Spoken is exactly what we had imagined it to be, and we're doing it DIY, just like you.

"Startup life can be tough, and it can make your hair grey, but the team at Spoken did it. We officially launched our V1 and users are climbing onboard to make the future of audio storytelling Spoken." 

Wow. What a wild week. 

One week ago today Spoken launched our V1, after a year learning what authors need to create great audio of their stories. The response has been incredibly gratifying. Yes, we’re still smoothing out a few glitches, but we’ve been overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and support. Thank you.

There's a lot that goes into a startup. From our team to our users to the tech and how it addresses such a rapidly changing market, to our pricing and our brand. I am so grateful that it has all culminated in this moment. I’m right there with you. I held off on preparing the final multi-voice version of my debut novel, Taming the Perilous Skies, until we were on our V1 stack. I couldn’t be happier with how it’s turning out, and I hope when it launches you’ll find it a great example of what’s possible with Spoken.

So what happens now? 

We're going to focus on delivering for you. That's how we define our business success. Not by investors. Not by hype. Not by some lofty board of directors. We have an insatiable desire to stay true to our mission, and to the promise that we make every day to our author users. That means more releases with more improvements to the platform (we pushed a change to the multi-voice emotional cues today which should tamp down some of the model's over-exuberance). We have passage editor changes, LPF file downloads, and retail sample downloads, all coming within the next several days. I'm a user, just like you, and I share your expectation that Spoken be the best product in the market to bring stories to life. 

I'll end with this. 

When you hear "Made with Spoken" on Spotify, on indie audio platforms, and eventually even on Audible, I want you to take pride in knowing you were here first. You were here at launch, you trusted us to grow, and you’re helping shape what Spoken becomes. When you hear your narrator, your leading character, or even your own AI voice say "Made with Spoken", that signature represents our partnership with you.

My sincerest gratitude to you for being a part of this incredible journey.

Phil Marshall

Founder, Spoken

P. S. Have You Claimed Your FREE NARRATION Yet? 

Every creator receives 5,000 words to kick off the first upload + 25 percent extra narration edit credits to help you get that project perfect. Start a project today and claim your free narration!

Spoken V1 Release Notes – Official Launch, Integrated Pricing & Payments, Multi-Voice Upgrade, and the Brand Sheds Beta!

Spoken V1 marks a truly defining moment — our official public launch and the transition out of beta. This is the version built for everyone, everywhere, with the stability, features, and polish to back it up and arm authors with the absolute best in AI audio narration.

With V1, we’re introducing an integrated pricing system that gives authors complete flexibility: pay per project when you need us, or subscribe for maximum creative output. Our Multi-Voice upgrade delivers the most accurate and natural-sounding AI full-cast narration ever produced, and is getting better each and every day.

This release also brings a sleeker, faster, more powerful platform, a refreshed UI, and the debut of Spoken’s first full brand image rollout — a bold, unified look that reflects who we are and where we’re headed. Spoken V1 is more than a feature update. It’s the start of Spoken as a fully realized product, ready to transform how authors create and publish their work.

Integrated Pricing & Payments

Spoken sets a new industry standard. A seamless way to budget for your audio projects, with two flexible options:

Pay Per Project – $10 per 5,000 words
(Rounded up to the nearest 5,000)

• Includes edit credits equal to 25% of your word count for refining passages, changing voice selections, or correcting AI hiccups.

• Unlimited voices at no extra cost.

• Custom voices generated via Spoken’s prompt analysis or your own prompts, including reusable personal voice clones.

• Full Studio access to control speed, padding, volume, and emotions.

• Free mastered downloads to monetize anywhere.

• Optional free streaming on Spoken for reader discovery.

Monthly Subscription – $50/month

• Includes all Pay Per Project features plus 50% off narration costs.

• Ideal for prolific authors, backlist revival, serialized content, and creative experiments when the words are flowing.

Multi-Voice Upgrade

Formerly known as Multi-Character Multi-Voice, our updated Multi-Voice system delivers pinpoint character analysis and dynamic pacing that naturally adapts to the rhythm of your story. This is our most expressive, most precise full-cast AI narration to date — ready for complex dialogue, subtle tone shifts, and vivid character performances. It has been built to capture the awe of all of your fanbase, and all of your future listeners.

UI & Branding Take a Bold Step Foward

• Redesigned Create page for clearer navigation and workflow.

• Updated banners, visuals, and layout to align with our V1 brand direction.

Platform & Performance Improvements

• Greatly optimized servers for faster parsing, sharper character recognition, and smoother narration generation. This is Spoken with the best engine under the hood. 

• Greater stability and reliability for large manuscripts and complex projects.

• Improved multi-tasking Studio workflow, for narrating individual installments while passages of the work are still being generated.

Spoken Brand Image V1

Spoken V1 doesn’t just perform differently — it presents differently. This release marks the debut of our first fully-realized brand identity: a bold, cohesive visual language that reflects the creativity, sophistication, and impact of the stories our authors tell.

From sleek UI updates to striking banners and promotional materials, every touchpoint with Spoken now feels polished, deliberate, and unmistakably ours. Beyond the platform, our V1 brand campaign is live — showcasing expressive multi-voice narration and positioning Spoken as the definitive home for authors who want their stories to be heard, remembered, and shared.

Spoken Into Existence Speaks Volumes (Literally)

It’s done! The last episode of Spoken Into Existence is now officially “into existence.” Both the trailer and final documentary-style, behind-the-scenes episode are streaming on our YouTube channel, and the novella, "Sackcloth & Blood: Volume 1 – WAR," is published on Spoken! 

Spoken Into Existence is a perfect example of how authors are collaborating and creating through Spoken in this new era of storytelling. This is the first novella in a bold, audio-first series created in real time, with Spoken, by NYT bestselling author Joseph Nassise and acclaimed novelist Tom Leveen. From blank page to fully-voiced story, this project redefines what’s possible for modern authors — giving them complete creative control over their audiobooks using Spoken’s AI-powered narration studio.

It was written specifically for audio, voiced with AI in Spoken Studio, and published as it was completed. Spoken Into Existence captured the whole process, demonstrating how authors are becoming directors of performance — casting characters, shaping tone, and sculpting every beat of their story as an immersive audio experience. No gatekeepers. No barriers. Just pure creative power.

This is the future of storytelling – and this collaboration is the kind of thing we can’t get enough of! Thanks to Joe and Tom for reaching out to us with this idea, and to our in-house filmmaking team, with Joshua David Pivato leading the charge, for bringing it to life through video.

We encourage you to tune in and see the evolution of this groundbreaking project and see how the studio experience is inspiring creative collaboration. Catch all the episodes of Spoken Into Existence here.