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Spotify Partners with OpenAI to Translate Podcasts Using Podcaster's Voices

Spotify has teamed up with OpenAI to introduce an innovative voice translation feature for podcasts. This feature allows podcasters to instantly translate their English-language episodes into other languages using their own voices. The initial rollout includes Spanish translations, with plans to add French and German translations soon. Notable podcasters like Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons, and Steven Bartlett have already participated in this endeavor.

The foundation of this translation feature is OpenAI's Whisper, a voice transcription tool capable of transcribing English speech and translating other languages into English. However, Spotify's implementation goes beyond simple speech-to-text translation, as it reproduces podcasts in a synthesized version of the podcaster's own voice. This innovative approach aims to provide listeners worldwide with a more authentic podcast experience.

OpenAI likely plays a significant role in the voice replication aspect of this feature. The company has also unveiled a tool capable of generating human-like audio from text and a short sample of speech. Spotify has chosen to limit the availability of this translation tech to a select group of podcasters for now, possibly due to concerns related to safety and privacy. The company has not disclosed when or how widely it plans to expand the tool's accessibility.

Spotify's partnership with OpenAI represents a significant step toward making podcasts more accessible to global audiences by breaking down language barriers and providing an authentic listening experience.