Spotify Acquires Chopping-Edge AI Voice Modeling Firm Sonantic – EDM.com
Sonantic is bringing a slew of latest voices to the Spotify platform.
Co-founded by Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn in 2018, the AI voice firm has been acquired by the streaming large, TechCrunch reviews.
Sonantic’s know-how addresses two key features. First, the corporate has the capabilities to supply top quality text-to-speech outcomes match for an expert studio. And maybe extra intriguingly, Sonantic permits the creation of vocal fashions primarily based on samples.
The corporate has additionally labored with skilled actors to synthesize their voice right into a programmable format. Utilizing this program, actors can full a number of voiceover initiatives concurrently with out really having to be current. Every time their vocal program is utilized commercially, the actors obtain a royalty cost. One such instance of the corporate’s efforts on this space appeared in High Gun: Maverick, whereby Sonantic modeled Val Kilmer’s voice utilizing AI.
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As Music Business Worldwide notes, the acquisition coincides with Spotify’s broader efforts to seize market share within the $70 billion audiobook area.
“Voice is a large market and we all know there are lots of use instances from promoting and name centres to robots and audiobooks,” reads a 2021 blog post printed by Qureshi wherein he advocates for audiobook improvement as a related use case for the cutting-edge tech. “Nevertheless, leisure voice requires the best bar of high quality. That is what actually differentiates us from different speech firms. We’re high quality first.”
The phrases of Spotify’s acquisition haven’t been disclosed on the time of writing.