Background

BMW, renowned for its luxury vehicle brands including BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce, is committed to delivering not just exceptional driving pleasure but also an unmatched in-car voice experience for its customers. 

As they were launching their next generation of in-vehicle AI assistants, BMW turned to Voices to discover the best voices for those AI-assistants.

Patrick Prang, Principal Product Owner, Voice Experience at BMW Group, explains,
“We’ve been investing in providing the best voice experience to our customers possible over the years.”

BMW needed a voice that embodied the brand’s sophistication, reliability, and could emotionally connect with their drivers, extending the luxury experience beyond the road.

Challenge

Voice as a Luxury Touchpoint:
The voice assistant is not just functional but a vital brand touchpoint. 

Reflecting BMW’s 110-year heritage, the voice needed to convey reliability and professionalism, much like the trusted performance people expect when driving fast on the German Autobahn.

Patrick describes the ideal voice persona as:
“Easy but still professional, speaking very naturally in a conversational style but without technical jargon or an ‘I know it better’ attitude. It’s supportive, not demanding—a personal assistant rather than a master.”

Globalization and Localization:
BMW’s voice assistant needed to resonate authentically across diverse languages and cultures. Patrick highlights that:

“A male voice in Saudi Arabia is differently perceived than in Canada,” underscoring the need for careful consideration of cultural and legal differences when designing voice experiences.

Balancing Innovation with Ethics:
BMW needed a voice that went beyond a generic synthetic voice, prioritizing highly natural, professional, and expertly sourced voices. Maintaining a premium driver experience, including the voice representing their brand’s AI, was non-negotiable. By sourcing their voice through Voices, BMW was able to work directly with professional voice talent, ensuring transparent communication and an ethical production process throughout the project.

“We wanted to have the best recognition out there and the best and most natural sounding voice, plus the opportunity to develop certain domains where we shape the user experience,” Patrick states.

Future of Voice AI:
BMW envisions their voice assistant evolving with users, adapting tone and style naturally. 

“A persona like a real person, a ‘partner in crime’ joining you on your journey, making the experience natural, faster, and enjoyable,” Patrick envisioned.

BMW’s Strategy Highlights:

• They partnered with Voices to source exclusive, high-quality 1:1 voice clones from professional talent, ensuring authenticity.
  
• They emphasized a consistent brand voice experience.
  
• Custom voice licensing agreements and recording processes guarantee flexibility and quality across global markets.
  
• Using an ethically sourced voice gave BMW peace of mind around legal and brand safety issues.

Voices Partnership

BMW’s collaboration with Voices has been essential to achieving this premium voice AI. 

“That’s why we partnered with [Voices] to create a custom voice. This is a must-do. We are a premium car manufacturer and a custom voice is part of delivering this premium customer experience,” Patrick emphasizes.

 He recalls:
“We rolled through a shortlist of potential voice talents provided by Voices, narrowing to three. We took recordings to the studio and even listened in a real car environment to ensure it sounded right for the brand and user experience.”

Outcomes

• BMW delivers a world-class AI voice interface that strengthens brand identity through an emotionally resonant and consistent voice.
  
• Their voice AI supports a premium, luxury experience that differentiates BMW in the automotive market.
  
• By choosing real human voices, BMW maintains control over its brand voice legacy as AI technologies evolve.

Thanks to meticulous attention to detail and a trusted partnership with Voices, BMW delivers an AI voice experience that is authentic, emotionally resonant, and cohesive with their luxury brand identity.

“Details really make a premium voice experience and this requires time and knowledge. Without that experience, customers can become frustrated or stop using it. So it’s critical to invest time, partner wisely, and have the right project management for training data and voice development,” Patrick concludes.

BMW’s voice AI sets a new standard in automotive luxury, offering drivers a personal, intelligent assistant that enhances every journey. As Patrick warmly adds, “I look forward to the future projects we’re doing together.”