Lovo Debuts Synthetic Speech Marketplace for Voice Actors

Voice AI developer Lovo has launched a platform for voice actors to produce and market a synthetic version of their speech to interested businesses and organizations. The new Lovo AI Voice Marketplace crafts a synthetic voice from a performer’s audio recording and makes it available for licensing and splitting the revenue with the performer.

Lovo Talk

Performers who sign up for Lovo and are approved for the platform record themselves reciting a selection of readings offered by Lovo. The company’s AI engine then processes the audio into an algorithm that an audio producer can get to read any script in the voice of the performer. The price varies, but the incoming revenue is split evenly between Lovo and the voice actor. There’s potentially quite a lot of cash to go around. The voice-over industry, including AI-based performances, has an estimated compound annual growth of $10 billion according to Lovo. Lovo handles everything but the initial recording.

“The traditional voice-over industry is archaic, and it’s mindblowing how they have weathered the winds of change for so long,” Lovo co-founder Tom Lee said. “With our AI marketplace for voice-overs, we are reinventing an outdated industry to help voice actors prosper. They can literally make money while they sleep. We are also helping organizations of all sizes access the talent and voice content they need for the huge scope of projects–from industry videos to ads, animation, podcasts and more–that exist today.”

Synthetic Reality

Synthetic voice creation is increasingly prominent in the voice tech space. Startups like Replica Studios are investing in better and more useful platforms, such as its new desktop app for speeding up integrating synthetic speech into films and video games. The advances in synthetic speech technology mean even free, limited tools can produce impressive results like this fan-made trailer for Skryim voiced solely by AI. Plenty of startups, such as Resemble AI and Supertone are raising funding rounds and partnering with celebrities to market synthetic voices, and digital voice interface creator ReadSpeaker is augmenting SoundHound’s Houndify voice AI platform to sound more lifelike. Lovo raised a seed funding round of $350,000 in February last year, right before releasing the platform to the public. There are now more than 40,000 users across the globe with more than 3 million recordings on the platform. The audio is used by educators, call centers, corporate executives and entertainment producers, among others. And the ease and convenience will likely only boost growth going forward.

“With our innovative technology and marketplace, AI is helping get your voice to a bigger audience beyond physical, temporal and spatial limitations. AI doesn’t have to sleep so it can work on hundreds of projects simultaneously. AI can do the grunt work while you focus on what you do best,” explained Lee.

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