Speaking in any language using your own voice – thanks to AI
We recently worked on an exciting project in Germany. A client wanted the German version of an audio guide to be narrated by one of their employees. They wanted the same voice for the English version as well, but the employee was concerned that her English wasn’t up to the task. What to do?
We suggested cloning her voice using professional AI tools and then having the clone “speak” the English version. Everyone involved liked the idea in principle, and we were ready to get started—were it not for the legal aspects.
AI voice cloning raises a number of legal questions. Fundamentally, it involves personality rights and the right to one’s own voice. Using, cloning, or distributing a voice without the individual’s consent is often unlawful. Copyright law may also apply in the case of voices belonging to well-known voice actors or public figures (actors, celebrities, etc.). It is therefore always advisable to obtain permission from the person concerned.
In our case, obtaining consent was easy; the employee was actually relieved to have someone else handle the English recordings. We drafted a document that was signed by both the employee and Hearonymus, ensuring both parties had a written record of the agreement.
Generating the raw English audio using AI was quickly accomplished, but that was only Act One. The real work lies in post-processing the files. Every single sentence is listened to and checked to ensure all words are pronounced correctly. If a word is mispronounced or the emphasis is wrong, the AI must be instructed on the correct pronunciation. This manual optimization and post-processing of the audio files requires a high level of concentration, detailed knowledge of AI commands, and a great deal of time and patience.
The finished English audio files meet Hearonymus’s strict quality standards, and the client is satisfied. The cloned English voice sounds as if the employee had grown up bilingually.
Working with cloned voices can be a great alternative—provided you have the consent of the original voice talent, as well as the necessary tools, expertise, and time to professionally post-process the audio files. Alternatively, you can turn to Hearonymus; we would be happy to handle this for you.
Picture (c) Created with artificial intelligence (AI)