Bookwire Partners with Google for TTS

German publishing company Bookwire has partnered with Google Play Books to allow customers to produce auto-narrated audiobooks using its text-to-speech (TTS) technology.

Using Google's technology, Bookwire customers will be able to create auto-narrated audiobooks within the framework of Bookwire's WAY audiobook service, in five languages: English, Spanish, French, German, and Brazilian Portuguese. Bookwire manages the production, quality assurance, and delivery of the ready-for-distribution auto-narrated audiobooks

"We are happy that in co-operation with the leading technology company Google we can add another provider to our text-to-speech service who offers audiobook production with advanced AI in multiple languages. Bookwire wants to give publishers even more diverse opportunities to participate in the growing audio market with the additional TTS offer," Solveij Krause, team lead for business development audio at Bookwire, said in a statement. "Publishers can freely choose with WAY whether their audiobook should be produced with a human speaker or an artificial voice. In terms of accessibility and backlist, text-to-speech offers a rapid and cost-effective way for publishers to tap the full potential of their catalogues and make their titles available for everyone."