ElevenLabs, a voice AI company, has launched a feature enabling authors to publish AI-generated audiobooks through its Reader app. This announcement follows the company’s recent partnership with Spotify to provide AI-narrated audiobooks. Last month, ElevenLabs raised $180 million in funding, and it had previously invited authors to test its publishing program on a trial basis, which is now open to all authors.
The company aims to offer affordable tools for audiobook creation that could otherwise be expensive to produce in traditional studios. ElevenLabs is positioning itself as a competitor to platforms like Audible, which it claims has lower royalty rates for authors. Its model involves paying authors based on user engagement with their audiobooks, with current compensation set at approximately $1.10 for every 11 minutes of listening time.
During the testing phase, users reportedly spent an average of 19 minutes listening to audiobooks on the app. While the initial payout structure is limited to authors in the U.S. and for English-language titles, ElevenLabs plans to expand this to support 32 languages. Additionally, the company aims to establish a marketplace for authors to sell their content.
ElevenLabs is also promoting its paid plans, which range from $11 to $330 per month, as a cost-effective alternative to hiring studio time and voice actors for audiobook production. The company has previously collaborated with platforms like Pocket FM and Kuku FM to convert text into audio.
This initiative aligns with CEO Mati Staniszewski’s strategy to broaden ElevenLabs’ offerings and enhance consumer experiences in the audiobook industry. The expansion raises questions about how it might affect existing audiobook platforms and the market for self-published authors.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/25/elevenlabs-is-now-letting-authors-create-and-publish-audiobooks-on-its-own-platform/