Take note when Spotify was once only for being attentive to tune? It was once the app for streaming tunes, however in 2026, the app has extra of a do-it-all perspective. You’ll nonetheless use it to hear near to any track you’ll be able to bring to mind, however you’ll be able to additionally pay attention to podcasts and audiobooks, and DM with buddies. (In point of fact, there may be an in-app chat serve as.) Even after launching all of those options, Spotify’s quest to seize your entire consideration is not over: The corporate has introduced an effort to get you to hear mag articles as neatly.
Spotify’s new audio articles function makes use of AI
Spotify introduced its new “narrated articles” function in a press unlock on Tuesday. In keeping with the corporate, customers now have get entry to to over 650 “long-form” mag articles to hear throughout the app. Spotify says the corporate’s in-house staff at Spotify Audiobooks is at the back of those audio productions, together with articles from magazines like The Atlantic, Billboard, GQ, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vainness Honest, and WIRED.
Whilst actual people are appearing a few of these narrations, Spotify is, predictably, the usage of AI to generate audio for the remainder. The corporate advised TechCrunch that any portion of a piece of writing narrated by way of AI will likely be categorized as such, so listeners know whether or not they are listening to a human or a bot.
Articles are integrated in Top rate—at the price of your listening time
Spotify says all narrated articles are not up to two hours lengthy, which is necessary context, as they rely in opposition to Spotify Top rate’s 15-hour per month listening cut-off date. That suggests in case you are a Top rate person and also you generally tend to hear audiobooks as a part of your Spotify subscription, those articles will cut back the hours it’s important to pay attention to books. If a piece of writing takes an hour and a part to hear, that counts the similar as in case you listened to 90 mins of an audiobook. In case you run out of time, you will have to acquire “top-ups” to stay listening.
Unfastened customers can nonetheless pay attention to articles on Spotify, however they are going to must pay a charge consistent with article: $1.99 for each and every piece, irrespective of duration.
What do you assume to this point?
Alternative ways to hear articles with out giving cash to Spotify
In case you already pay for Spotify and you do not pay attention to many audiobooks throughout the provider, this new function may make sense for you—you’ll be able to pay attention to somewhat a couple of articles inside of that 15-hour per month cut-off date, and it is most likely Spotify will handiest proceed so as to add to its library as time is going on. On the other hand, in case you use Spotify free of charge, $1.99 consistent with article will upload up temporarily. As anyone running in virtual media, I am fascinated about supporting journalism, however except you might be the usage of the function to hear a piece of writing handiest from time to time, it’s possible you’ll finally end up paying up to a complete subscription to the website online that revealed it could price.
As such, it is price noting {that a} easy text-to-speech generator can accomplish the similar factor that Spotify’s provider does right here, however free of charge—assuming you have already got get entry to to the object in query. There are a ton of turbines to choose between, and likelihood is that just right your software has one inbuilt. If you are on a Mac or iPhone, as an example, you’ll be able to spotlight any textual content, make a selection “Speech” (Mac) or “Discuss” (iPhone), and your software will start studying the textual content aloud. Relying at the program you might be the usage of, the narration will also sound rather herbal, as opposed to the robot voices you could be used to from text-to-speech turbines of previous. (Sure, you could have generative AI to thank for that.)
The usage of this system would unlock the ones greenbacks, possibly to be put towards subscribing to publications without delay. In fact, there are methods you’ll be able to get round a paywall to learn many articles free of charge, but when you’ll be able to, I beg you to beef up virtual media you in finding helpful.
