Amazon's self-publishing platform (KDP) lets authors convert their ebooks into audiobooks using AI-generated synthetic voices, which are then sold on Audible — at no production cost to the author. The program launched in beta in November 2023 and had produced more than 60,000 titles by late 2025. All titles are labeled "Narrated by: Virtual Voice."

Authors select from 80+ synthetic voices across multiple languages, accents, and styles, and can adjust pronunciation and pacing in a tool called Virtual Voice Studio. Audiobooks are published within roughly 72 hours and priced between $3.99 and $14.99, with authors earning a 40% royalty. The program is managed by Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) division; Audible's own creator platform (ACX) still prohibits AI-generated voice uploads, so Virtual Voice titles reach Audible exclusively via KDP. By May 2024, Bloomberg reported more than 40,000 AI-narrated titles; subsequent reports put the count above 60,000. Some listener communities found that AI-narrated titles came to represent the majority of new releases in certain subgenres, and Audible offered no built-in filter to exclude them.