often wrong, and the entire reading lacks any kind overall understanding of the material needed to guide the listener.
Of course, visually impaired people benefit from TTS and understand its fallacies. Paying consumers require much more,
People buy audiobooks because they want to be entertained, informed, and inspired. An audiobook is a performance art based on the narrator’s interpretation of the author’s words. We do far more than simply read the words on the page!
Before I ever walk in to the booth to record an audiobook, I’ve carefully prepared for the moment:
- I read the entire book.
- In a fiction book, I note all of the characters’ quirks and descriptions so that I can develop a convincing voice for each character and present them as real people in real circumstances, not some cartoon.
- In non-fiction books, I research the author and the content of the book so that I understand the message to be conveyed.
- I’ve done copious research on correct pronunciations. Anyone who has ever heard a GPS mispronounce the name of their town will be annoyed to have a computer voice mispronounce things in an audiobook. Mispronunciations take the listener out of the story.
Once I’m recording the book, I’m careful to distinguish voices among the many characters, especially when they converse in the same scene. The listener always needs to know who is speaking. Whether fiction or non-fiction, I must make organic acting decisions that help realize the author’s intent.
My experiences and knowledge shape every word that I utter and breathe LIFE into printed words.
I know that the narrator is the greatest cost in audiobook production, and companies perpetually look for ways to cut expenses. However, taking steps to remove the human voice and replace it with a synthesized one destroys the art form.
Technology is ideal for robots to replace humans in soul-sucking jobs like installing computer chips on a circuit board. It will never replace a human’s ability to convey emotion.
Since Bee Audio is actively participating in the development of TTS to replace narrators in audiobooks, I cannot in good conscience stay on their roster. I also encourage other narrators to avoid this company unless its “vision and enthusiasm” changes in favor of pro narrators.
Perhaps Bee’s TTS applications will be voicing their audiobooks even sooner than they realized.
Your letter eloquently supports why we’re encouraging Narrators to incorporate the ‘REAL HUMAN VOICE’ logo and audio tag (or a personalized version) on the cover of their clients’ audiobooks and at the end of the audio as well. REAL HUMAN VOICE — Keep it Real! Check us out: http://www.realhumanvoice.org/
Hi, Ralph and Kendra! Thanks for the note.
I imagine we’ll see more of this type of labeling as more companies investigate AI.
Thanks for keeping it real! 🙂
Karen
Absolutely love this idea, I’m going to start suggesting it to all of my clients.
Karen, this is so well said. I’m only guessing, but I think you speak for the vast majority of audiobook narrators here.
Thanks for the kind words, Petrea! This article definitely struck a chord with the narrator community! I’m struggling to respond to all the people who have shared it on social media, replied here on the blog, or sent me email.
Karen
Agree with you, Karen. Additionally, me and millions upon millions of others have never heard of Bee audio. So there’s that.
Hi, Larry! Thanks for the note.
Bee Audio is a sub-contractor for big publishing companies who send books to them for audio production.
As a result of the CEO’s email, many narrators who previously worked through Bee are asking to be removed from their roster. They also are requesting that the hiring publishers route future books through other production companies that treat narrators with respect.
Karen
Great cartoon at the top! No, I’m sure that AI will never express books as well as humans, at least in my lifetime. Imagine a world in which I never heard the author’s, narrator’s, and character’s voices in my head. Kind of like relying on screen-reader technology to explain a Rembrandt painting. By the way, someone recently spent over a million dollars to get a computer to complete a damaged Rembrandt painting. I wonder what art critics are saying about the result.
On the other hand, human narrators will never catch up with all the writings that are available to record. People whose vision is impaired by disease or injury or busy hands want access to more audiobooks than we can provide.
I love how you describe your book prep. That is one of my favorite parts of being a narrator! Can anyone imagine translating our notes and thoughts and feelings into computer code?
Hi, Grace! Thanks for the kind words.
While it’s true that human narrators can’t possibly record every book available, I can’t believe that consumers are willing to pay their hard-earned money for a computerized voice.
Audiobooks have only recently become mainstream entertainment. In order to compete with TV, movies, etc., audiobook producers should insist on using human voices.
Thanks for stopping by the blog.
Karen
Wow. What a horrible week for narrators.This, on top of Google Play putting AI audiobooks into beta and trying to lure authors with free use of the program.The audiobook industry is becoming more and more like the Wild West. I’ve read a lot of comments in authors groups this week where authors who have never done an audiobook think that AI will do just fine because it’s free to create and they can sell it on Google. (Google also say they can sell it wide) These authors have no idea what goes into an audio performance. I’m also concerned that authors who create AI audio will expect to charge the same price for their product as authors who use human voice. I will raise hell if this happens.
Hi, Isobel! I think those authors who jump at a “free” AI audiobook will get what they pay for. Their listeners will complain about the quality, if they can even distribute the book beyond Google. Many (hopefully, most) distributors won’t accept audiobooks produced with synthesized voices. ACX lists a human voice among its submission requirements for Audible, Amazon, and Apple. The page states “Audible listeners choose audiobooks for the performance of the material, as well as the story.”
Unfortunately, half the American population still hasn’t experienced the joy of listening to an audiobook. If their first one has an AI voice or even a poor performance from a human, they may not come back to the medium.
Thank you for being a firm supporter and producer of quality audiobooks of your books!
Karen
Karen,
I replied to Roy Forbes, Bee’s new CEO, the day I received his email, and I shall forward my response to you.
Hi, Ralph! With your stature in the industry, I’m sure you’ll get Roy’s attention! I’ll be interested to learn the outcome.
Thanks for stopping by the blog.
Karen
As an author, I would NEVER use AI to record one of my stories! A narrator can bring a book to life like no computer -simulated voice ever will.
AI is a mistake.
Hi, T.M.! I hope you’ll share your view with all of your author friends!
While it might seem attractive to some authors to pay a lower cost for a synthesized voice, devoted audiobook listeners expect to hear a human voice tell them a nuanced story. I can just picture the bad reviews for an audiobook with an AI voice.
Thanks for your comment.
Karen
You voice a very real concern that’s been troubling the voice over industry and I appreciate your open letter. Please keep us posted as the issue unfolds.
Hi, Fiona! The concern about AI in audiobooks rose with the publication of this grossly biased article in Publishers Weekly. The recently-formed Professional Audiobook Narrators Association has asked PW for a follow-up article with narrators to give a more balanced view to the topic.
Meanwhile, late on Friday the 29th, the Bee CEO sent his attempt at an apology letter, in which he stated:
Yes, he does have A LOT to learn, but I and many other professional narrators don’t have the time, patience, or inclination to educate him. I’m not sure how you can become the CEO of an audiobook production company and not think that narrators would be “sensitive” to casual comments about being replaced by AI!
The apology email was only sent after a number of narrators asked to be removed from the Bee roster and asked the hiring publishers to router their projects through a different production company.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about AI, so please watch for future posts.
Thanks for your comment.
Karen
Karen,
I want to thank you for this wonderfully written “open letter”!! You have summed up the most important reason for each of us to stand behind!!! The true and unique way that we “voice” our stories to all listeners!! We “feel” the content of the story, we “voice” the feeling and intention through our own “human” voice.
The importance of being “human” is the point of audiobooks and performances! It is what I love when listening to audiobooks and what I love about narrating! Bringing a book to “life”, the intention, the characters and the scene description!!
Thanks Karen for all you do!
Kat Carpentio
Hi, Kat! I appreciate your kind words. As more AI companies try to gain footholds in the audiobook industry, it’s increasingly important that narrators highlight the many irreplaceable skills we bring to the table.
Karen