AI audio firm ElevenLabs has inked agreements with the estates of iconic figures such as Judy Garland, James Dean, and other legendary stars to use their voices for reading books, articles, PDFs, and more through its new Reader App.

ElevenLabs envisions users enjoying Garland’s legendary voice reading the original L. Frank Baum novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” or Laurence Olivier delivering a Sherlock Holmes story, among other works. The company emphasizes that it has secured license agreements for the authorized use of these iconic voices as part of the “Iconic Voices” feature of its app.

The Reader App is designed to adapt “articles, PDF, ePub, newsletters, e-books or any other text on your phone” into “emotionally rich, context-aware voiceover” for listening on the go, according to ElevenLabs. The agreements specify that the voices of Garland, Dean, Reynolds, and Olivier will only be used via ElevenLabs for pre-determined purposes. These voices will not be incorporated into ElevenLabs’ broader audio database for AI-generated creation of new works. “The audio generated with these voices is designed to be enjoyed for individual streaming use, rather than to create content designed to be shared,” ElevenLabs stated.

ElevenLabs secured this groundbreaking license deal with CMG Worldwide, a Beverly Hills-based IP management firm that represents the rights of celebrities and celebrity estates. Liza Minnelli, a daughter of Garland and a representative for her mother’s estate, endorsed the deal in a statement. More than 50 years after her death at age 47, Garland’s voice remains instantly recognizable thanks to her timeless movies and music. “It’s exciting to see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her. Through the spectacular new technology offered by ElevenLabs, our family believes that this will bring new fans to Mama and be exciting to those who already cherish the unparalleled legacy that Mama gave and continues to give to the world,” Minnelli said.

Tina Xavie, Chief Marketing Officer for CMG Worldwide, praised the deal as an example of an authorized agreement with appropriate compensation for the value of a celebrity’s voice. “As someone who has had the privilege of representing iconic figures throughout history for decades, I am incredibly excited about our partnership with ElevenLabs. We appreciate their thoughtful approach in working with talent in the right way,” Xavie said. “We are excited by the new opportunities they are providing our clients and look forward to more to come.”

The announcement comes as SAG-AFTRA pushes the California legislature to forbid AI replicas of deceased actors if done without the estate’s permission. The union-backed bill, AB 1836, passed the Assembly, 59-0, in May and is now in the state Senate. The Motion Picture Association has opposed the bill, warning that it could encroach on First Amendment rights. ElevenLabs, which launched its beta platform in early 2023, creates AI audio tools in 29 languages to facilitate the easy creation of audiobooks and news articles, to animate video game characters, to assist in the pre-production of film and TV, and to translate movies and TV shows into local languages.

The company also offers applications for creating audio content for social media and advertising, as well as for educational training. The company said more such voices are coming to its Iconic Voices service. “Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier are some of the most celebrated actors in history. We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as part of our platform,” said Dustin Blank, Head of Partnerships at ElevenLabs. “Adding them to our growing list of narrators marks a major step forward in our mission of making content accessible in any language and voice.”

By Impact Lab