Spotify Tests Voice Translation Feature

Spotify is testing a generative artificial intelligence-powered voice feature to translate podcasts into other languages as a way to gain new users and boost revenue.

The translated versions, powered by OpenAI's voice generation technology, would mimic the original speaker's style and be more natural than dubbing or captioning, Spotify said.

The Spotify pilot included several English podcasts that have been translated into Spanish. These include "Diary of a CEO" with Steven Bartlett, ;the "Lex Fridman Podcast," and "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard. Spotify plans to roll out the feature to other languages, including French and German, and other podcasts.

"Podcasters, what if I told you could offer your pod to any listener around the world, in their own local language, but still keep it in your own voice?" Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wrote in a post on X. "It's called Voice Translation, and using AI, it translates podcasts episodes into alternate languages, all in the podcaster's voice. It's pretty insane."

"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," Spotify's vice president of personalization, Ziad Sultan, added. "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."