How many ways can you say ‘Messi’?

In 2024, we helped leading Argentinian news publisher, La Nación, to clone the voices of 13 of their most respected journalists.

It was for a new feature designed to keep subscribers hooked. A chance for readers to hear news read by their favourite journalists. A way to bring the spirit of La Nación’s newsroom to people’s ears.

A great time to innovate

We had worked with La Nacion for some time already, using one of our premade Argentinian voices to turn their articles into captivating audio. In June 2024, their product team chose to crank those articles up to eleven.

They were looking to capture the imaginations of their readers and their newsroom. And they were determined to be ambitious – by embracing every possibility of AI audio. 

“This wasn’t [just] about engagement. This was about innovation,” Fernando Silva, Lead Product Owner at La Nación, told us.

We know that listening to familiar voices improves how people connect with and understand what’s being said. In collaboration, we decided to test that insight. 

The team planned to replace their existing premade voice with a number of voices based on their journalists, using our Professional Voice Cloning. They chose the journalists who would read a script we’d created from their articles. We needed to get them excited.

Convincing the newsroom

It was crucial that La Nación's journalists saw the possibilities of this project. Audio articles infused with their own personalities.

For many though it felt like a giant leap into the unknown. How would the voices sound? Would time in the recording studio be well spent? How would this ‘experiment’ work in practice?

They needn’t have worried. The voices were met with a chorus of positive feedback from the newsroom, and colleagues were soon clamouring to have their own voices cloned.

“Once we heard the final voice, it was easy to convince the rest of the journalists,” added Fernando. 

Listen to Carlos Pagni, renowned Argentinian journalist, below:

In the end, we trained and launched 13 voices with La Nación – each alive with individual character and resonance.

The moment of truth

The new voices were launched to La Nación’s subscribers in early December 2024 to a unanimous thumbs up. 

“Not only did we receive a positive reaction from the journalist community, our readers have told us it was an excellent initiative,” Fernando shared with us.

Cloning the voices of journalists has both improved how articles speak to subscribers, and given different audiences a more diverse listening experience, boosting engagement with the brand.

And La Nación aren’t alone. More and more publishers are integrating audio articles into their subscription products and paywalls. In an age of information overload, it’s a proven way to capture attention and keep subscribers happy.

Explore with us

As voice cloning becomes more plug-and-play, we’re excited about the possibilities of connecting publishers with their readers through the personality and character of their own newsrooms. 

Keen to learn more? We’re always happy to chat. Email us at [email protected]. Or reach out and book a demo.