To read or to listen? More Chinese embracing audiobooks in age of AI

This undated file photo shows Zhao Jian recounting stories from books via livestreaming at home in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua)

* Thanks to the fast pace of urban life and the proliferation of diverse media platforms, the reading habits of many people are transitioning from reading to listening, rendering audiobooks a social trend.

* Statistics show that the user base of audiobooks in China reached 420 million in 2022.

* Chinese content creators are also harnessing AI technology to produce radio dramas that combine human voices, music, and sound effects.

NANJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Every weekend, Zhao Jian meticulously arranges his phone and adjusts the room lighting before passionately recounting stories from books in front of the camera, and when emotions run deep, he even recites some verses of poetry.

This is Zhao's routine work as an online storyteller living in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. He has garnered nearly 1.4 million followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, with his works receiving almost 18 million likes.

"The joy of my work lies in nurturing a love for reading among more people," Zhao said, noting that he sees his role as a bridge that connects listeners with authors through his narratives.

"It's sort of like doing movie trailers, to spark people's interest in buying tickets to watch movies," he added.

In Zhao's perspective, a burgeoning cohort of young people is now drawn to literary works through short videos. "Through AI algorithms, books are recommended to targeted listeners who might have an interest, thereby boosting sales of numerous classic books, including many audiobooks."

Data from Douyin's e-commerce platform show that in the first quarter of this year, views of livestreams on books surpassed 3.9 billion, generating an average daily sales of over two million books.

This photo taken on April 21, 2024 shows the audiobook area at the provincial library of Guizhou in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Luo Fei)

LISTENING TO BOOKS GETS TRENDY

Feng Xiaohui, a manager at Beijing OpenBook Co., Ltd., noted that new technologies have fostered a change in the way many Chinese read.

"We can see that the mode of reading is more and more diversified, with the popularity of e-books and audiobooks increasingly on the rise," Feng said.

"Nowadays, it's about catering to both the visual and auditory needs of the learners," echoed Zhao Chen, director of digital publishing department at People's Literature Publishing House, saying that audio elements are increasingly included in the publishing of new books, with many featuring QR codes for audiobook enthusiasts.

Thanks to the fast pace of urban life and the proliferation of diverse media platforms, the reading habits of many people are transitioning from reading to listening, rendering audiobooks a social trend. Statistics show that the user base of audiobooks in China reached 420 million in 2022.

"Amid all the work and family pressures, it's not easy to find dedicated time and place for reading. Therefore, audiobooks are a great choice for me to enrich my inner world during fragmented leisure time, allowing me to find some inner peace just through my phone," said Wang Chun, an IT worker in Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu.

Due to the companionable nature and diverse adaptability of audio products, people can enjoy audiobooks during activities such as driving, studying, exercising, or doing household chores, making fragmented time more meaningful.

Liu Fang, a visually impaired teacher from Guiyang, shares her stories about reading in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Fei)

Liu Fang, a visually impaired teacher from Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, devotes her spare time to making audiobooks on short video platforms, kindling the hearts of numerous readers, including those visually-impaired.

"Sharing beautiful stories brings me great happiness. Through producing audiobooks, I meet the needs of more young people while offering reading services to the visually impaired and elderly," Liu said.

Traditional offline libraries are also undergoing digital transformation. The provincial library of Guizhou has established a facility that houses 550,000 collections and more than 100,000 hours of listening resources spanning classics, philosophy, history, and children's literature.

"It is very popular, especially among elderly people. They put on headphones, select their favorite books, and relish in quiet listening, gaining knowledge while immersing in a different reading ambiance," said Luo Jing, a staff member of the library.

According to Zhao Chen, audiobooks adapted from online literature are highly story-driven while also captivating young people. "But when it comes to audiobooks of classics, it is advised that the original work be kept intact to preserve the charm of the language."

A citizen looks up information in a digital library system at the provincial library of Guizhou in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Fei)

AI AMPLIFIES ENGAGEMENT

With the advent of 5G and AI, text-to-speech (TTS) technology has been widely used in audiobook production. AI-generated audible novels are emerging in Chinese audio-based media and reading applications.

"TTS technology significantly enhances our efficiency of audiobook content production. Current AI-generated content is almost indistinguishable from human voices," said Lu Heng, head of the AI voice laboratory of Ximalaya, China's online audio-sharing platform that boasts an average monthly active user base of 303 million in 2023.

With the help of AI, the company has expedited the entire audiobook production process by more than 50 times compared to manual creation.

Book listeners can now not only acquire information and knowledge but also immerse themselves in various emotional spectra such as suspense, humor, and sadness, augmenting their reading experiences.

At a recent exhibition in Italy, Ximalaya unveiled its latest product tailored for kids, which can enable parents to embed their voices into a vast story library with just five one-minute recordings, allowing children to hear their parents narrate stories at anytime.

Lu noted that Ximalaya's voice generation model can swiftly replicate voices with 90 percent similarity within five seconds and generate customized audios within 10 seconds.

Some domestic audiobook platforms, after gaining copyrights, replicate voices of celebrities and language artists through AI anchors, enriching the expressiveness and appeal of novel storylines.

A child tries an AR device at the provincial library of Guizhou in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Fei)

Douyin's novel reading platform boasts AI voices in over 40 styles, catering to various age groups. These AI voices can eloquently convey profound human emotions and each voice can be seamlessly switched to provide varied storytelling experiences.

Chinese content creators are also harnessing AI technology to produce radio dramas that combine human voices, music, and sound effects. For instance, the radio-drama adaptation of the Chinese science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem" on Ximalaya has accumulated over 750 million views.

"We believe that AI technology catalyzes the industry's growth by enhancing content production efficiency, reducing production costs, and providing users with better listening experiences," Lu said.

According to Liu Xiaochun, an associate professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, AI's technological prowess has injected vitality into the growth of book sales and the popularization of reading among the masses.

She noted that AI is lowering the barriers to reading and enabling more obscure books to reach interested readers.

"Technological advancements in livestreaming, short videos, and podcasts can help precisely match users' listening preferences and create personalized experiences," Liu added. "They can also enhance user stickiness, fostering stable reading communities."

Zhang Qinghua, a professor at Beijing Normal University, has been impressed with the transformative impact of AI on people's reading habits.

"The prospects of AI in reading are promising, but there are also concerns. Hopefully, AI can embody the humanistic spirit, inspiring more young people to engage with classic literature," he said.