Readio

Readio is a tool that converts written text into spoken audio. It works by letting you upload documents—like PDFs, EPUBs, and DOCX files—or point it at a webpage. Once you load your content, you can pick from several AI-generated voices and have the tool read it aloud to you. The text on the screen is highlighted in real time as the voice reads, so you can follow along visually without losing your place. It's designed for listening to long articles, reports, or books.

The tool uses OpenAI's text-to-speech technology to provide six distinct, natural-sounding voices, each with its own character (like a deep, resonant voice or a bright, friendly one). It supports over 140 languages and accents. A standout feature is the synchronized highlighting, which scrolls the page automatically. You also get controls to adjust playback speed, skip sections like footnotes, and jump to specific parts of a document. It handles files up to 100MB, which covers most ebooks and lengthy PDFs.

This is most useful for people who want to consume written content while multitasking, such as during a commute, workout, or while doing chores. It's also a great aid for proofreading your own writing, learning a new language by hearing pronunciation, or for anyone with visual fatigue or reading difficulties. Students, researchers, and professionals who need to digest lots of reports can listen to them hands-free.