Spotify announced a new AI-powered voice translation feature that would automatically reproduce podcasts in other languages with the podcaster’s own voice. The pilot rollout includes several episodes translated from English into Spanish, French and German.

“A podcast episode originally recorded in English can now be available in other languages while keeping the speaker’s distinctive speech characteristics”, the announcement notes, thanks to recent AI advancements, including OpenAI’s voice generation technology Whisper. The company hasn’t announced a timeline for wider rollout of the feature.

French media tycoon Xavier Niel has purchased a stake at Le Monde that belonged to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, working towards a plan to transfer ownership of the major French newspaper to a foundation that would protect its editorial independence. Financial Times estimates the deal at around €50 million.

As FT writes, “the transaction will bolster Niel’s shareholding and take him a step closer to the goal he set in 2021 to move a majority stake into a foundation to ensure Le Monde’s independence and prevent takeovers”.

Founded during the Second World War and owned by journalists for most of its history, the paper was purchased by three French businessmen in 2010 to save it from bankruptcy. Křetínský’s acquisition of a stake in Le Monde in 2018 was not welcomed by the outlet’s staff. In an editorial, Le Monde hailed the latest news as a “milestone” for its independence.

The Financial Times grew its revenues by 5% to £458m in 2022 and saw particularly strong results in its advertising and events businesses, Press Gazette reports citing the company’s UK financial reporting and unaudited internal figures.

According to an internal document, Press Gazette notes, FT witnessed growth “across all major revenue lines”. The company’s investment in podcasts and newsletters paid off, and event revenue rose 30% year-on-year to £29.6m. Subscriptions, the company’s core business, also grew notably; overall the publisher has around 1.26 million paying digital and print subscribers.

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Spotify launching AI podcast translation, FT’s growth – weekly news digest