"Streaming music platform Spotify (SPOT-US) announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature on Monday (25th), which can translate Podcasts into different languages, narrated in the host’s own voice.
Spotify stated that the function utilizes OpenAI’s voice generation technology, which was also announced by OpenAI on the same day, capable of creating strikingly realistic synthetic voices with just a few seconds of speech.
Spotify indicated that this technology allows podcasts to maintain the host’s unique vocal characteristics, providing a more genuine and natural experience for listeners, even when translated into different languages.
Spotify’s stock price fell 0.53% on Monday, closing at $155.52 per share, but it has surged nearly 97% so far this year.
Spotify has collaborated with several well-known podcast hosts on some past and upcoming episodes. Spotify noted that these episodes will first be translated into Spanish, French, and German, and will be available for users to listen to for free in the coming days or weeks.
A spokesperson for the company said that these languages have a wider audience on the platform, and the trial phase is initially focusing on Spanish, with rapid rollouts in German and French to follow.
Spotify did not reveal specific cost details related to the AI feature. The spokesperson added that the company is exploring how to ‘bring this service to more podcast hosts worldwide; this is just the beginning.’"