Listen to posts
Unlock natural-voice audio of a post with Ecency Points and listen to it on the web (mobile app support is coming).
Listen turns a post into natural-sounding audio, so you can hear it instead of reading it. You unlock the audio for a post once with Ecency Points. Then you can play it whenever you like.
Where to find it
Section titled “Where to find it”On a post page, look for the Listen to this post bar above the post body. It shows the audio language and an estimated length (for example “~6 min”).
The bar appears on posts only, not on comments. It is also hidden for posts written in a language that doesn’t have a voice yet.
Unlock the audio
Section titled “Unlock the audio”- Log in. If you are not logged in, the bar shows Log in to listen.
- Click Unlock · 50 Points.
- Confirm when asked Spend 50 Points to listen?
Unlocking costs 50 Points at the time of writing. The button always shows the current price. If you don’t have enough Points, the bar tells you how many you need and offers a way to get more.
Once you unlock a post, the audio is yours to replay any time.
Preparing the audio
Section titled “Preparing the audio”If nobody has listened to the post before, Ecency creates the audio after you unlock it. While it works, the bar shows its progress:
- Waiting in line, 3 ahead or Next in line while your request is queued.
- Preparing audio, about 4 min before it starts.
- Preparing audio · 45% while it is being made.
You can leave the page and come back later; the progress continues. When someone has already unlocked a post, the audio is ready right away for the next listener.
If the audio can’t be made, the bar shows Audio could not be made, your Points were refunded and you get your Points back automatically.
Play the audio
Section titled “Play the audio”When the audio is ready, the bar becomes a player:
- Play and Pause.
- A seek bar to jump to any point.
- Playback speed: tap to cycle through 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x, 2x and 2.5x.
- Audio language: if a post is written in more than one language, pick which part to hear. Ecency starts with your interface language when the post has it.
On the web, the player works with your device’s media controls, so you can play, pause and skip from the keyboard media keys or lock screen.
On mobile
Section titled “On mobile”Listen is coming to the Ecency mobile app in an upcoming release, with the same unlock, preparing and refund behavior and background playback. Your unlocks are tied to your account, so a post you unlock on the web will also be unlocked in the app.
When a post is edited
Section titled “When a post is edited”If the author edits a post after the audio was made, Ecency prepares a fresh version of the audio so it matches the new text.