The production of audio content through AI Voice has become routine for more than 50% of the magazine online, and over one third of people in mature markets  have listened to online content rather than reading it.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After years of experimentation with mixed results, the explosion of Generative AI over the past 18 months, when applied to content, has finally allowed the Text-to-Speech "caterpillar" to turn into an AI-Voice "butterfly." However, a "beautiful voice" alone is not enough to make content truly usable in the here and now, according to the rules of publishing and the business models of the web environment. TTS relates to an audio platform in the same way gasoline relates to a car: necessary, but not sufficient to travel.

So while other startups focused on developing increasingly sophisticated voices, it is Audioboost that is building the solution that truly makes them applicable to the online media industry. Born in Italy and already active in 10 countries, Audioboost is preparing to cross the Atlantic in 2026 to conquer the West—starting from CES2026 in Las Vegas.

Selected for the shortlist of 51 Italian startups hosted in the Italy Pavilion at CES 6–9 January 2026, Audioboost does not belong to the loud AI hype. It is not part of robotics, cybersecurity, space or healthcare, but rather of the martech world, and represents an especially interesting business case at a time when the market is seeking concrete examples of GenAI with practical applications in a competitive, complex and mature sector such as publishing and advertising.

"Trying to innovate a traditionalist industry during a difficult phase—especially online publishing—is certainly a complex challenge," says Cristina Pianura, CEO of Audioboost, who four years ago was the first to bet on AI Voice when the TTS 'caterpillar' was still met with skepticism by many publishers. "Our goal is to ride the now well-established trend of users of all ages preferring listening over reading, and to develop solutions that do not simply generate easy traffic to websites but increase audience dwell time and engagement with content, while also enabling distribution across the channels of the future—from smart cars to smartwatches. We are convinced that audio plays this strategic role, which is why we have developed patented or patent-pending technological innovations that could also be applied to podcast or audiobook production in the future."

Thanks to the market-penetration work Audioboost has carried out in its pilot country—Italy—we now know that 50% of the Italian population is aware of Spoken Articles (content read by artificial intelligence) and that 33% have listened to them at least once (Ipsos source). We also know that listening sessions for informational audio content last on average between 5 and 10 minutes, which in a web environment means multiplying average time spent on a site by 5 to 8 times.

"Contrary to popular belief, the consumption of Spoken Articles is even more valuable than podcast listening," Pianura continues, "because it stems from an immediate, here-and-now decision and therefore responds to a strong need for information that, online, must be satisfied within just a few minutes. Those minutes dedicated to listening to a specific piece of content are far more valuable—both editorially and commercially—than background music listened to distractedly."

With its Speakup-Article™ platform, Audioboost adapts every text to ensure fluent and accurate narration, even for textual structures and terminology that are typically challenging for TTS systems. At CES, the company will unveil its latest innovation: the ability to recognize the gender of the speaking subject and dynamically switch voices in real time, thus simulating a dialogue or an interview. The ability to integrate textual structure and semantic analysis to correctly interpret content, or to insert advertising at the right moment, represents the core of its key innovations.

CREDITS:

Audioboost Srl is Italy's first audio-focused martech company. It develops technological solutions that make websites "speaking and audible," while fully respecting editorial structures and the complexities of the web and mobile environments.
Thanks to the invention of Speakup-Article™—a combination of AI-driven voice technologies and a dedicated web application—Audioboost generates thousands of audio contents online for the websites where its player is installed. Through the Accessibility Badge, this content is also easily accessible to people with visual and motor disabilities.
Audioboost also enables its clients to distribute podcasts by integrating them into the native Speakup-Article™ playlist, effectively turning the web into the world's largest podcast distribution platform. All solutions are developed in-house and are either patented or protected by copyright.
In 2024, Audioboost received a significant investment from Branovate—a martech company active in LATAM and APAC—to support its international expansion.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Visit: www.audioboost.com | https://speakup.ai
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/audioboostsrl

Click here for more details about our booth at: https://ces26.mapyourshow.com/8_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?exhid=001Pp00001ZarltIAB.

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SOURCE Audioboost srl