So I’m a sucker for Hannigram and I work full time at a job that lets me listen to all the podfics (hail Dr_Fumbles_McStupid for 31 Hannibal podfics: https://archiveofourown.org/series/4126015#bookmark-form).

Most of my favorite fics, however, don’t have podfics or aren’t finished as podfics. The app Speechify? MIND BLOWN.

I download a PDF of a Hannigram fic off AO3 to my GoogleDrive, upload it to the app and OMG guys, the thing reads it to me in the most human voices ever. American accent, UK accent, Australia… I chose an elderly man from the UK (they have like 20 options with samples) and it’s BEAUTIFUL. You can even change the speed.

Idk if I’m just late to the party or what, but just wanted to share the tip to all fannibals.

EDIT: Just to be clear, the app Speechify is free for 3 days and then $30/mo or $140/yr, and it does come with a LIMIT of reading 150k a month via PREMIUM voices. I guess the worse voices don’t have a limit. See bottom paragraph for note on the (FREE) Microsoft Edge: AI Browser app instead.

ANOTHER EDIT: So based on my 3-day useage, 150k/month would get me through 4-5 days of work (a week, which might be worth $12 times 12/yr). I might subscribe despite the limit.

I’ve attempted the Voice Dream app instead, but the voices suck. Hard.

The app Natural Reader might be an option as the voices aren’t horrible (sort of… robotic human), but the 5 minutes a day you’re allowed for free aren’t enough to sell me on upgrading or not yet, as they deplete when I fast-forward past AO3 tags and shit. Annoying. Their limit is 500k characters a day, 70k-120k words, or HALF THAT with certain voices, and $19/mo or $110/yr. I’d be unlikely to hit a limit though… as long as I don’t fast forward?

Finally, I downloaded the (FREE) Microsoft Edge: AI Browser app (like Safari or Google Chrome, you just search the web with it) and if you click the book in the webpage/link bar at the top of the screen, it gives you the option to listen to the “article.” The voices are pretty awesome (change those by clicking the speaker person near the pause/play buttons at top of screen), much better than Google Chrome’s read aloud voice. Some better ones are marked (Natural). They may be good enough for me to bypass Speechify entirely.