Publishers involved in the project were required to sign non-disclosure agreements – common in the technology field – but also reflective of Apple’s notorious pursuit of secrecy.Īpple’s development of AI to narrate books could represent a significant shift in how major technology companies see the future of audiobooks.

In recent months, Apple approached independent publishers as potential partners, including some in the Canadian market, but not all agreed to participate.Īuthors were told that Apple – which at the time was not named as the company behind the technology – would shoulder the costs of production and writers would receive royalties from sales. On the company’s Books app, searching for “AI narration” reveals the catalogue of works included in the scheme, which are described as being “narrated by digital voice based on a human narrator”. Industry insiders believe the global market could be worth more than $35bn by 2030.Īpple was due to launch the project in mid-November, but delayed it as layoffs at Meta and chaos surrounding Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter cast a dark cloud over the technology sector. Sales last year jumped 25%, bringing in more than $1.5bn. The popularity of the audiobook market has exploded in recent years, with technology companies scrambling to gain a foothold.

Apple free audio books