99% of Audiobook Fans Say No to Audible’s Virtual Voice

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Audible is now offering AI-narrated audiobooks, promising “more stories are possible with virtual voice narration.”

I tried a few titles, but honestly, I am not a fan. They sound flat, robotic, and soulless, which ruins the whole experience for me.

Curious if other fans felt the same, I ran a Reddit survey. Out of 550+ comments, over 99% of fans said they would never spend a credit or cash on a virtually narrated audiobook.

Clearly, narration is an art, and real voices still matter.

Luckily, I haven’t yet come across a book I was excited to listen to that turned out to be AI-narrated.

For now, these virtual voice titles are mostly lesser-known books from new authors. Still, Audible keeps adding more of them, and the Plus Catalog already has quite a few.

What Is Virtual Voice on Audible?

Virtual voice narration means the audiobook is read by a computer-generated voice instead of a real person. You can spot them easily. They’ll have “Narrator: Virtual Voice” in the narrator field.

If you want to see which titles are AI-narrated, just search for “virtual voice” on Audible’s website or in the app using the search icon.

Why Audiobook Fans Are Saying No to AI Voices

Most people pointed out that virtual voices can’t capture the tone or emotion of the characters, which makes the narration feel flat and soulless.

Another common concern is that anyone can generate a virtual voice version of a book in minutes, so it doesn’t feel right to charge money for it.

Here are some interested survey comments that show why audiobook fans prefer human narrators over virtual voices, answering the question would you spend a credit (or cash) on an AI audiobook?

1. Nope, I don’t want AI to create my art, write my stories, or narrate my books. I want AI to empty my dishwasher and mop the floor so I can do the creative stuff.
2. No. Not even if they were offered 100% for free for non-subscribers.
3. If I wanted to listen to text-to-speech, I would buy the eBook and use accessibility features for a fraction of the cost.
4. I tend to buy books based on narrator’s more than the authors for audible. So no, I won’t buy anything with AI
5. I have experienced two AI audiobooks and I did not finish either of them. I understand why some authors may use it, it is cheap, but as they are right now, they are just bad.
6. Never. I won’t even listen to free ones, and wouldn’t even if they sounded like live narrators. I support the artists who bring audiobooks to life.
7. Nope. Never. They could improve the tech so it doesn’t sound like a robot that barely understands human inflections and I’d still say no.
8. No, and it will be a fast return and a black listed author if I stumble upon one.
9. I’d rather use a text to speech myself on the book. I’m only paying for a human narrator, period.
10. If I wanted to listen to an AI-narrated book I would just buy it for my kindle and listen to Text-to-speech for free like I used to before Audible.
11. No – I’m picky with narrators, even some of the human ones aren’t good. And I don’t support AI butting in on creative work
12. There are very few books left in the plus catalog that aren’t AI. Refuse to listen to any of them. Cancelling my audible membership

One commenter mentioned that if they are going to do them, the AI version should come free with our subscription. Then human versions can remain costing a credit or money.

What’s the Future of Virtual Voice Narration?

AI-narrated audiobooks are likely to become more common as the technology improves.

Virtual voice narration is cheaper to produce than hiring human narrators, which is why publishers are experimenting with it.

An author commented, “Audible has tried to push me to use Virtual Voice for audio versions of the books I’ve written. I’m poor so I considered it for 20 seconds or so, but it’s clear that people have strong feelings against it and it would damage any writer’s credibility.”

When Does AI- Narration Makes Sense?

AI narration isn’t perfect for immersive storytelling, but it can be really useful in certain situations:

• Helping readers with dyslexia or visual impairments
  If a book doesn’t exist in audio, AI can quickly turn it into one, making it accessible for people with visual difficulties.
• Technical or instructional books
  Manuals, guides, or educational content that don’t need emotion or dramatic flair work well with AI narration.
• Budget-friendly option for new authors
  Self-published writers or those on a tight budget can create an audiobook quickly and cheaply.
• Bringing older or niche books to life
  Classics or lesser-known titles that never had an audiobook can finally reach listeners via virtual narration.

How to Filter Out Virtual Voice on Audible

Unfortunately, Audible doesn’t currently have an option to filter out AI-narrated titles from search results or recommendations.

But don’t worry, I have a dedicated guide on how to filter out virtual voices on Audible that shows you exactly how to do it.

You can also filter out virtual voice narrations using a browser’s extension that is covered in the above-mentioned article.