These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Project Gutenberg is the oldest digital library, started in 1971 to make e-books more accessible. But CEO Greg Newby says it “isn’t great at either creating or distributing.” So Microsoft and MIT teamed up to make the Open Audiobook Collection, using text-to-speech tech to turn 5,000 books into free, synthetically narrated audiobooks, now available on Spotify. The software fueling the project was also released at no charge.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
