With the ongoing increase in AI-narrated audiobooks, we at Libro.fm are having critical discussions around their implications on accessibility, creativity, affordability, and more. We plan to explore this topic with the help of our accessibility consultant, publishers, narrators, customers, booksellers, and other members of our community.
In the meantime, please know:
- We will never knowingly prioritize, publicize, nor market AI-narrated audiobooks. Unfortunately, we don’t have a way of knowing whether an audiobook is AI-narrated or not unless indicated by the publisher at this time. To that extent…
- We are actively taking steps to increase transparency around audiobooks that are AI-narrated by properly labeling them on our site and in our apps. As an audiobook retailer and app, we are not involved in the production AI-narrated audiobooks; so labelling them requires collaboration with our publishing partners.
- If you unknowingly purchase an audiobook by an AI narrator, please email hello@libro.fm—we’ll happily refund your purchase/credit.
- If you believe an audiobook is AI-narrated that is not labeled as such, please email hello@libro.fm.
- We value your input. Customer feedback drives many of our decisions and product updates.
As we become aware of audiobooks that are AI-narrated, we will mark them clearly on the product page under “narrator.”
If you click the AI tag, you’ll then see this pop-up:
Audiobooks play an essential role in so many readers’ lives, and (human) narrators play an essential role in bringing these stories to life. We promise to do our part in considering the impact of AI on readers, narrators, and bookselling partners alike, and will share resources and updates as we have them.
If you have feedback or input you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at hello@libro.fm.