Spotify’s AI Voice Translation Pilot Means Your Favorite Podcasters Might Be Heard in Your Native Language
Across cultures, countries, and communities, the stories we share bring us together. And more often than not, it is the voices of the speakers that lend as much weight to the stories as the narratives themselves. For more than 15 years, Spotify’s global platform has empowered creators of all walks to share their work with audiences around the world. At its core, this has been made possible through technology that’s leveraged the power of audio to overcome barriers to access, borders, and distance. But with recent advancements, we’ve been wondering: Are there more ways we can bridge the language gap so that these voices can be heard worldwide?
Today, we’re excited to pilot Voice Translation for podcasts, a groundbreaking feature powered by AI that translates podcasts into additional languages—all in the podcaster’s voice.
Key Takeaways:
Enhancing the Podcast Listening Experience
Spotify’s AI Voice Translation pilot aims to enhance the podcast listening experience by breaking down language barriers. By leveraging AI technology, the platform can now translate podcasts into multiple languages while preserving the original speaker’s voice. This means that listeners around the world can discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before.
Matching Style and Authenticity
The AI-powered voice translation tool developed by Spotify utilizes OpenAI’s voice generation technology to match the style and speech characteristics of the original speaker. This ensures that the translated episodes sound natural and personal, offering a more immersive and genuine listening experience. Whether it’s an episode originally recorded in English or any other language, the voice translation feature maintains the distinctive qualities of the podcaster’s voice.
Collaboration with Prominent Podcasters
Spotify has collaborated with renowned podcasters like Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons, and Steven Bartlett to generate AI-powered voice translations in languages such as Spanish, French, and German. This collaboration allows a select number of catalog episodes and future releases to be available in multiple languages, broadening the reach and accessibility of these podcasts to a global audience.
“By matching the creator’s own voice, Voice Translation gives listeners around the world the power to discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before,” says Ziad Sultan, VP of Personalization at Spotify. “We believe that a thoughtful approach to AI can help build deeper connections between listeners and creators, a key component of Spotify’s mission to unlock the potential of human creativity.”
With the pilot phase underway, Spotify plans to release an initial bundle of translated episodes in Spanish, with more languages to follow. These voice-translated episodes will be available to both Premium and Free users, making it easier for podcast enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite shows in their native language.
