Using Text-to-Speech ​Tools for Fanfiction

Note:

This guide is not intended as a fully comprehensive guide to TTS technology. It is meant to give insight and ​steps on a limited number of free options to help fanfiction readers find different ways to access fiction for ​free while still protecting author copyright.


There are numerous tools, both free and paid, that serve similar functions. I welcome comments or suggestions ​of other apps or tips. You can find me on Reddit if you would like to reach out.


At the time of this writing, my personal preference was for the Edge Browser. It provided the cleanest ​experience and the best voice quality, but I would encourage you to try the options that apply to your device ​and see which you prefer. The menu of buttons below will take you to specific sections, there is a link in each ​section that will return you to this menu.


iPhone

Edge Browser and Desktop Extensions

Other Desktop ​Extensions - Coming ​Soon!​

Android Reader and Apps

Podfics and Thanks

IPhone Built-In TTS - SetUp

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content

accessibility settings on iphone
accessibility settings on iphone showing Spoken Content

Then, you will see two toggles: one for Speak Selection, the other for Speak Screen.


The first will read any highlighted text once you choose to do so.

The second option reads the whole screen when you swipe downward with two fingers. The first is best for ​most users but feel free to experiment!

iphone Spoken Content Menu

IPhone Built-In TTS - Voice Selection

Choose your voice. The Siri options have the most inflection. However, there are others you can download ​by clicking the cloud icon.


For best results, use those marked premium or enhanced. These have no additional cost. I prefer Siri 2 or 5 ​in American English (1 or 2 English UK work well too).

an iphone with the english language selected
an iphone menu with a list of English language voices
Select voice menu with an arrow to the download icon

You can test different voices by clicking the play button. When you have decided which you like, tap ​the selection and a check mark will appear.

an iphone menu with an arrow pointing to the Play Sample button

IPhone Built-In TTS - Adjust speed

Adjust the speed of your narration with the slider. It will play a sample to test the speed.


This has a huge impact on the audio play back, so take time to experiment until you’re happy.


an iphone screen showing how to adjust the Speaking Rate

IPhone Built-In TTS - Adjust pronunciation

Click Pronunciations.

Then, click the + icon at the top right of the screen

an image showing the Pronounciations option from the Spoken Content menu
an image of the Pronounciations menu with an arrow pointing to the plus sign

Type the text that will appear (e.g. character name).

Then, click the microphone and record yourself saying it. If multiple options are available, tap to hear each ​and choose the best one. Go back to Pronunciations once finished.

an image of typing into the phrase field with an arrow pointing to the Record Substitution button
an image showing a list of phonetic pronunciations for a name
an image of the Replacement menu with the new pronunciation selected

IPhone Built-In TTS - play a Selection

Highlight the text you want to read. Then tap to make the menu appear.


Tap the arrow over and choose Speak. Click on the video to see and listen to an ​example

an image of a website with text highlighted and an arrow pointing to the More Arrow
an image of a website with text selected and an arrow pointing to the Speak option

IPhone - Use Siri to Listen to a page

Click the Aa icon and choose Listen to Page. or command Siri with “I want to ​listen to this page.” Full Apple Support article here.

Screenshot of iPhone showing the reader mode menu open

IPhone - Other Apps

Some folks have reached out to share apps that they enjoy using. Most of these have a free mode with ​some sort of limitation and a premium mode or voice packs that come at a cost. I have tested the free ​mode using the same webpage and text as the others to show the user experience of the free versions. I ​plan to test others but so far my experience with Edge remains strongest. I didn’t even get past setup on ​Speechify and it crashed once followed by asking my gender, so I left the test at that.

Natural Reader App

The free mode here has a time limit of 20 minutes per day on standard voices and 5 minutes of premium. ​If you arent reading something too long, this might work for you. I am 99% certain that the Premium AI ​voices here are the same from the Edge Browser based on my test.

I have some minor concerns about taking readers away from the AO3 site but that is merely opinion. The ​extension version from Desktop doesn’t do this, just the app. The app brings the text in and converts it as ​it plays in a similar way to how you would download a PDF and play it. It should be noted that this app ​cannot retrieve restricted fics via a link. According to their FAQ, PDFs are part of the Premium ​subscription. Note: it might have been a bug but I had to turn my ringer on to hear the sound when I ​tested.

Microsoft Edge Browser - Setup

Download the Microsoft Edge Browser app from the App Store or Play Store.

During setup it will ask you to sign in. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. Simply keep clicking ““Not Now” ​and then Start Browsing. You can also opt out of any data collection during this process.

To start browsing, you can paste the link for the fic directly in the bar.

an image of the setup for Microsoft Edge with an arrow pointing to Not Now
an image of the search bar in Edge
an image of the edge search bar where links can be pasted by tapping Visit Copied Link

Microsoft Edge Browser - Using TTS Method 1

There are two ways to listen in Edge. First, you can listen to the entire page by clicking the book icon in the ​address bar. This will put the story in reader mode and open the menu to choose Listen.


A play menu appears at the top. Click Play to start the narration. the forward and back button can skip over ​headers, buttons, and sections. You can also adjust voice from here. Directions after the second method.

an image of a site in Edge with an arrow pointing to the Reader Mode Icon
an image of Reader mode in Edge with an icon pointing to the Listen button
an image of Edge Reader mode with an arrow pointing to the Play button

Microsoft Edge Browser - Using TTS Method 2

The second method to listen involves selecting a place in the story then using the menu that pops up when ​tapping highlighted text or the main menu button to start.


Highlight a word or passage, tap and choose Read Aloud. This will start the narration from the selected ​point. To read the whole page click the three lines in the lower-right and choose Read Aloud. .

screenshot of a page with a word highlighted in Edge with an arrow pointing to Read Aloud
an image of the Edge Settings menu with an arrow pointing to Read Aloud

Microsoft Edge Browser - Choosing a Voice

To choose a voice, select one of the read aloud options. Then, tap the head icon in the upper right corner. ​The best options will be the ones marked Natural. The Natural Multilingual are particularly good with ​inflection and handle offbeat names better. Sample videos below.

an image of Reader mode in Edge with an arrow pointing to the Voice Options icon
An image of the Voice Options menu in Edge showing Speed and Voice options
an Image showing a list of voice choices for Edge

Microsoft Edge Browser - Tips and Tricks

You can listen to your own work or saved PDFs in Edge too!

load them to Google Drive or Dropbox and create a sharing link through Manage Access.

Open the sharing link on Edge Browser.

Then, tap the menu at the bottom and choose Read Aloud.

The Google Docs mobile screen with an arrow pointing to the menu and a box around Manage Access.
and image of Google Manage access screen with a box around the location to change access
an image with the Google Docs access menu open and a box around "anyone with the link"
an image of Edge Settings with an arrow pointing to Read Aloud

Microsoft Edge Browser - Desktop

Edge Desktop Browser has the Immersive Reader function that works the same as the mobile app. It’s a ​great way to listen to your favorite fics and also to listen to saved PDFs or your WIPs

For the cleaner reader mode, click the book icon in the upper right corner of the address bar. If you don’t ​see it, you can try entering the prefix “read:” before the address (make sure you keep the http or https). ​Otherwise, right-click and choose Read Aloud. Use the same process to read Google Docs as before. Here is ​a wonderful tutorial on this. You can also listen to PDFs in Edge by right-clicking the file and opening in Edge. ​Then, use the Read Aloud function.

an image showing the Immersive Reader/Reader View option in Edge Desktop
an image of an address bar with the prefix "Read:" before the site address
an image of the Read Aloud option available on PDF in Microsoft Edge
an image of the Read Aloud function playing a work from a website
an image of the right-click menu on a webpage with a box around the Read Aloud option

Android Reading Mode - SetUp

Full disclosure: I do not own an Android and I am happy to get feedback from others on this section!

If you don’t have it already installed, download Google Reading Mode from the Play Store.

Once installed, go to either the Reading Mode app or to Settings>Accessibility>Reading Mode to enable. ​Turn on the Reading Mode shortcut. The hover icon will now be available on webpages and documents for ​you you turn on reading mode.

A video tutorial produced by Android is available here. My current screenshots are from Google but if ​anyone wants to add real ones, reach out and I’ll update this guide.

an image with the Accessibility option highlighted
an image of a menu with Reading Mode highlighted
an image of the Reading Mode menu showing the toggle to turn enable the Reading Mode Shortcut
an image of the Reading Mode shortcut overlayed on the home screen of an Android device

Android Reading Mode - customize

When you’re in a webpage or doc, tap the icon to open reader mode. Then click Play.

To adjust the settings, click the gear icon. Then, tap Audio. You can adjust speed and voice from here.


A video tutorial produced by Android is available here. My current screenshots are from Google but if ​anyone wants to add real ones, reach out and I’ll update this guide.

an image with the Reading Mode shortcut highlighted on a website
an image of a website in Reading Mode with an arrow pointing to the Settings Icon
an image of the audio settings menu in Reading mode with showing the speed and voice options

Other Android Apps recommended by Users

Some kind folks were willing to share experiences they had with their TTS apps and make ​recommendations. I am listing them here. If you have a good free resource you would like ​added or want to give information on tips for using them, reach out and I will add them.

Podfics

Podficcers perform a wonderful service for the fanfiction community and deserve all the ​love and appreciate we can muster. I am including links to the Podfic AO3 tag and other ​repositories. If you have other sources or context you want to appear here, please reach ​out and I will update this accordingly.

Thanks

Special thanks go to all the users who contributed links or suggestions for this guide. Additionally, ​those who were willing to check the draft or make suggestions on the thread were a huge help! ​Thank you all!