ElevenLabs, the software company specializing in AI-generated audio, has launched ElevenReader Publishing, a platform that offers free audiobook production and distribution. Through ElevenReader, rights holders can upload their books as ePub, DOCX, or PDF files, which are then converted to AI-generated audiobooks, for which authors and publishers can choose the voice of the narrator. The audiobooks are then made available for consumers to listen to for free on the ElevenReader App, which is available on Apple and Android.
During the program's beta phase, the company will pay U.S.-based authors working in English $1.10 when listeners engage with their audiobook for more than 11 minutes. The company said that the average user, in the testing phase, listened to books on the app for 19 minutes. The platform also offers analytics tools for authors to track listener engagement. Authors retain full intellectual property rights with no exclusivity restrictions and can update their audiobooks at any time.
Jack McDermott, head of mobile growth for ElevenLabs, described the ElevenReader Publishing program as a "free audio self-publishing platform," and stressed that the ElevenReader app is also free. When asked by PW how such a business model is possible for ElevenLabs, McDermott replied: "We make money today as ElevenLabs has various other business lines, including enterprise customers and big publishers for larger initiatives."
McDermott added that ElevenLabs, which was founded in 2022 and is currently valued at $3.3 billion, plans to introduce subscription models for listeners, as well as a marketplace where authors and publishers could sell audio content. When this happens, he said, ElevenLabs "would take a small percentage of sales—far less than other audiobook platforms like Audible, Kobo, Apple Books," McDermott said. In the future, the company also anticipates expanding payments to the 32 languages it supports.
Currently, the ElevenLabs Publishing platform is focused on serving self-published authors and smaller publishers. "Our free distribution model gives them a unique opportunity to produce audio for books that may not otherwise have audio versions," McDermott said. "We plan to add content from larger publishers in the future as our platform grows to become a home for all great audio content."
The is the latest iteration of ElevenLab's publishing and distribution program. In recent months, ElevenLabs partnered with such publications as MIT Tech Review as well as influencers Andrew Huberman and Arianna Huffington to offer stories through its app.
In addition to the free publishing program, ElevenLabs offers a professional AI audio studio service where authors can create fully customized audiobooks with control over pronunciations, timing, speed, accents, and voice selection. This premium service starts at $99 per month for approximately 500 minutes of audio. ElevenLabs allows authors to export high-definition audio files for distribution through Findaway Voices/Spotify—a program which launched last week—in addition to the ElevenReader app.
