Listenly
Listenly is a text-to-speech tool that allows users to convert any text into high-quality audio. It uses the latest, high-quality synthetic...
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What is Listenly?
Listenly is an AI-powered text-to-speech tool that converts any book, document, or website into natural-sounding audio using OpenAI's best-in-industry AI voices. The platform allows users to upload their own files or paste links to websites, and it automatically detects the language during upload to generate high-quality audio content.
Key features include pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly subscriptions, a Public Library with free public domain audiobooks, the ability to forward emails to a personal Listenly inbox for audio conversion, mobile browser access with home screen app functionality, 36 selectable AI voices, automatic language detection, support for 60+ languages, and text chunking into 4-minute segments for seamless listening. The tool works best with English and Latin languages like French and German.
Listenly is designed for busy professionals, students, avid readers, and anyone who wants to consume written content audibly while commuting, exercising, or doing chores. It's ideal for people who want to listen to blog posts, articles, emails, medium-sized books, and website content without being tied to subscription models.
The platform respects user privacy by making uploaded books and documents accessible only to the user, similar to cloud storage services. For the Public Library, Listenly selects public domain content only, including works by Will Durant, Jeff Bezos, Henry Ford, Paul Graham, and Winston Churchill.
Listenly pricing
Pricing model: Free
No monthly subscriptions - pay once and add more hours only when you need them. Two paid plans: Occasional listener at $15 for 10 hours of high-quality audio (576K characters, ~115K words, ~75 blog posts or 1-2 medium books); Pro listener at $50 for 50 hours of high-quality audio (2.9M characters, ~576K words, ~300 blog posts or 4-8 medium books). All items in the Public Library are available free without authorization. For uploaded files and links, pay-as-you-go pricing means you pay only for audio you listen to. For books from Listenly's Library, you purchase the full audiobook once.
Listenly pros
- Pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly subscriptions
- Uses OpenAI's best-in-industry AI voices for natural audio
- 36 different voices available to choose from
- Supports 60+ languages with automatic language detection
- Free Public Library with public domain audiobooks
- Can forward emails to personal Listenly inbox for audio conversion
- Works on mobile browser with home screen app functionality
- Upload your own books and documents privately
- Text automatically chunked into 4-minute segments
- Pay once and add more hours only when needed
- Best quality with English and Latin languages
- Listen to ~75 blog posts with $15 Occasional listener plan
- Make audio version of 1-2 medium books with $15 plan
- No subscription anxiety - only pay for audio you listen to
- Privacy-focused - uploaded content accessible only to you
Listenly cons
- No native mobile app yet (planned for future)
- Works best with English and Latin languages only
- May have accent issues with non-Latin languages
- Limited to OpenAI voices only (36 options)
- Pay-per-use model may cost more for heavy users
- Must use mobile browser instead of dedicated app
- Only public domain content in Public Library
- No monthly subscription option for predictable billing
Frequently asked questions about Listenly
How does pricing work?
For uploaded files and links, Listenly uses pay-as-you-go pricing where you pay only for the audio you listen to without needing a subscription. For books from Listenly's Library, you purchase the full audiobook once. You can use either pricing model or both simultaneously, and they do not affect each other.
Which languages are supported?
Listenly supports 60+ languages including Afrikaans, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and many more. The language of your book or document is detected automatically during upload. The current AI Text-to-Speech model works best with English and other Latin languages like French and German, and might have an accent with other languages.
Does Listenly work on mobile?
Yes, you can open the app in your mobile browser and add it to your home screen to use it as a separate app. Listenly is planning to publish it as a native app in the app stores soon.
Can I listen to emails?
Yes, every Listenly user can forward emails to their personal Listenly inbox, where they are parsed and added to their library for audio conversion.
Is making AI audio versions of books illegal?
No, it's not illegal. Your uploaded books and documents are accessible to you only, similar to Google Drive or Dropbox where you can store books you bought or downloaded. For the Public Library, Listenly selects public domain content only. If you do not want your content published in the public library, you can request removal.
How many voices are available?
There are 36 voices available. You can preview and choose the one that fits your listening style best. As AI develops rapidly with new models appearing every couple of months, Listenly keeps track and will connect more models if there is something with the same quality or better than current ones, aiming to provide the best listening experience.
What can I listen to with the $15 Occasional listener plan?
The $15 Occasional listener plan gives you 10 hours of high-quality audio, which includes listening to approximately 75 blog posts, articles, or emails, or making an audio version of 1-2 medium-sized books. This equals 576K characters or approximately 115K words.
What does the $50 Pro listener plan include?
The $50 Pro listener plan provides 50 hours of high-quality audio, allowing you to listen to approximately 300 blog posts, articles, or emails, or make an audio version of 4-8 medium-sized books. This equals 2.9M characters or approximately 576K words.
What books are available in the free Public Library?
The Public Library includes free public domain audiobooks such as 'The Lessons of History' by Will Durant and Ariel Durant (~2 hours), 'Amazon Shareholder Letters' by Jeff Bezos (~10 hours), 'My Life and Work' by Henry Ford (~8 hours), 'Shape Up' by Ryan Singer (~6 hours), 'Essays' by Paul Graham (~51 hours), and 'The Second World War' by Winston Churchill (~46 hours). All items are available to everyone for free without authorization.
How does language detection work for uploads?
The language of your book or document is detected automatically during the upload process. You do not need to manually specify the language. However, the current AI Text-to-Speech model works best with English and other Latin languages (French, German, etc.) and might produce an accent with non-Latin languages.