Curio - Audio Journalism Customer Service

Curio - Audio Journalism Positive Reviews

Fantastic app, but new intros are annoyingI’ve been a pretty devoted Curio user for at least a year and frequently recommend it. I’ve always loved its format: narrator briefly introduces article, author, and publication; reads the article; and then reiterates the title, author, and publication at the end. Now, for some reason, they’re adding intros by “hosts” (I think they’re supposed to be hosts?) ahead of the actual stories, which I’m guessing is intended to add more personality and/or make Curio more of a ~destination, but in reality, it’s just made me resubscribe to a similar app that still provides the straightforward service I originally subscribed to Curio for. Honestly, it’s great if Curio wants to continue using hosts in its own content/shows; if that’s an initiative on their roadmap this year, more power to them! But it’s annoying to expect an article (because it’s labeled that way), then have to listen to a two-minute intro that adds zero commentary—just a synopsis with repetitive music beneath it..SidewalkvocalsVersion: 7.24.0

4.5 Stars - The Titles Aren’t ReadJust signed up and am loving this app except for one thing: the readers never read the titles of the articles(!). There’s an intro to each article, but surprisingly enough no mention of the article’s title. It’s like jumping into bed with someone without first getting their name. The title is indeed in the app itself or on my device, but I use the playlist/auto play function and can’t be bothered to look at my phone or iPad to find the new title every time an article changes, especially when driving or on my bike or walking the dog. Skipping the titles of songs would be fine, but not the title of written works/articles. Please read the titles of the articles and I will give 5 stars! Until then, I will try to get past having this huge chunk of context missing. I’ll try to remember the title of this app when recommending it. ;).MgynycVersion: 5.0.25

Good, but NarrowHaving used the application for a few months, I can say it is somewhat slanted. A limited political spectrum gets picked. Of course, not everything is political in this application, hence review is not lower. I suspect the editors of the application are politically homogeneous. Many of the takes included in the spectrum are only from one side of the political aisle. It could be that they are catering to the audience. Personally, I would prefer a wider exposure to different publications..La1missVersion: 6.17.0

Makes it easier to stay well readMy eternal struggle to balance staying well read is an ongoing journey... podcasts are good but it's hit & miss, then Blinkist but 15 mins on a book is not deep enough, I sometimes buy a newspaper but the quality is variable and the time investment high. Anyway, tried Curio for a week after being incessantly targeted on insta and I am loving it. Basically they select top articles from a range of publications and read them out. It gives you a variety of writing styles, subjects and political balance. It's not just the news but slower journalism too. I'd recommend it. Sex, money, mental health, war, peace, plants, gender identity etc. For example I enjoyed an article today on desire. Def worth the trial and just signed up for a subscription.AntLillsVersion: 6.20.0

Pedantic/patronizing selection and uninspired narrationIf you listen to audiobooks, you know that narrators sometimes fail to give voice to the characters. In curio it feels like the narrators have no idea what they are talking about and place emphasis in a way that feels totally untethered to the significant facts in the articles. That aside, the articles themselves are often extremely anecdotal opinion pieces. They’re basically pieces where the author is just trying to sound smart without doing serious research. A lot of men are featured disproportionately to women, and there is a shortage of black and brown voices. Instead of making listeners smarter, curio makes listeners more pedantic. So far, non of the news “curators” are really optimizing for quality, they are optimizing for ideas that validate perspectives of the target audience. I give three stars because it is fundamentally a good idea and a good platform with decent execution, it just needs to make more of an effort to pick serious journalism from a more diverse set of voices (and not just some “star” authors and publications) with more facts and less speculation..FkendisoanrjciVersion: 6.2.0

Genuinely surprisedI went into this expecting to not even use my free trial and then cancel. By some odd coincidence I ended up driving for longer during the day than I normally would. I figured let’s use that free trial. I listened to one and then another and then another. It has been about a month and i’ve listened to the readings at least once every time I drive but it has extended to when I’m in the house. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on all of these articles and Curio has made it so accessible to me.I love this and I have no intention of removing my subscription..Rare CatsVersion: 6.1.2

Good articles, poor readingCurio has an excellent selection of articles, but the people who read them are terrible in terms of their pronunciation. Either they don’t look up pronunciations or they think they know the correct way to pronounce even common words such as “interlocutor” “teleological,” “Anaxagoras,” and “correlative.” I find this very distracting. I’m thinking about cancelling for this reason. Also the readers seem to treat all sentences as worthy of equal emphasis. Slightly better than a version read by a computer. The value to me right now is that I can find out whether I want to read the text myself..Larry_HinmanVersion: 3.1.12

Best thing to listen to on my commuteI love listening to the high-quality articles on Curio. I don’t have time to actually read the long-form journalism articles but I love listening to them on Curio, while doing other things like commuting or cooking at home. If I want to understand a little more on what’s happening in global news, I tune into the Informed show. The show always gives me thoughtful analysis and commentary..Nitya AVersion: 7.25.0

I have been a member since beta. I will probably never unsubscribe.There are times when I am bored or doing something that leaves me wanting additional mental stimulation, and Curio is always there for me. It is great for falling asleep, too. The best part about Curio is that it is always a learning experience. The articles may not always be entertaining or accessible, but they are almost always profound, with new ideas to chew on. The excellent voice actors (except maybe a few) really bring the articles to life and immerse you in the story. I do wish that they hired their voice actors more diversely though. The app UX has improved dramatically in the past year or so, and I hope they keep making improvements—the interactions work well and are ok, but definitely not on par with major streaming apps..Minjae0810Version: 4.8.10

What to expect on the App...It’s beneficial for anyone interested in expanding their horizons to invest in App like this one in question. You will be put in a trance, which in return learn new matters from many different discourse, and through enjoyable fashion. Learning doesn’t have to be boredom, or a remedial task at hand. Limitless potential here on this App for all education levels. You come to listen to articles, yet a impetus for a appetite to reach the stars in knowledge appears. I adore the psychology portions in the beginning primarily, then I got drawn to totally out my spectrums categories like art, history, and feminist articles. It’s like a Pandora box of massive enlightenment potential ready for the mortal to grasp, and attain absolute wisdom. Stay thirsty my friends, this App will quench your thirst!.#FrappaccinoloverVersion: 3.0.2

Dump AI and bring back categorily tabI use this app mveru intermittently, mostly in long drives and road trips. The last time I used it, the UI was simple and allowed me to discover content by category. They've dumped a category tab/page in favor of AI... Like most needless implementations of over hyped tech, newer isn't better. Give me the categories page back.Austin BridgforthVersion: 8.1.1

Would love to use this app but...1. PLEASE let me pay per article. I listen to 1 every once in a while, I don’t want to subscribe. Give me a per article option. 2. This app, just like the beta, makes it hard to find a specific article. I spot one online, jump to the app, use search but nothing comes up, search through the publication and sometimes find it, often not (even though it’s embedded in the site so I know it exists). Add an open in app links to your embedded web player please..IncreasinglyTrippyVersion: 2.3.7

Love the content, super buggyFantastic content curation. Lots of fascinating articles and unbiased news. I love “Wake Up with Curio.” It’s always succinct and engaging. However the app is sooo buggy for me. I have to open and close it several times before it will update with new content. If I pause a story, it takes like a whole minute to get it to start playing again. I probably won’t renew my subscription unless the bugs are fixed..BrettertogetherVersion: 6.32.0

Can you pls redesign the interface……so I can remove sections I neither want nor use? I’ve never listened to your shows and want to delete them from my interface, but I cannot. I also don’t like how stories disappear from view when I finish listening to them. Why can’t it just fade or be marked “Play” like Audm? Thanks..In Search of Sonic Warm BlanketVersion: 7.3.0

Great IdeaI love the idea of this app. However, the library isn’t quite as big as I was hoping. It can’t yet serve as the primary way to consume your favorite media sources. I feel like I would run out of interesting content within a month. Also, as much as I appreciate accents as a part of someone’s character, I don’t want interesting accents in all of my recorded content. Even consistency of a single accent other than my own would be preferable..Togna_BolognaVersion: 5.2.6

User friendlyI am surprisingly satisfied with this app. The app makes it easy to find topics that you are interested in. I like that I can build an library to my liking and go back in to listen to it again. This app will definitely keep the curious mind informed of new discoveries, current events, and new topics from IT to psychology to history and much more..CuriousMind85Version: 4.9.1

Good content, narration needs workPro: love the idea that I can consume in-depth articles while driving. There are other apps for listening to the news, but this is the best I’ve seen for long-form articles. Con (please fix!): Some narrators seem to act out the article, as if it were a performance. This takes away from the content I came here for. When I find myself listening to a dramatic reading, I close the app..Jy010101Version: 8.6.0

Great way of getting news in the busy worldI have been using curio every single day for the past month and it’s a fantastic app for getting the important news for me. I really enjoy the application despite some bugs here and there. I really would enjoy if they have a beta program as they could squash bugs even faster..DivsterVersion: 4.6.3

A multitude of fascinating, very informative published articles.Excellent important articles/information written by first class brainy writers, and read aloud by particularly well spoken/talented English accented readers. I enjoy Curio, while trying to “read along” is not easy especially for non nerds. Therefore, don’t be shocked by how difficult/ complicated it is to control and read along.Robert A. Cohen/"robtcohen"Version: 4.8.2

Nice to have things in one placeAlthough I have subscriptions to some of the publications in the curio app already, I enjoyed the way that I can listen to them in a more selective way and in a single app, compared to switching between apps during my driving.Erica_2221Version: 8.8.1

Want Long form JournalismNot interested in having short fluff articles read to me. Dear Curio Designers, Is it remotely possible to develop a category focused on serious long form journalism? Looking thru the current /categories takes too much time and proves frustrating because most offerings don’t fit... perhaps a category called ‘long form journalism? Thank you, -Dan /////////////////////// Dear Curio Designers, I was caught off-guard by your responsiveness. Of limited budget yet let my NYT subscription lapse... to witness your evolution. Happy 4th of July... Bang! Yours, in support of a ‘Long Form Journalism’ Option- Dan.Daniel B SchneiderVersion: 4.1.4

So cool!It’s amazing that I can access articles from so many news sources in one app! And I love that I can just listen to stories on the go. And the fact that content on the app is curated means I don’t have to search through dozens of news articles on the web to find just what I’m looking for. Bravo!.Rahila O.Version: 5.0.6

Superb appI have a hard time forcing myself to sit down and read but have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Curio is the solution- keeping me up to date while I am traveling, going to work, or just laying in bed. Glad it exists and am looking forward to its expansion and growth!.Akv186Version: 4.6.9

Love the app and the content.Great app! I love listening to stories while I do mindless chores like walking place, doing laundry, drying dishes etc. Definitely recommend for anyone who struggles to find time to stay informed and is looking for a way to fit quality journalism into a tight schedule..Katie123456789hVersion: 2.0.2

5 stars but I have a suggestionI love this app, it’s a great for a daily dose of interesting information. It’s simple and easy to use. I just wish there was an easier way to look up specific things/topics you’re interested in..King Julian77Version: 4.3.3

Without Apple car play it fall short of a killer app.This would be a killer app if it had Apple car play. The ability to listen to these amazing narrated articles while on my commutes would be so extremely informative, helpful and fun. Please do consider introducing this feature. If it is introduced I’ll resub and recommend it to everyone I know..OrigamicaptainVersion: 4.7.5

Amazing but too expensiveThe well of knowledge, wealth of information. Exactly what I’ve been looking for to satisfy my thirst for self-education. But $11/month or $80/year is just far too expensive for me. It is a shame that during the unprecedented times we live in, information come so high-priced. Hence 4 stars, otherwise I wouldn’t hesitate giving 5-star review..Dita BaigVersion: 5.0.24

Figured out how to speed it upI initially rated this low because the pace was so slow and I didn’t see a way to speed it up, but support contacted me several times to let me know how to speed it up so I am updating the review..GoodLuckNatalieVersion: 4.7.2

Great contentGreat content. Will need to evolve a few features like Apple CarPlay, sonos or AirPlay features perhaps, and easier queuing up interested topics. But the content is solid and makes it worth it.Timh529Version: 5.2.7

Too few read articles from a single publicationIn general is good. But there are too few articles from economists, FT and economists read daily in my opinion. Only 2-3 new ones on average..Vx900Version: 5.0.3

Smooth functioningThis is my favorite reader/news app so far without annoying ads .Please keep it this way. And hats off to the developer... My goodness!. Thank you for creating a simple/awesome app with so many free features. Respect..BunnyHop14Version: 3.8.39

Why has this taken so longJust love this. Can't understand why an app like this hasn't existed all this time. Can only hope you guys are getting more publications and expanding your offer..Duane_EddyVersion: 2.0.2

No free tierThe stories seem pretty good, but after I finished my free tokens I can’t view any more. I’d probably convert if there was a free tier where I could listen to a couple stories a week and be sure the value is there for me. But instead I deleted the app from being annoyed at notifications for stories I can’t listen to..HeytherepeterVersion: 4.8.11

New colorThis is excellent app. However, I genuinely dislike the new icon color. Old one was much better. Edit: I think I’m getting used to the new color :).AalmuhaisenVersion: 6.0.1

LegitI’ve used it for about a year now, and it’s great. All their articles are narrated by professional readers. They have articles from various news sites. If anything, they need to add more daily articles..Toms_23Version: 4.8.13

HWW1012This app gets me through my commutes everyday. Before I know it, my 30 minutes are up, and I'm left wanting to drive more to hear the end of these perfectly narrated stories!.Alyssa HillsVersion: 4.5.3

Such an amazing appI wish the price was cheaper all the time but this app got the job done without wasting much time to read and I don't have much time left for doing my things.Fred_AustinVersion: 3.8.39

Good ideaThis is an excellent, well designed app for both my phone and ipad pro. Easy to use and saves me from using my eyes too much just for reading news.Mylerzone39Version: 3.8.39

Excellent appAwesome, well designed app, but the CarPlay version crashes whenever I click on downloads. Hopefully y’all can fix this..WaydinVersion: 6.16.0

Decent articles, wish there were more publications featured.Also, mistakes in the reading should be edited out no? Repeatedly reading a sentence two or three times because of stuttering or skipping over words although relatable, doesn’t make for easy listening on the ears..CandidaOvergrowthVersion: 3.8.9.1

This is freaking awesomeCurio is informative and a convenient way to hear great articles from great journalism . The quantity of the article is rather not important as its quality, so just keep updating only great articles.BeguetRicohVersion: 3.8.39

Great audio contentGreat content that’s provided in audio format. The topics are engaging and the selection changes regularly. Some articles are a bit older (I just listened to once published from 2013), but I still find it relevant. Great concept! Only negative thing is that the playlist doesn’t remove the previously listened to pieces, meaning you have to remove them manually to get an unrepeated stream. Otherwise, I’d love to see (maybe in the future) articles not just from the anglophone world, but also from other well respected magazines from other cultures..AkomoroVersion: 5.2.0

Great watch experienceBut I used "sign in with apple" to Sign Up on my watch. Then I downloaded the iOS app to my phone... How do I sign in with apple? There's no button like that in the phone app?.BrandonCtVersion: 4.5.3

Curio ... love it!I feel inspired to learn something new everyday! This has a broad selection of topics that have short, manageable time frames to deliver knowledgeable, credible information to digest. I make jewelry (more than ever since the pandemic). My hands are busy and I love listening to podcasts or Ted talks to quench my thirst of relevant interesting and newsworthy topics👍.My Furry FriendVersion: 5.1.1

Good concept, confusing app with poor AirPods supportLove the idea of the app and it’s content. But it’s confusing to use. And if you’re an AirPods Pro user it’s always a battle to get the audio working. Why doesn’t the app offer a way to choose your output device like every other audio app?.Bad RobotVersion: 7.22.2

Best appIf you’re looking for a personalized experience, with beautifully curated content - this app is for you..Vancouver1980Version: 6.16.0

UX issues started in NovemberLove the audio but it’s not been updating the feed so I’ve been seeing the same stories since Sept 20. Bait and switch for an annual plan purchase..Chris Sta113Version: 6.2.19

Excellent & Refreshing!Curio is as fitting a curated set of brain food for the curious human condition within me. Highly satisfied. Highly impressed. Better than Flipboard, IMO..TaraPorczekVersion: 6.2.3

Love itRecommend.Nellies567Version: 6.0.0

A joy. Wonderful.Has always been unique and great, but with each update the app keeps getting better and the content range expands. If you like podcasts, or reading, you’ll like Curio..QuinndupontVersion: 3.8.2

No free trial On the monthly optionWas going to try it, but monthly works for me best, since I’m only at work where I can listen to it some of the time. Would have liked to try it, oh well..BobronnersVersion: 5.0.18

Free International Money Transfer 💸Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! The cheap, fast way to send money abroad. Free transfer up to 500 USD!AdvertorialVersion: 8.8.1

Curio - Audio Journalism Negative Reviews

Incredibly disappointedI would have bet money on how much I’d have liked What do I know? I love Gillian and I love podcasts. No brainer that this is a match made in Heaven. But it feels more like a school class with homework… things being read in monotone from a script. And Curio apparently doesn’t allow for changing the speed of play, so I couldn’t even zip through it quickly. Still adore you, Gillian. But I need something that feels real/genuine. I canceled my free trial within a half hour of signing up for it. Dang. Disappointed..Meow33Version: 7.27.0

Gotten pretty buggy.I've been subscribed for years but in recent months the app has gotten really frustrating to use. Mostly stemming from its constant crashing on resuming playback. None of the app updates have fixed it. Having to go back into the app all the time to restart playback has gotten me to the point where I'm almost ready to unsubscribe. I enjoy the app otherwise, but it's bugs are awful..TorgoServoVersion: 7.25.2

Not AudmI was looking for an alternative to what Audm used to offer, but this isn’t it. For $200 a year they add 3-4 articles a day, ranging from 4–15 minutes long. It is somehow completely random and over-curated at the same time. There’s no way to sort by audio length if you’re looking for longform content. Also who is demanding Olivia Colman narrate an article about sad nurses? The confluence of celebrity worship and hard reporting on actual problems is unsettlingly dystopian..KcrcrrVersion: 8.3.1

Needs cleaning up and less clutterSeveral of the listed publishers aren’t kept up to date. For example, the most current article for OpenDemocracy is from 2018. The publishers that are kept up to date tend to be the monolith corporate media like Wash Post, FT, Bloomberg, and WSJ or decidedly partisan like the Guardian, Vox, and Vulture. More problematic is the apparent inability to adjust my feed and only see articles from publishers that I explicitly follow. So it’s not really My Feed but Curio’s clutter..MarkbyrnVersion: 7.10.0

No I don’t want notificationsHi, I’ve asked to have this fix, customer service said something would be done about it. Every time I open the app I have to click *no* on not wanting notifications. Please fix this Curio. No mean no. Also, how about a way to prevent these new blogger types from showing up in the feed? I signed up for this for the audio versions of traditional media. If I wanted a podcast I would’ve gone somewhere else..Spanish SaharaVersion: 6.2.2

Not JournalismLooking at a list of the alleged journalistic publications are fake news. If you’re a conservative American forget about this app just look at where the articles are from Financial Times, Economist and Washington Post. The developers might as well have added the DNC press releases as “news” sources to spread their propaganda. The articles you’re listening to are through the eyes of liberal fake news reporters so they’re guaranteed to be pro-liberal pro-global and anti-conservative and anti-trump. Just listen to cnn or msnbc!!!.RokseaksyourmoneyVersion: 4.6.4

Add button doesnt work, glitchyI have to push the button that adds a story to the queue 2-3 times for it to turn red (signifying that it has been added) and even then it shows up in my queue 50% of the time. Plus it freezes often. Feels like a beta version. Definitely not close to being worth $80 a year..GujkeygwthjiVersion: 5.2.5

Poor content, poor customer serviceNot pleased with the fluffy content, attempted to cancel last year and removed subscription from my apple account but was just hit with another year’s subscription fee. Conveniently, the cancel feature on the app leads me to a broken page (after having already emailed them last year to cancel). Not happy!.Essie Bee :3Version: 7.10.0

Seems useful but got charged for an annual subscription when responding to a 7 day free trialThat alone makes me less likely to recommend. There’s no immediate way to change even to a monthly charge or cancel the year subscription even though the charge went thru only moments ago..LanguagelearnedVersion: 8.8.1

SubscriptionI wanted to do the subscribe option for a shorter time period, but it automatically subscribed for one year. I feel cheated. Not only did I lose the week of free trial, I have over-subscribed. Even if I like it, there is no way I will continue thereafter unless someone can explain how this can be refunded..SimplyMelanie2016Version: 3.8.39

Lots of quality content, mediocre UI, no free trial with out renewal enabledThe content is quality and there is a good deal of quantity. The UI is mediocre, a bit confusing. And the free trial requires renewals to be enabled. Free trial only available with 250/year renewal enabled….Smcavoy-Version: 8.7.0

The iPhone App is Still BuggyIt is unclear why after a number of versions and a number of years, the curio app remains so buggy. One you start playing an article you cannot then make any attempt to control the app. Basically the menu for settings and adjustment of sleep timer etc just disappear and the app just keeps playing without any way to modify the settings. The only way to work around is to bring the app up in your phone, shut it down, and then restart the app. You can then change a setting before starting a new story but once the article begins playing the settings menus are no longer available. Content is good but control is non existent. It needs to be cleaned up..Kaptain KanadaVersion: 7.25.2

Still paying even though not subscribedThey have charged my credit card, I do not have a subscription. Waiting to hear back from customer service for a $60 refund..1claud9Version: 7.10.0

Expensive in app purchaseNot willing to pay that much for this when I can just listen to free news podcasts 🤷🏻‍♀️ wish they had the options to use it for free with ads and then switch to a paid ad free version like Spotify..EmgioskVersion: 4.5.3

Payoneer 💰Payoneer is an online payment platform that lets you transfer money from any corner of the world! A best and must have payment service for every blogger, traveler, freelancer, affiliate marketer, consultant, virtual assistant, business person, online sellers, and receivers. Earn $25 for free by joining Payoneer. Sign Up Now!AdvertorialVersion: 8.8.1