> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vibedoc-ai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Audio Playback (Read Document)

> Listen to your documents with AI-powered text-to-speech

## Overview

VibeDoc's **Read Document** feature converts your written content into natural-sounding speech using AI voice technology. Perfect for reviewing documents on the go, accessibility needs, or catching errors you might miss when reading silently.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/vibedoc/nyIpYqCdQSz9ZFvN/images/audio-demo.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=nyIpYqCdQSz9ZFvN&q=85&s=cbacd8844a37f1983debc165f800b420" alt="Audio Playback Interface" className="rounded-lg border" data-path="images/audio-demo.png" />

## Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Natural Voices" icon="microphone">
    AI-powered voices that sound human, not robotic
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multiple Languages" icon="language">
    Support for 50+ languages and accents
  </Card>

  <Card title="Speed Control" icon="gauge">
    Adjust playback speed from 0.5x to 2x
  </Card>

  <Card title="Background Play" icon="play">
    Listen while multitasking in other tabs
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How to Use

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Document">
    Navigate to any document in your workspace
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Read">
    Find the **Read** button in the document toolbar (speaker icon)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Voice & Speed">
    Choose voice type and playback speed
  </Step>

  <Step title="Play">
    Click play to start audio playback
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Voice Options

### Available Voices

VibeDoc offers multiple voice profiles:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Professional">
    **Best for:** Business documents, reports, proposals

    * Formal tone
    * Clear articulation
    * Moderate pace
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Conversational">
    **Best for:** Casual content, blog posts, emails

    * Natural intonation
    * Friendly tone
    * Varied rhythm
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Narrative">
    **Best for:** Long-form content, stories, documentation

    * Engaging delivery
    * Expressive tone
    * Storytelling quality
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Gender & Accent

<Info>
  Choose from:

  * **Male** or **Female** voices
  * **Regional accents:** US, UK, Australian, Canadian, Indian, and more
  * **Language-specific** voices for non-English content
</Info>

## Playback Controls

### Speed Adjustment

Adjust reading speed to your preference:

| Speed     | Best For                                       |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **0.5x**  | Complex technical content, non-native speakers |
| **0.75x** | Detailed review, note-taking                   |
| **1.0x**  | Normal reading pace (default)                  |
| **1.25x** | Quick reviews, familiar content                |
| **1.5x**  | Skimming, second reviews                       |
| **2.0x**  | Very fast overview                             |

### Playback Controls

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Play/Pause" icon="play">
    Start or pause audio
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skip Forward" icon="forward">
    Jump ahead 10 seconds
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skip Back" icon="backward">
    Go back 10 seconds
  </Card>

  <Card title="Progress Bar" icon="sliders">
    Scrub to any position
  </Card>

  <Card title="Volume" icon="volume-up">
    Adjust audio level
  </Card>

  <Card title="Download" icon="download">
    Save audio file (Pro)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Technical Details

### Text-to-Speech Engine

VibeDoc uses **state-of-the-art TTS models**:

* **Latency:** Less than 2 seconds to first audio
* **Quality:** 24kHz / 48kbps MP3
* **Streaming:** Real-time generation
* **Context-Aware:** Understands punctuation, emphasis, pauses

### Supported Content

Audio playback works with:

* ✅ Headings (all levels)
* ✅ Text blocks
* ✅ Lists (bullet & numbered)
* ✅ Table content (read row by row)
* ✅ Callout text
* ✅ Date blocks (spoken format)
* ⚠️ Signature blocks (name and role only)
* ❌ Images (skipped, coming soon with alt text)

### Pronunciation

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Acronyms" icon="a">
    **Automatic:** Common acronyms like "AI", "PDF", "CEO" are pronounced correctly

    **Custom:** Coming soon - define custom pronunciations
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Numbers" icon="hashtag">
    **Dates:** "2025-01-15" → "January fifteenth, twenty twenty-five"

    **Currency:** "\$1,234.56" → "one thousand two hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty-six cents"

    **Percentages:** "25%" → "twenty-five percent"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Punctuation" icon="period">
    Proper pauses for:

    * Periods (short pause)
    * Commas (brief pause)
    * Semicolons (medium pause)
    * Paragraphs (long pause)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Use Cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Proofreading" icon="spell-check">
    Catch errors and awkward phrasing by hearing your content
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accessibility" icon="universal-access">
    Make documents accessible to visually impaired users
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multitasking" icon="list-check">
    Listen while commuting, exercising, or doing other tasks
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learning" icon="graduation-cap">
    Reinforce learning by reading and listening simultaneously
  </Card>

  <Card title="Language Learning" icon="language">
    Hear correct pronunciation in foreign languages
  </Card>

  <Card title="Focus" icon="bullseye">
    Better comprehension for auditory learners
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Advanced Features

### Audio Downloads (Pro)

Save audio files for offline listening:

```yaml theme={null}
Formats:
  - MP3 (default, universal compatibility)
  - WAV (lossless, larger files)
  - OGG (open format)

Quality Options:
  - Standard: 48kbps (smaller file)
  - High: 128kbps (better quality)
  - Premium: 192kbps (best quality)
```

### Background Playback

Listen while working in other apps:

<Check>
  * Minimized browser tab continues playing
  * Lock screen controls (mobile)
  * Desktop notification controls
  * Resume after interruptions
</Check>

### Playback History

Track what you've listened to (coming soon):

* List of recently played documents
* Resume from last position
* Playback statistics (total time)
* Favorite voices

## Credits & Pricing

Audio generation consumes credits based on content length:

<Info>
  **Audio Pricing:**

  * **Short** (under 500 words): 0.5 credits
  * **Medium** (500-2000 words): 1-2 credits
  * **Long** (2000-5000 words): 2-5 credits
  * **Very Long** (over 5000 words): 5-10 credits
</Info>

### Examples

| Document Type | Word Count | Credits |
| ------------- | ---------- | ------- |
| Email         | 150        | 0.3     |
| Meeting Notes | 800        | 1.5     |
| Blog Post     | 1500       | 2       |
| Report        | 3000       | 4       |
| Whitepaper    | 6000       | 8       |

<Tip>
  Pro plan includes 300 credits/month - enough for \~100-150 audio generations.
</Tip>

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="check" title="Write for Listening">
    Use short sentences, clear structure, and simple vocabulary for better audio experience.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="check" title="Use Headings">
    Headings provide natural breaks and structure in audio playback.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="check" title="Test Different Voices">
    Try multiple voices to find the best fit for your content type.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="check" title="Adjust Speed">
    Start at 1.0x, then adjust based on content complexity and familiarity.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="xmark" title="Don't: Heavy Formatting">
    Excessive bold, italic, or special characters don't translate well to audio.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="xmark" title="Don't: Long Tables">
    Large tables are tedious to listen to. Consider summarizing in text.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="circle-question" title="Audio won't play">
    **Possible Causes:**

    * Browser audio blocked
    * Out of credits
    * Document not saved

    **Solutions:**

    * Check browser audio permissions
    * Verify credit balance
    * Save document and retry
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="circle-question" title="Voice sounds robotic">
    **Cause:**
    Using legacy voice option or poor network.

    **Solution:**

    * Select a different voice profile
    * Check internet connection speed
    * Try again (may have been server issue)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="circle-question" title="Pronunciation is wrong">
    **Cause:**
    AI misinterpreting text (especially acronyms, abbreviations).

    **Solution:**

    * Write out full words where possible
    * Use phonetic spelling temporarily
    * Report issue for future improvements
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="circle-question" title="Audio cuts off">
    **Cause:**
    Network interruption during streaming.

    **Solution:**

    * Refresh and try again
    * Download audio file (Pro) for offline play
    * Check network stability
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="circle-question" title="Generation is slow">
    **Cause:**
    Very long documents or server load.

    **Solution:**

    * Split into smaller sections
    * Wait during off-peak hours
    * Use faster voice models (coming soon)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Accessibility

VibeDoc's audio feature improves accessibility:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Screen Reader Compatible" icon="eye-slash">
    Works alongside screen readers for comprehensive access
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keyboard Controls" icon="keyboard">
    Full keyboard shortcuts for play, pause, skip, speed
  </Card>

  <Card title="WCAG Compliant" icon="universal-access">
    Meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customizable UI" icon="sliders">
    Adjust colors, contrast, and button sizes
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Keyboard Shortcuts

| Action       | Shortcut          |
| ------------ | ----------------- |
| Play/Pause   | `Space`           |
| Skip Forward | `→` (Right Arrow) |
| Skip Back    | `←` (Left Arrow)  |
| Speed Up     | `Shift + →`       |
| Speed Down   | `Shift + ←`       |
| Volume Up    | `↑` (Up Arrow)    |
| Volume Down  | `↓` (Down Arrow)  |

## Roadmap

Upcoming audio features:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Q1 2025">
    * Voice cloning (upload your own voice)
    * Multi-voice documents (different speakers)
    * Custom pronunciation dictionary
  </Step>

  <Step title="Q2 2025">
    * Emotion and emphasis control
    * Background music options
    * Podcast-style exports
    * Offline mode
  </Step>

  <Step title="Q3 2025">
    * Real-time translation to audio
    * Voice commands ("Read next section")
    * AI-generated audio summaries
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Comparison: Audio vs. Reading

| Aspect              | Audio          | Reading       |
| ------------------- | -------------- | ------------- |
| **Speed**           | \~150 wpm (1x) | \~200-300 wpm |
| **Multitasking**    | ✅ Easy         | ❌ Difficult   |
| **Comprehension**   | ⚠️ Good        | ✅ Better      |
| **Error Detection** | ✅ Great        | ⚠️ Miss typos |
| **Accessibility**   | ✅ High         | ⚠️ Limited    |
| **Cost**            | Credits        | Free          |

<Tip>
  **Best Practice:** Use both! Read for comprehension, then listen for proofreading.
</Tip>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating Documents" icon="file-plus" href="/guides/creating-documents">
    Create audio-friendly content
  </Card>

  <Card title="Export" icon="file-export" href="/features/export">
    Export documents with audio
  </Card>

  <Card title="Credits & Billing" icon="coins" href="/guides/credits-billing">
    Understand audio costs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accessibility" icon="universal-access" href="/guides/accessibility">
    Accessibility best practices (coming soon)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>