Music streaming giant Spotify has developed a groundbreaking new tool that leverages artificial intelligence to provide voice translations for podcasts. The technology, which utilizes innovations from AI leader OpenAI, matches the voice of the original podcaster to provide translations that sound natural and authentic.
The voice translation tool was created by Spotify’s internal development team. It uses the latest advances in AI, including generative voice models, to translate podcast episodes into other languages while retaining the tone and speech patterns of the original speaker. This creates a more personalized listening experience than traditional dubbing or subtitling.
Spotify is piloting the technology with high-profile podcasters including Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons and Steven Bartlett. Select past episodes and future releases from these shows will be available with AI-powered voice translations in languages like Spanish, French and German.
Other podcasts participating in the initial testing include Shepard’s Armchairexpert, The Ringer’s The Rewatchables, and an upcoming show from Trevor Noah. The translated episodes are now starting to roll out globally on Spotify for both free and Premium users.
“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,” said Spotify’s Ziad Sultan.
The launch includes an initial bundle of translated episodes in Spanish, with more languages coming soon. The translations will be accessible through the Now Playing view on supported episodes and a dedicated Voice Translations hub on Spotify.
Spotify plans to continue expanding the voice translation tool to more podcasts and languages over time. The company sees it as a key step in breaking down barriers for podcast storytelling and helping creators reach wider audiences globally. User feedback from the pilot will help guide future improvements to the technology.
With over 100 million listeners tuning into podcasts on Spotify, voice translation stands to significantly widen the reach of podcast creators on the platform. Spotify is leading the way in leveraging AI to innovate the podcast listening experience.