In June 2022, Spotify announced its acquisition of Sonantic for €93 million (Around $115.5 million). Sonantic is a London-based company founded in 2018 that specializes in creating hyper-realistic AI-generated voices from text. One of the most impressive feats of Sonantic’s technology is their recent recreation of Val Kilmer’s voice, entirely through computer generation.
The acquisition aligns with Spotify’s vision of personalization by leveraging AI capabilities to curate the best possible experience for their users. The integration of Sonantic’s AI voice technology into the Spotify platform opens up “several potential opportunities for text-to-speech capabilities across our platform”. Spotify has a vast amount of voice data to pull from, allowing for a range of potential applications.
“We’re really excited about the potential to bring Sonantic’s AI voice technology onto the Spotify platform and create new experiences for our users,” - Ziad Sultan, Spotify.
One of the first applications they have released with Sonantic’s technology is Spotify’s own AI-powered DJ, X. This feature provides a curated playlist with a side of commentary, personalized for every user. Spotify’s music editors collaborate with the technology of OpenAI to provide insights about the music and artists that users listen to.
By integrating Sonantic’s voice technology, Spotify hopes to create more voice-based experiences for users, especially when they are not able to engage with their screens. One example is Car Thing, released last year, a device designed to allow for hands-free listening and voice commands while driving.
This acquisition demonstrates the value of investing in AI technology and the potential for AI-generated voices to enhance user experiences. As the world increasingly relies on technology, the ability to seamlessly integrate AI-generated voices into various platforms and devices will become even more valuable.
Overall, the acquisition of Sonantic is a strategic move for Spotify and aligns with its goal of providing a personalized and seamless experience for its users. The integration of Sonantic’s AI voice technology into Spotify’s platform has already resulted in the release of the AI-powered DJ, and it will be interesting to see what other voice-based experiences Spotify will create in the future with this technology.
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