Spotify has announced a new AI-powered translation feature that allows for podcasts to be played in multiple languages, while keeping the speaker’s distinctive speech characteristics, all in the podcaster’s voice.

As part of the pilot programme announced on Monday, September 25, Spotify has collaborated with renowned podcasters such as Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons, and Steven Bartlett to provide AI-powered voice translations in languages including Spanish, French, and German. This initiative will encompass a select number of catalog episodes and future releases, promising to transform the podcasting landscape.

Ziad Sultan, Spotify’s VP of personalisation at Spotify, in emphasis of the power of Voice Translation, said: “By matching the creator’s own voice, Voice Translation gives listeners around the world the power to discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before. We believe that a thoughtful approach to AI can help build deeper connections between listeners and creators, a key component of Spotify’s mission to unlock the potential of human creativity.”

Voice-translated episodes from the pilot creators will be available to both premium and free users worldwide. Initially, an array of translated episodes in Spanish will be rolled out, with French and German translations set to follow in the coming days and weeks.

The featured translated episodes in the pilot programme are Lex Fridman Podcast – Interview with Yuval Noah Harari; Armchair Expert – Kristen Bell, by the grace of god, returns; The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett – Interview with Dr Mindy Pelz

Users eager to experience these translated episodes can find them in the “Now Playing View” of supported episodes. Additionally, a dedicated Voice Translations hub will be continually updated with more voice-translated content over the coming weeks and months.