Spotify Using AI to Translate Podcasters' Original Voices to Additional Languages

Spotify this week announced an AI translation feature for podcasters that could give it an edge over Apple's podcasting platform. Voice Translation for podcasts uses artificial intelligence to translate podcasts into additional languages using the original podcaster's voice.

General Spotify Feature
While Spotify developed the tool, it is using OpenAI's latest voice generation technology. It learns the original speaker's voice and style and then translates the podcast into another language. Spotify says that this system will provide a "more authentic listening experience" that is more natural and personal than standard dubbing. Podcasts translated this way will retain the speaker's distinctive speech characteristics.

Spotify is testing Voice Translation at the current time, and is working with podcasters like Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Bill Simmons, Steven Bartlett, and Lex Fridman to create AI-powered voice translations in languages like Spanish, French, and German for both existing episodes and future podcast episodes.

Voice-translated episodes are available worldwide to Premium and Free users. An initial bundle of translated episodes in Spanish are available now, with French and German rolling out "in the coming days and weeks." According to Spotify, the pilot program will provide "important insights" for future expansion and iteration.

While Apple does not have a competing tool at this time for the Podcasts platform, it is experimenting with AI voice technology. In iOS 17, Apple added a Personal Voice feature that allows you to use AI to create a replica of your voice. Right now, this is an accessibility feature that Apple has designed for those who are at risk of losing their ability to speak, but it stands to reason that Apple could use voice replication in other areas in the future.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With Rear Camera Bar Allegedly Shown in Leaked Photo

Tuesday January 21, 2025 12:46 pm PST by
A leaker known as "Majin Bu" today shared an alleged image of a component for the rumored, ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model. The blurry, pixelated image shows a pair of rear iPhone shells with a pill-shaped, raised camera bar along the top. On the left side of the bar, there is a circular cutout that appears to be for a single rear camera. On the right side of the bar, there appears to be an ...
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
17 months ago
No way I would ever allow another entity to "create" content in my voice. Before you know it you are getting canceled and apologizing for an AI error that caused "you" to say some horrific stuff in a language you don't even speak.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NEPOBABY Avatar
17 months ago

I mean if it works reasonably well, why not? Wider audience and more revenue for the podcast.
There will definitely be many bad and messed up translations.

Relying on algorithms alone to translate languages is notoriously and famously difficult.

Anyone who has used YouTube or Instagram's translators knows how bad it is. Sometimes the meaning is changed completely.

Instagram translates my Chinese and Japanese friends posts wrong 50% of the time and converts their words into dumbed down American ghetto slang, which not only is a mistranslation but also paints people in a bad light.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrfunnypenguin Avatar
17 months ago
Have they completely forgot about HiFi?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
17 months ago

I don’t see an issue with this. Everyone issue with AI (including mine) is lack of consent and getting payed for these AI companies stealing your work. If an artist agrees and is payed for their work getting used, I don’t see an issue.
Apple people see issues because this is a Spotify story. Take this one down, wait a day or two and put it back up as an Apple Podcasts story and we'll be gushing at Apple genius for the same thing. "We" are a very fair weather crowd. If it's an Apple innovation, it is genius. If it is an Apple competitor innovation, no one needs it, it's buggy as h*ll, it will never work right, security, privacy, risk of death/murder/mayhem/et all.

If it works pretty well, this seems great to me: great for Spotify, great for the podcasters, great for listeners who would like to hear some podcasts but in their own supported languages (even if there are some translation errors). Hopefully competition moves Apple to come up with the same or better ASAP. Competition is always good.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zakarhino Avatar
17 months ago

any source about the android system implementation ?
None, I'm speculating this feature will be the next step up from the on device captions they already do. Apple added this last year or this year I think. Google have been doing it for years.

"All captions are processed locally, never stored, and never leave your device."

https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/9350862?hl=en
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
17 months ago

I cannot stand watching movies where non native speakers do voiceovers. I much prefer subtitles.

Since Podcasts have overall not created growth for Spotify I presume that at some point they might drop them.
OK and OK. Apparently this has no benefit for you. Last I checked, there are other people in the world. Perhaps it's something THEY might appreciate while Spotify continues to offer them?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)