Voice Dream - Read Aloud Positive Reviews

Long overdue reviewI purchased this app several years ago. Since I purchased it I have used it to “read” hundreds of books and articles. Most of the material I have “read” with this app is not available as a professionally narrated audio and never will be. This includes many obscure religious and medical texts and manuscripts — more than I can count. I am constantly on the go and almost never have time to sit down and read a printed or digital book. Yet, with this app I have been able to get through many thousands of pages of material that never would have been possible otherwise. I listen nearly every day while I drive, walk, jog and sometimes while I work. Although the app is not perfect (pronunciation is sometimes incorrect) it is good enough for me to understand. I appreciate that the developer has continued to improve the product. For example, in the last year I discovered I can use it to listen to podcasts and even videos that I download for offline use. I would be ungrateful not to leave a 5 star review, because without exaggerating I can say that this has changed my life. I now have a steady stream of valuable information flowing to my mind. This is information that was simply out of reach to me before — mainly due to constraints on my time. This has helped me immensely with preparing to teach classes and in my medical career..CaJ4Version: 4.7.3

Legacy PerspectiveThis is a really amazing app, and I am very happy about the recent decision to allow legacy users to continue to use it. The interface is easy to use, the font size and voices and speed choices are great, I can’t say enough positive things about what the app has meant to us. It was a shock to realize it could go away, as Voice Dream Reader has become so important in our family, and although occasionally something has gone wrong briefly, it’s always quickly gone back to working smoothly. I am sad about the move to subscription, and at such a high price. I know it would be complex, but hope that the developers if they ever go to subscription only, will keep legacy people in mind and find a way to allow items to be exported. I am sad that the subscription price is likely to be an obstacle to young children ever benefiting from this app, as it takes awhile to learn to use assistive technology and it’s hard to imagine parents wanting to spend so much on something their child will not be ready to use for some time, maybe months, after trying out. Still, I hope that the app can be enjoyed and appreciated by as many as possible, and although most will likely not be young children anymore, this app is worth trying for anyone who needs or wants to listen to text..HappyMotherOfTwoVersion: 4.30.3

Valuable Time SaverI will type up my notes and save them as a pdf file. Then transfer the file into voice dream. This application does really well with medical terminology, which I was surprised with; however, this application struggles with numbers and abbreviations. I have adapted to not using abbreviations in my notes or I will use the replace function in Microsoft Word to find and replace any abbreviations. For numbers, you are better off spelling them out. This will make any pdf into an audiobook essentially. Just rememberer, just because you hear it doesn’t mean you learned it. you will still need to actively listen to gain something from this. I will have many pages of notes compiled to make a study guide for a test, and it would take me hours to read myself, where I can use voice dream to expedite my studies, allowing me to get more done in a short time. I really enjoy the tracker so that you can actively watch the dialogue be read. I bought the package, and this is the only app that I use from it. I really wish that there was better tools such as highlighting and the ability to freely write on the document with the Apple Pencil. I say this because I have imported textbooks over to this application, and this would be helpful to me!.TSMuhlerVersion: 4.7.1

Great App, Minor BugThe standard out of the box voice (Heather) is the most human-like I’ve ever heard. Also, the “pronunciation dictionary” feature is amazing - allows you to change how the voices pronounce certain words if you don’t like the default pronunciation. This is great for the few instances where there’s a word or acronym or name that occurs frequently in a text (reoccurring newsletter or book) that I want Voice Dream to say it differently from the default. I hope the App is taking this data that we users meticulously enter and is using it to guide future adjustments and improvements to the reading engine that the developers build. While this app is nearly flawless in my eyes now, one annoying bug has keeps in recently: when switching into the app to a reading that has been paused, it frequently jumps to a random point in the text on the screen. If I hit play, it resumes playing at the point where I left off and a quick 2-finger tap will take me back so the right part of the text shows on the screen, but it’s annoying to have to do this when I am regularly switching between Voice Dream and another app I use to take notes on the books I read (Microsoft Word, in case that helps catch the bug!). I hope the team can hunt this one down as they have caught all the others in the past. Keep it up! :).Cyber553Version: 4.5.4

Really useful for my ADHDThis app has been life-changing! I have wanted to study mycology and botany, but my ability to read (which was pretty poor to start with) has severely declined due to lots of stressors, ADHD, and PTSD. I could manage a few paragraphs a day of my plant biochemistry book on my own, but finished a whole chapter the day I started using Dream Reader. I love that I can set it to play every file, so that I have a queue of thngs playing while I do other stuff. I am glad to finally have proof that I can understabd complex subject matter, as long as it’s presented in an accessible way. I appreciate how fast I can set the speaking rate, and the customizeability of the scrolling text. I use the option of only showing the word that is currently being spoken, but plan to try the other options to hopefully improve my reading ability. Prior to finding this app I tried Speechify and Natural Speech, but those both much more expensive, and the price is for an annual prescription. The only thing missing for me with Voice Dream is the ability to export the text as MP3 files, but for the price I am happy to go without that..GWickPressVersion: 4.16.2

Academics, rejoice!I work in research, and with many professors. I have to read A LOT of other people’s papers. Like many people I work with, I get “reading fatigue,” where I might go insane if I have to sit and try to slog through five more pages and try to also take notes and then also incorporate what I read into my own writing. Enter this app, which I first bought so I could have a book read to me as I fall asleep. While it works great for that initial purpose, given the built-in timer and adjustable voice speeds, I quickly found that this app also immediately boosts me past the point of “reading fatigue” while working. Adding auditory input helps me to maintain my focus, and makes note-taking more seamless since I don’t have to stop “reading” to jot a note down. The ability to add a bookmark with a single tap make it that much easier to return to papers and scan them for the relevant parts. I tried all the free text to speech apps, and the built-in text-to-speech capabilities and found them all severely lacking. Voice Dream Reader is head and shoulders above them. It does what it says it will, does it well, and is easy to use..Byrdy3566Version: 4.11.2

Fantastic one of a kind appAlthough other developers who make similar text and audio reading apps that are fully accessible with voiceover and targeted four blind and low vision users, there is “no other” app like Voice Dream for at least three reasons: not just reading all kinds of text document formats but also MP3 files, I read all my audio described MP3 files on Voice Dream. Second this app allows me to make multiple folders so I have my old time radio MP3 in one folder, my audio describe movies in the other, different text document formats in other folders.t and third, I can connect iCloud dropbox and also Google Drive to Voice Dream reader, and when I download all my MP3 files or text documents on my computer that I copied over to Google Drive, I can easily import all of these files into my selected folder in Voice Dream, directly from Voice Dream. So thank you for a fantastic app and I am going to absolutely support the maintenance and sustenance of this app. There is no other replacement like this at the moment that does all these things and is fully accessible..Prateek DujariVersion: 4.31.0

Excellent product for aspiring academicI have always struggled keeping up with my reading in grad school. All of my time was devoted to just keeping up with assignments, not writing or exploring my own related interests. A prominent reason was getting bogged down in the details of texts. Listening through a first time has helped me focus on the big picture of arguments and identify arguments most important for my interests. Even though I have to go back to these sections in print, I still end up saving time and understanding materials better. Also, I appreciate the one time purchase model more than subscriptions (although I know this doesn’t support the ongoing development of the app. Why doesn’t the App Store support payed updates? I think it would be reasonable to pay a small fee for certain kinds updates and new features to give the developers an ongoing revenue stream). Any way, this app has enabled me to keep up. One feature I would like is a desktop or web based version. I have found workarounds, but a dedicated app is desirable (perhaps an upgrade I would pay for wink wink?).A.h.wrightVersion: 4.13.2

I stepped back…My initial review was per sumptuous and precocious as well as an educated. I judgment was not from a neutral standpoint. I treated this review at that time like the room they treated me. I was in Butte with and negative demeanor. I ask myself a few questions; how could I make this application better? What was hard about this application? What could be more intuitive within the menuing? What is great about this application? I have low vision that is very bad meaning I need backlit monitors to see anything and I see hardly at all because I detached retina. So the only specialize question I could ask how could this application work better for my issue, and what has been done an application that is universal for all of us either with reading dyslexia or site problems or blindness. m I found an auto control that all puts the highlighting tool down on the plate pause menu when you have a speaking tool activated. Are use both speaking and vision because I’m not completely sure yet. I believe that there should be quick and easy choices at the top the hierarchy for blindness/low vision. I give it five stars though! Great job!.Josiah GlockVersion: 4.7.1

Life changing appAs someone who has ADHD and struggles to read, I have always been able to listen and comprehend very well. I've always preferred audiobooks to reading books. Unfortunately, this has been a major challenge for me regarding case studies and other academic materials, and newspaper articles. Voice Dream Reader has been completely life-changing. The app is beautiful and well-designed, and I love that I can play through my entire reading list anytime I have my headphones in or drive. The app is very well-polished, and it is straightforward to add content by sharing. The Mac App is also incredible. Voice Dream Reader is one of the most excellent apps I've ever discovered, and it is worth every penny; even the Mac subscription is worth the monthly cost. I highly recommend this application to anyone that wants to listen to content. Also, the available voices on iOS are incredible. Just go through all of them until you find your favorite one. There is no need to buy any voices, in my opinion, since the iOS voices are superior..Rcbeall17Version: 4.17.7

Well worth the purchase!I cannot express to you how much value this app has given me over the past year and a half. I initially got it during the pandemic as a tool to encourage me to read research papers more often and only 6 months later I find my library filled with all types of books and material. I spend at least an hour a day reading or listening to a book now and I’ve never been more grateful for such a good service. Other apps have tried to hook me to a subscription or give me ads while not delivering nearly the same quality of text recognition and reader extensibility. Very grateful to the team working on this. One thing I’d certainly love to see for this app in the future is some sort of extension into reading websites. I’ve purchased the pack of scanner, writer and reader(all of which perform great) but I think one really useful area this has yet to be applied to is reading articles on websites or blogs. Again really happy with this app and hope to see great things for the devs in the future!.This ain't badVersion: 4.14.15

Life-changingly fantasticI absolutely love this app! It is far and away the best reader on the market. I work full-time, commute many hours, take care of my kids in a household, and started a second masters degree program last year. Voice Dream Reader makes graduate school possible for me. I am reading my homework while driving, walking, washing the dishes, cooking dinner, folding my laundry, brushing my teeth.... I can adjust the pronunciation for specific words or acronyms, I can adjust the reading speed And choose from voices, I can tap a small button and mark the paragraph, or highlight certain portions of text. I couldn’t do my program without this app. So many features, and the developers are impressive at their support and their constant improvements. I’ve had a couple issues, and sent an email. Not only have I received a personal response each time, from an real person who cares about the problem, but every time the problem actually got fixed or the question satisfactorily answered. Every time. I am very, very grateful for voice dream reader!.LiLynnKynVersion: 4.9.2

🤯 TOTAL GAME CHANGER 🤯I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under but thankfully I finally found this app! It is a complete and total game changer! True Crime junkie here and reading through thousands of pages of court documents is not something I have the attention span to do. Even aside from that, every book I ‘read’ is an audiobook because I literally never have time to sit still. I have been using this app for the past hour and I’m still discovering new features but I think I have the basics down now! Works flawlessly and seamlessly. The voices sound so natural. I see that their support team is very active with responses to negative reviews… which are mostly user error but they are very gracious in their responses! And MOST importantly, willing to help! I am absolutely thrilled and I am looking forward to staying up all night ‘reading’ this 1267 page document! ♥️ ETA: I have seen reviews about the pronunciation feature not working… I’ve already used it four times and have had zero issues!.LEGOLouieVersion: 4.13.10

Exportar archivosAn unacceptable change! Voice Dream Reader, listen to your users Review: As a loyal Voice Dream Reader user, I am outraged by the sudden switch to a subscription model. I purchased this app trusting that I would have full access to its features without additional restrictions. But now, I face the prospect of paying a perpetual subscription for something I already owned. Legal aspects: This change could be in conflict with consumer protection laws. As a buyer, I have rights, and I cannot accept that the conditions are altered after the purchase. Where is the transparency? Where is the responsibility towards users? We demand answers: Voice Dream Reader, listen to your users. We're not just numbers on an income spreadsheet. We are people who trusted your product. If you want to change the business model, at least offer us a fair transition or refund option. In short, this change is unacceptable and could have legal consequences. I hope the developers reconsider their decision and respect their customers..Falcón de la Habana CubaVersion: 4.30.1

Wonderful useful appVoice Dream is a wonderful app and when it first came out and only cost $20 I wrote the company and said, this app is too good and I am willing to pay more for it. Now the price has been raised to five dollars a month and I am very happy to help support this company. Not many people appreciate how much work goes into creating an app like this and I want these people to succeed and this app to continue. It is a fantastic reader and not only can I purchase different voices but I can also use my favorite voice that I use on my iPhone. It is so easy for me to download PDFs. Sometimes there are a few paragraphs on a website or from an email or something in social media, and all I have to do is select it, copy and either put it directly into Voice Dream or first put it into another app, one where I compose short notes, and from there I can put it directly into Voice Dream. I am glad I can really contribute to this wonderful app. Looking forward to your further developments..IrwinblueskyVersion: 4.30.3

Updated ReviewUpdate: I’m glad they rolled back their sleazy decision to force legacy users into their subscription model with very little notice. I can afford the subscription and was still questioning if I could support a company that would do that despite this being an app that I use daily and have done for years. I think the app is worth the money, but it was an ethically unsound decision and I’m glad they’ve instead decided to only offer new features to subscription subscribers. I look forward to seeing new features and then deciding whether or not an upgrade is worth it to me. Original Review: I’ve always loved this app because it is WAY more affordable (and versatile) than an audible subscription and the voice selection is great (check out UK Amy), but it just got even better with the most recent update. The ability to intelligently skip margin notes until the end of a pdf page is just what this app needed to go from amazing to practically perfect. Thanks!!!.Life With SarcasmVersion: 4.30.3

Disappearing ActI bought this app a long time ago. I am 68 years old and have a bad eye. In my younger days l love to read books. Now that I am older I still love books but not on a paperback version but audio books. I use Audible audio books. But recently l am into English converted Chinese novels. I bought the digital version. I bought/downloaded Voice Dream a long time ago. So naturally l downloaded my new digital books in Dream Voice. And l started listening. The next day all my downloaded digital ebooks all disappeared. This happened not once but a lot of times. I patiently downloaded it again. But the next 2 days while listening, my digital books disappeared yet again while l was listening. I hope you guys fix this. This is very annoying and it’s very stressful. Have pity on the seniors who have disabilities. I will download it again and if this cannot be fix I am going to write to apple your negligence on this matter maybe Apple Can help with this. Thank you..Gesbatt317Version: 4.28.6

Amazing productivity toolIts not whether you can read well or not. It’s whether you have the energy to stare at a page for long time. I’ve noticed for me that listening is easier than reading when I’m not in the mood and is a way to reduce the activation energy of a task that I wish to get done. It’s also useful for catching up on articles saved for later to read in pocket. (I started using pocket for this amazing feature) also had it read me a 50 page orientation guide for work and over al just love how it makes things easier. I read great, but we don’t all have the energy or patience 24 hrs a day to read everything. Plus it allows me to get through more material faster and has sold me on the whole power of text to speech! Because I saw in another review mention that you can have Siri read you things by setting up accessibility settings and then doing a swipe down on any screen. Yes this is a nice feature I also use, and used prior to finding this app. To me they have different use cases as the flow and how they are used and how well they work in a variety of different situations compared to each other is quite different. This is useful for actual work and learning and processing things. Siri accessibility feature is helpful to also have turned on but is only good if you are already physically reading the article or page and item at hand. This is helpful to share anything too and then go to it when wishing to and have it read away..DesposiVersion: 4.6.3

Life changing appI didn’t expect much out of this app when I hesitantly bought it a few years ago. Now, to say I’m dependent on it would be an understatement. I fear going to work without preparing content to listen to. I work in construction. Long days of mindless labor transformed into exhilarating intellectual experiences. Everything I listen to doesn’t have audio book versions. I mainly listen to Chinese light novels. All of those will never see official English releases let alone audio book releases. Now to sad news. This is where I hesitate to give a 5 or 1 star review. 5 stars for exceptional app. 1 star for shifting to a subscription based service even for those who have already spend money to fully purchase the app. Some even spend hundreds of dollars too buy every last voice. Essentially the devs have chosen to steal the app from people like me. I bought it, period. Imagine buying a video game or movie or literally anything, then when you go to use the thing you bought it says “we are changing to a subscription service.” It is just scummy. This should be illegal. It is actual theft. But what can I do? Well for starters, I’m never subscribing. I’ll just have to find spending else. You know it’s funny really. This company is beloved by its users. If they simply advertised a donation spot countless people would have been willing to throw money at them. As the Chinese would say, they picked up a rock only to drop it on their foot..WaxHatterVersion: 4.30.3

Great App — Watch App Needs WorkVoice Dream Reader (and its associated apps) are excellent. I have only praise and no criticism for them. I have one problem — and it involves the Apple Watch version of the app. The whole idea is to listen to material one doesn’t have time to read. That generally means one is doing something else — and, according to my experience, the controls front the Apple Watch don’t work well. They never have — and it has gotten worse lately. I appreciate that the Watch only downloads the articles in the playlist due to the fact that the Watch has limited RAM. That’s fine. It’s easy enough to move what I want to listen to at any given time to the playlist. However, the controls just don’t work — and lately, the app on the watch crashes almost every time I use it. I’ve restarted the watch and phone — but it just doesn’t help. Once this is fixed, I’ll gladly add the extra star for this basically great app..RobbchadwickVersion: 4.14.6

Cautionary tale.A matter of software social contract. I am not some libertarian complaining over a haze of bong smoke. When you make a software purchase on an App Store or any other plays you are or should be given a non verbal promise that the asking price is the final purchase price. A software programmer or company may change the terms of the agreement for new sales of the software but that should not and I repeat should not obligate previous persons who have purchased your software to be roped into a future subscription cost. It does not matter to me if it is one dollar a month or $100 a month. The principal remains the same. It would be far more honorable to make an offer if I wanted to toss a few dollars in a tip jar as an option. However, being compelled as the pop up on my dream reader screen seems to imply is completely different. it is especially offensive as a blind user of the software when I use what I paid for at times hours a day. It remains my hope that I am misreading the intention and the May 1 date will prove whether I am correct or mistaken..UnbleachedbitVersion: 4.30.1

Excellent App already, and getting better!, update: Thanks for reconsideringUpdate. Thanks very much for reconsidering forcing previous purchasers into a subscription model. I will certainly consider moving to a subscription for upgrades or new features, but thanks very much for not stealing a previous purchase. Very good confidence builder in developers! I am amazed at how much thought has gone into this app. The way it functions like the audio media players with the same pause/rewind/fast-forward controls is excellent. I read almost all of my PDF files with this, as its easier to read, skip, search, and get the info I need, or just quickly read from beginning to end, or speed-read. Its VoiceOver compatibility is excellent as well, and I've found it very valuable for most of my one-time reads, reference materials, or lengthy reading. Very nice job, and thank you for an excellent app!.KJUChaosVersion: 4.30.3

You get what you pay forWell in this case I think you get more. It reads for you, yes. But it not only reads it reads much better than any other similar free app. And I know because I tried all the free ones first and they sounded so incredibly robotic that the sentences were melting into each other and I couldn't grasp what I was reading at all. They also had bad intonations on words which also caused confusion. No this isn't a "cheap app" by measure of general app prices but when you measure the value that you get over the life of this app allowing you to read while washing dishes, driving or eating a meal, it is well worth every cent. This app has saved me hours and time is money! Not only can I multitask but I'm also reading much faster when it's the only thing I'm doing because it's scrolling for you and the added time of each thumb swipe is gone. You're now reading hands free. Also, in addition to the included voices, there's an option for premium voices and the option of simply putting it on mute and letting it scroll for you if you prefer your own voice for reading. If you want something that's upfront "cheap" or free they're out there in other apps. This, to me, is cheap when you do the longterm math. Btw I've had this for years and happened to just review now since I was already in the app store to share the link with a friend. Good luck and happy shopping.Anonymous User eVersion: 4.4.9

Have used since launch and still the best voice reader availableI just wanted to say thanks again for continued great work on the app. I’ve been using Voice Dream since you launched it nearly 10 or so years back. I recently purchased an iPad Pro and the UI is great and the cross-app support has really improved from earlier years. I’ve tried newer apps like Elo audio and speechify, and while their voices are more natural, they fail to meet the same level of support like Voice Dream. One of the biggest things I really like about Voice Dream is that imported PDFs retain graphics and tables which has always been an annoyance when importing technical papers into readers. A couple suggestions/requests would be to add support for: zooming in/out when in landscape-mode on the iPad and adding multi-page viewing options to aid in finding the right page, since indexing isn’t a thing upon import. To my knowledge, the only app that supports zooming in/out in iPad OS is the Apple iBooks app. And adding an auto-indexing feature that captures (guesses) what the chapters and sections are by indexing page content headlines. Such as this is JavaScript:

Chapter 1

Body of paragraph

Voice stream document access solution: accessible, comprehensive, consistent and ReliableVoice Dream it's truly the most accessible consistent, and reliable document solution. It provides universal accessibility for everyone, versatile document access from local and web locations, as well as allowing for image acquisition of electronic text through optical character recognition, or the conversion of hardcopy print or images into electronic text. I would certainly recommend voice dream reader to anyone, because I have a confidence that the developer continues to bring an enhancements that in cooperate the latest features allowing users to access and manage content from variety of local and online databases. It has truly provided Application to educational, daily living and employment settings for me and many others, I'm sure. Thank you..RonM7Version: 4.12.0

One of my most used appsVoice Dream has been one of my most valuable and most used apps over the last year. If I am anywhere where I cannot sit and read, I use Voice Dream to read articles that I have downloaded or automatically synced through Pocket or imported from Dropbox. I use the different voices for different types of content. I use one for work documents, one for tech documents and one for news articles. It has gotten better with each update - I love this app! Update 2020: I love love love Voice Dream Reader. Seeing the recent highlight in the App Store reminded me that I need to comment again. This is such a wonderful timesaver for me and just a great tool for convenience. I work most days on my laptop and am constantly reading, learning and keeping up with new technology and products that my company develops. But I can't sit in front of a screen all day so I load up documents that I want to listen to or get a refresher on and can go for a walk while I listen. For some, listening to tech documents in audio form sounds boring but it helps me stay on top of my game professionally. But it also lets me go through my reading list from web pages I have dropped into Pocket or Instapaper. This is an app that every professional, student and anyone who likes or needs information in audio form should have. Thank you for creating this app!.MikeWithTooManyDevicesVersion: 4.10.2

My heroI can’t begin to tell you how many times this app has saved me. First, when I was in grad school with all of the stuff I had to read and would have forgotten about last minute. I plugged it in it would read it to me and I would be able to go into discussions knowledgeable because it had been read to me while doing other things, fast forward a year and a half later I have a new job with many things that need to be read. Once again, voice dream to the rescue I have been able to read so many things about my job that is made it possible for me to accelerate in my career voice dream is a dream come true and it is my hero because it has rescued me so many times, I love this app and will continue to use it going forward for all of my personal as well as my business endeavors. It’s a great app. Please continue to maintain it..CaramiadivaVersion: 4.27.4

It’s a good idea that I only use it to scan booksI'd like to bring up an important point regarding what I perceive as misleading advertising. It seems that for users like us who purchased the application, we're now being asked to pay an annual fee for it, despite being initially told otherwise. One significant aspect to consider is that the payment for the application is routed through a third party, rather than directly to Apple as we're accustomed to. This, I believe, could pose challenges if we ever decide to cancel. I'm curious as to why this approach is being taken now, and it raises questions about transparency and user trust. I want to make it clear that my concern isn't about obtaining the application for free. Even if I had the means, I'd be willing to contribute financially. However, due to current financial constraints, I may have to discontinue my subscription. Thank you for taking the time to address this matter. I hope we can resolve it in a way that benefits all parties involved..IPhone X voice overVersion: 4.30.1

Thank you for caring about your customers’ feedbackI’ve been using your app for years to help me go to school. I’m low vision, so partially blind, partially sighted. Yours is the only app that really accommodates that balance with more human voices. Your feature to skip in-text citations when listening is wonderful. I always wished that your highlighting feature had more options because before sometimes my textbooks looked like a sea of green highlights. The rest of my degree is going to be indescribably easier because of the update you just made. I can now easily tell the difference between vocab words versus ideas etc.. and find things easier. Being able to control the color of the highlights may seem small, but it’s a HUGE help for people who struggle with skimming. Thank you so much!.WordsNColor88Version: 4.14.7

AlmostI love everything about this app except the quality of speech. I’ve tried both, Acapela-Will and NeoSpeech Hugh. These two premium voices are tantalizingly close to natural. Nevertheless, both Hugh and Will regularly blur certain phoneme combinations. And these robotic sounding errors make it difficult for this learning disabled brain to focus on the content of reading material. And I have tried tweaking both, speed and pronunciation controls to no avail. I normally use Alexa to listen to books that I convert to searchable PDFs. Alexa is far more natural sounding than either, Hugh and Will. But Alexa is difficult to manage. ‘She’ won’t read just anything. And there is no male alternative to female Alexa that will read PDFs aloud just yet. It follows, Voice Dream and Alexa would make the perfect team, if this were some how possible. It is my hope that voice patches in the Voice Dream catalog will one day sound as natural as Alexa (and Seri)..BuffaloShrimpVersion: 4.14.1

A great app, not necessarily $10 greatFirst of all, let me start off by saying that this is the second ebook tts narration app I've tried (apps specifically designed to convert ebooks into text-to-speech) though I've used TTS most of my life in one form or another. The first app I used was the free version of Capti. That app is somewhat less user friendly than this app, but its price (free) is more budget friendly. As a note, though it offers a lesser selection of voices, many of them are also somewhat cheaper. What's the deal there, guys? Why is their free app offering the same voices for cheaper? I rather like the accessibility controls placed in this app. They work, and they're intuitive. That's pretty high praise from me. Most people's accessibility stuff are afterthoughts and look like it. This review may seem slapdash and for that I apologize. I genuinely enjoy the app and find reading on it rather pleasant. Now that I have it, I'll be using it frequently. One final note (because I could not contact support from the app's page in the app store): the app's voice management doesn't seem to recognize the enhanced Siri voices having been downloaded. I have all the enhanced English ones from each language, and Reader just isn't seeing them. It sees the iOS basic included ones but no enhanced ones for Siri. And the new Irish English voices aren't included in there at all. Best of luck, and thanks for the app..GamerCaneVersion: 4.5.4

Some quirks but overall very helpfulI use the app to listen to stories while working. For the most part it is great. I listened to several voices before selecting one that I felt sounded natural. However, the app has some quirks that some days annoy me. It pronounces girl correctly, but Supergirl gets pronounced as Superjurl. The word “leans” as in “She leans forward to see the screen better” is pronounced like Leann’s—the possessive of Leann. It struggles with contractions. The character J’onn J’onzz should be pronounced like Jon Jones with French accent. The app says “J-1 J-1’s”—admittedly a tough translation from written to audio, there was also a character with the name Gen short for Genevieve and the app pronounced it as General which was jarring since the character was a child. I know someone who loads their stories to a Word document and substitutes phonetically spelled versions of these quirky words then uploads to the app so it will read the words correctly. I’m just not that picky I guess..PackLeader1965Version: 4.8.4

Good reader, but bad for studyingThis App is by far the best thing that’s happened to me in my under-graduate and graduate degrees. I struggle to read and understand because of a learning disability that I have. There is only one other product out here like this that I know of, and it’s still not as good as this product and it requires a subscription each month. This is a one time purchase, and it does almost everything that I need. Between the scanner that can turn my textbook into a readable PDF, and the reader, and the various types of voices, I will give testimony of them forever. The only thing I wish it could change is to give me the ability to modify documents directly that are in my Files folder, and also give me the ability to highlight in multiple colors. STILL the best app every though. I couldn’t recommend it more..AcarltonVersion: 4.12.0

MIRACLE APP!!Thank you to the creators of this miracle app!! I usually never write reviews but I was soo happy to find an app that can help me so much! I’m in nursing school and I have ALOT of reading to do in such a short span. I wasn’t sure how I was going to read all of those chapters, plus do my homework and go to work all at the same time. I was starting to fall behind of my readings but thanks to this app, I was able to catch up on 5 out of 9 chapters in about a day, all while managing to keep everything else in my life on track. Not only did I not have to physically read the book myself cause the app is reading for me, but I actually retain a lot more information through this. I would usually take half a day just to read one chapter due to boredom, tiredness or just busy with other stuff, so I am very excited to use this while I’m in school. Thank you so much!.RpbeautyVersion: 4.8.4

Amazing appI’ve been using is for some years now, it replaced brutally expensive amazon’s audible books. I upload pdf’s, txt’s, doc’s to a folder on my website and when I want to read another book, I just tap the name and it gets it. I’m using the voices of Sharon and Paul. This awesome app helped me read hundreds of books during rush hour drive, while working and resting. It remembers position for later, it has adjustable speed and now the new version even removes long headers and footers from PDF’s. I bought it for some $20 or so (plus voices) and now it’s much less and a must have for people who don’t want to spend $20-30 per book on audible. It’s the best app I have on my phone. I can’t believe that someone would give it less than 5 stars. Also, there is a fast support, I’ve asked questions and got emails within a few hours..Dereck DVersion: 4.5.1

Still Great But There Are VoiceOver BugsI regret not reviewing this app sooner. This app has been clutch for many years for dynamic reading of text files. I have needed it even more lately. Because of this growing need, I have noticed some VoiceOver bugs that have cropped up. Although I have not been able to use this feature up until recently, the manual says you can swipe up or down with three fingers to highlight sentences in the text. This is not happening. Swiping with three fingers is the same as swiping with one finger; it highlights word by word. So the feature is not entirely broken, but I'd love to see it fixed again. Also, when I adjust the navigation control by swiping up or down, VoiceOver's focus immediately jumps back to the play/pause button without any prompting. If I want to make another adjustment to the navigation controls, I have to focus on the navigation slider again and swipe just to be placed on play/pause again. This only seems to happen when the app is playing—thankfully, it behaves properly when I have paused reading. Again, this can be worked around, but it is annoying and really throws off my flow. I know this app has come under new management recently, and I hope it can be maintained like it used to be. I have not seen an app with more creative features for reading and negotiating text files..Qball_42Version: 4.20.9

When it's working, it's almost perfectI’mblind, and I love the fact that I can play DAISY audio with this app, but there are a couple of bugs. First, if I'm using Bluetootht headphones, and stop playback, I have to make sure I go into the app on my phone itself to resume, or it does something funny. It stops playing, but when I check the status, it shows that it's still playing, so I must pause and play again. The other bug is a huge problem. When I reboot my phone for any reason, whether I was in the app or not, random things in my library become unavailable, and I have to delete and redownload them. This is a major pain, especially for large files, because they don't always download properly. This also happened when I moved the app on the homescreen. You can do better than this, so please show me what you got..Ican'tfindanamethey'llletmeuseVersion: 4.11.1

Error Adding Files GlitchWould be nice if the developers can fix the error loading files glitch I’ve been experiencing for the past 2 weeks. I’ve reached out but so far no response. I’ve tried various files to test if it was only an epub issue but I keep getting the red exclamation symbol indicating the file can’t be added no matter which format it’s in. I’ve deleted the app and downloaded it again multiple times. Before turning the cloud sync back on after reinstalling, I’ve tried adding documents and it works up o into the dreaded error message appears again when trying to load a file. Other than this hiccup, I’d give the app a solid 4 stars. I’ll update my review if the issue is ever addressed. On a more positive note: I absolutely love being able to hear any and everything read aloud to me. People are complaining about the robotic voices but honestly out of all of them, I’d say the UK voice of Amy was worth all $5 I spent on her. She’s the best voice I’ve listened to so far and have clocked maybe thousands of hours hearing her read to me. I can’t complain there. The voices aren’t perfect in their reading of certain words and can be a bit annoying when reading certain words (especially ‘mmh or shhh’) but for the most part, the pronunciation dictionary has been a heaven sent tool and I utilize it often for my sanity..Taneshia NicoleVersion: 4.14.13

Lifesaving app with a few bugs that pop upThis app has saved my life in college because it allows me to do chores while completing readings for school. The OCR capabilities have noticeably improved over the years, allowing me to read papers with multiple columns with only occasional issues with reading parts in the wrong order. However, there is one bug that has made it nearly impossible to highlight on the go. There are periods of time when the app refuses to select text, sometimes completely (prompting you to “add text block”), and sometimes letting you highlight one word at a time without visibly selecting any text or allowing you to adjust the highlight size. Most bugs I’ve experienced in this app have been fixed relatively quickly but this one has been bugging me for a while now, I’d really appreciate the ability to easily highlight my readings again. Compared to other voice readers, this one has been the most helpful, and the larger one-time purchase is worth it to always have this app at your fingertips. If you find yourself glossing over important readings, this app can force feed them to you and help you figure out the main arguments, and it is also good for proof-reading your own work..Eco AVersion: 4.27.2

Dreaming of better performanceConstantly replays the same section of a book. It jumps back several pages and gets stuck in a loop. I heard the same several pages 4 times yesterday. I was driving and couldn’t micromanage it. It looses track of your place in the book. The only way I can fin where the play head actually is is by locking my phone and from the lock screen I can see how far into the book the play head is or you can scroll through the entire book to find it. Then I have to go back into the app and scroll to there and find the playhead. There is no way that I know to find where the playhead is. So I have to do this weird workaround. I wish I could listen to a book from start to finish without it randomly skipping back several pages and replaying the same things over and over . I’m listening to a book while writing this review and it is skipping back several pages. When it works it’s a 5 star app for sure.Dornob24Version: 4.10.2

Wonderful app.I've used Voice Dream Reader for several years now on a multitude of I-devices, It works perfectly on them all. From IOS 9.3.5 through iOS 11. My criteria for any device and its use is if it can "grow" with you. Voice Dream is as basic or advanced as you want it to be. You can read or jump around, read nearly any type of word processor file or listen to nearly any audio file. They do not have to be fitted into categories, but live happily together in one group of files. No problem with ear fatigue as you can change voices, change voive pitch and speed quickly. I could go onn and on, bbut shall conclude with another plus. Though I like Voice Dream Reader in any form it takes, each new iOS revision and sometimes just modifications and streamlining results in yet one more delightful adjunct. Worth twice its price..Comely carnivoreVersion: 4.8.3

💯 I never review apps, but... VOICE DREAM READER IS WORTH EVERY RED CENT 💯!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ✨✨✨✨✨ ***** FIVE 5+STARS !! ***** ✨✨✨✨✨⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Voice Dream Reader provides an intelligent user-friendly environment. This is the best app I’ve ever installed on my iPhone. Period. Voice Dream Reader is unsurpassed in the way of assistive tech. The app dictates my lecture notes for me, and unlike to err is human, this app dictates completely error-free. With Voice Dream Reader, I am able to study my textbooks when I am in the car, walking, or anywhere I need to be hands-free. I just import my textbook into Voice Dream reader and it turns my textbook into an audio book. If I’ve time to follow along, The Voice Dream Reader App also allows an immersive experience; it reads the text aloud - eliminates distraction, and increases my auditory focus concurrent to visual attention. User Controls are Feature-rich and well-thought-out. We can scroll down page by page or freely, adjust the speed of the voice-over, or have each word highlighted they are spoken. It’s voice-over is so advanced, I sometimes forget it’s not an actual human speaking. Thank you, to The Voice Dream Team, as you have helped this humble scholar gain an undergraduate education. The Voice Dream Reader App is some of the best money I ever spent to that end..Andi.BallVersion: 4.7.1

Best app I own!While the app has a few little quirks that make it a little less than perfect, it nearly is. I love to write and greatly enjoy listening to stories. Before I found this app I spent a lot of time reading. Now I am more active and more productive because I can do both. It even helps me edit my own writing. Love it! Update: recently got an Apple Watch and I couldn’t be more disappointed in the functionality on that platform. It to my eye does nothing but cause frustration and when playing is the Home Screen but I can’t even pause the playback. One of my greatest hopes for it is a bust. I wanted to be able to load a reading list and then go exercise without the phone. I understand memory on the watch is an issue, but this is ridiculous. Still love the phone app, but I think the watch app will be deleted soon..Avid listener1Version: 4.24.0

Great app, one complaintGreat app, we’ll designed, intuitive etc. however the scanning/reading feature doesn’t work great for books, I’m assuming because the page is curved. As a result it messes up the order of the sentences. Other than that it’s a much better alternative to speechify. Lots of features for a reasonable price..ReviewGiVersion: 4.14.3

Fantastic appI've been using Voice Dream for several years now and absolutely love it. I use it daily. I love how it connects with Pocket. Every day I add a dozen or more articles from the web to Pocket - and then listen to them using the app. It's brilliant! I've tried many text-to-speech apps and this is easily the best I know of. I share the opinion of the Forbes reviewer in calling it one of the best finds of my educational career..JMMcGVersion: 4.4.9

Best reading app for IOS, second place is of academic interestIt just works. The best thing that can be said about any app which exists to give access to information is that it works and you can forget it. That applies here, you can just forget that this app is there and read your book/article/text/whatever. It is one of the main reasons I use the phone..Mega1XVersion: 4.6.4

Use it all the timeI use this app mostly in the car or on the way to work while I’m walking. I get it to read my newsletters, books, random links or emails that I get. The turning point for me was when I figured out how to use the send from browser feature. On the browser click share (box with an arrow) and then select voice dream from the list. If not there you have to click more to add it. Honestly there should be a video for this. I also used it to read my emails, but there I have select the whole text and copy it in. Some newsletters have the view as HTML in a browser button but the ones that don’t, it makes it hard. I wish there was a feature similar to Things app, where I just forward to an email and pops up in the app. Anyways, thanks for the app and the hard work..Keen_listenerVersion: 4.5.1

Enjoying the Basic FeaturesDeveloper has reversed plan to void our lifetimes subscriptions. Very good news. Giving product a tentative review and hopefully things will stay on a good course now..Eye-SpyVersion: 4.30.3

Great way to read.Lots of realistic voices.Grutzy55Version: 4.4.8

AND a sleep timer!!?Voice Dream is an excellent app. Over time, I hope that the voices can be improved even more, but even as they stand now it’s not bad. “James” sounds the best to my ear, it’s the best computer voice I’ve ever heard, actually. Five stars..SqueezeyeVersion: 4.4.8

Love this appThanx for writing a great app!!.PhilosopherdogVersion: 4.31.0

Best text to speech app I’ve triedI think I’ve tried them all and this one’s my favourite. Lots of offline voices. Easy and intelligent content import, pronunciation control, text editing, focused reading modes with easy back and forth between text and pdf page rendering. Lots of other features. This has been a top app for me for years..DieterkevVersion: 4.31.0

An app you’ll find yourself using dailyI purchased this app a number of years ago for a flat price. It was well worth the cost for an app that I’ve found myself requiring in order to access print materials. I’m a legally blind user and this app allows me to access print materials from multiple sources including Cela and Bookshare but also places like project Gutenberg and cloud storage (depending on which accounts you have/use). I have also relied on using the scanner app to scan in print books I wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. This app quickly turned into my go to for reading, it was wasy to learn how to use and had all the right settings to customize it to my needs. Being able to access a library of voices also made the app desirable over other free or lower cost options. When the app changed hands ownership wise, they had initially made the decision to move to a subscription model and told all users they would have to pay a yearly fee to continue using the app. Even those who had purchased a lifetime subscription. After pushback from the community, the developers decided to backtrack on that decision and continue to allow those who had purchased the app for a “lifetime subscription”, to continue to use its current features at no additional cost. My rating is down one star because of how this was handled. We should have never had to pushback against the owners, for something that apple says they don’t allow. This was an extreme breach of trust, and will continue to have an affect on those impacted. This was a purely capitalist driven move that didn’t consider the marginalized people that would be heavily impacted, so for this they lose one star. Whether we can trust this company going forward is up in the air. They will have to ultimately show that we can trust than again. My one suggestion for the app when jr comes to subscription vs no subscription is that the developers offer a pay model such as this: -legacy “lifetime subscription” users get the app and its current features at mo additional cost, including any basic updates to maintain usability of current features -yearly subscription model for any new users, which gets you all the bells and whistles of any new features -and a one-time fee option to upgrade to a more current “lifetime subscription” at a cost of around $500- $700 CAD, that will include all the bells and whistles going forward -and offering an organization level subscription where you could work with organizations like CELA, to provide them a subscription at the organization level (that would be a larger yearly or monthly fee), that would give all of CELA’s users (or whatever organization) a voice dream account -also, offering a scholarship option for those most in need. There could be an application that assessed whether someone was on government assistance and/or was living below the poverty line, and a space where they were able to write about their need for the app (ie. no access to other technology reading). Qualifying ppl (a certain amount each year), would be given a one year free or subsidized subscription. A subsidized option might be offering a sliding scale subscription where someone could chose to get it free, or pay $15, $30, $50, or $75 CAD for a one year subscription, and reapplying each year they are in need. A sliding scale option allows patrons to pay what they feel they are able to, while allowing those most in need to access the app for free, and those who can pay full price to do so. In a model such as this one, this allows the most amount of people to access the app. It prioritizes the patrons and reimagines what equitable access to technology looks like under a capitalist regime. You still make money, maybe not quite as much, but you’re being paid for your work, while also considering others needs. A move like this, would get you five stars, just saying. Ultimately though, without this app, my access to print literature would seriously be impacted. It would not only impact my life but also my ability to access education and work. I use this app across all areas of my life. It also ensures I’m able to access those print books i pick up at my local library (there’s another partnership for you, libraries). I do recommend this app as one of the best text to speech apps available on the market, and the most accessible to those who are blind and visually impaired..DesynkVersion: 4.30.3

5 out of 5Glad to see Voice Dream will honour the people who have supported it in the past. My recommendation would be to add new AI voices, similar to the ones used by ChatGPT, and offer a subscription for them to past purchasers..DooDa222Version: 4.30.3

No CarPlay supportGood voices but lacks CarPlay. 2024: Still lacks CarPlay..Jc_98Version: 4.27.5

Helping me achieve my dreamsI was diagnosed with fourth nerve palsy in my 40s and seeing became a challenge. Vision therapy has made a huge difference but my visual system gets easily fatigued by close up work (reading) and going to school means a lot of reading. Enter Voice Dream which has helped me with every single class I’ve taken and saved my eyes for years. Yes there are other text to speech applications but they’re all very pricey for someone on a budget. Voice dream is everything those “high end” apps are without the exorbitant price point. Does my kindle read to me? Yes, but the biggest difference is Voice dream lets me set the reading to skip citations (and there are a lot of citations in school reading) which makes it so much easier to understand and less stressful on my eyes. Thank you so much for this app and the work you do. It has helped me get closer to my dreams..TheToastyPenguinVersion: 4.30.3

EssentialI don’t know what I would do without my Voice Dream app. So much easier to listen to news article than straining my eyes to read. Fewer headaches. I like to stay in touch with the world and Voice Dream makes that possible..JaninehwVersion: 4.28.0

Awesome application!I enjoy using it! I use it for multiple things!.AlmoosVersion: 4.27.3

Excellent app and so handy for those who struggle to readI’ve used this app for years now- to listen to books and textbooks while I’m driving or while I make notes on what I’m learning and it helps me so much. I struggle to focus when reading a textbook but I take a pic with this app, have it read to me while I read along and it keeps me learning without getting off track. It also helps my son who has dyslexia to keep up with his schoolwork even when it’s tough to read. Thanks for designing such an awesome app and continuing to update it and make it great!.KardovaVersion: 4.27.0

Excellente applicationJe suis un utilisateur non-voyant et j’utilise cette application depuis une dizaine d’années maintenant. C’est pratique pour moi quand je veux lire des livres que ce soit des documents PDF Word ou des livres audio merci au développeur d’avoir fait en sorte que cette application soit accessible pour les personnes Avec un handicap.Phil_iPhone43Version: 4.21.6

High hopesI had high hopes when making this purchase. The app allows for various voices; which is nice, and allows for word correction, however, I’ve corrected numerous words and they do not seem to take affect. Words like securities, singularities, anything that ends with “ities”, the voice reads it as “example” and no matter how many ways you add the pronunciation of it, it always reads securi-for-example. This is why my rating is 3/5. When this is fixed I’ll revisit this review..Romeo DesignsVersion: 4.23.5

Love of My LifeThis app is amazing. The ability to take anything I want to read and with a few clicks have it ready for listening has massively increased my reading, thinking, and learning. My only requests are that you: (1) work on the app’s ability to recognize footnotes and skip them at the bottom of the page; and (2), allow it to recognize chapter and section titles, inserting a brief pause between them and the first sentence. Thank you for your work on this amazing app..AmiableOneVersion: 4.20.3

To download the appI downloaded this app for my iPad for college but that app can download on my iPhone but won’t download on my iPad.HiviyguivyucutVersion: 4.20.5

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: 4.32.0

Voice Dream - Read Aloud Negative Reviews

“Free” voices aren’t freeI think it’s pretty disingenuous to say “36 built-in iOS voices in 27 languages are also available for free” when you can’t use them without paying $80/year. I’m also getting increasingly fed up with apps that do everything possible to hide their true cost. After creating an account, you are presented with a full-screen pop-up to start a subscription. There is no way to leave this screen unless you close the app. You can’t even look at the app unless you agree to the subscription. The trial is one of the shortest I’ve seen on the App Store at just 3 days. They also advertise the subscription as “$6.66/month” despite only billing annually, again trying to obfuscate the true cost of the app. So if you’re expecting to have a $6.66 charge each month, I hope you’re prepared to actually spend $80 all at once. And then even if you do pay for the subscription, they charge an additional $5 for some of the voices. I played the demo for a lot of the voices and was NOT impressed. That all sounded very robotic and unnatural. There are features that I think would be really cool, like queuing up a list of documents/pages/books so that it automatically moves to the next in the list as you finish each document, but nothing I saw justified the high cost of the app. Especially when the best voices I came across were the newer “Enhanced” Siri voices that come with iOS..Kk_ss_jjVersion: 4.24.3

Great app; some irritation pointsSo I use voice dream reader nearly daily for reading associated with my PhD program, but there are at least two significant irritations. 1. The highlighting system is atrocious. Sometimes you have to attempt to highlight more than once because it will not select all the way to the end of a sentence. Surely it would not take much to add some intelligence to this so that it knows to look for periods and spaces when selecting as separators? Kindle and Logos do this so much better. 2. No automatic sync with Dropbox or Google drive. You can add files from these services, but they will not sync back unless you export them one by one back into the cloud with your highlights. These two items alone continually waste hours of my time given the volume of reading I do. If it were not offset by being able to read at 700wpm, I’d probably look elsewhere. Nevertheless, given how there is little else out there to solve this problem, I appreciate this app immensely. I’d just love to see a couple of the above improvements happen sooner than later. Update: a third problem is becoming prominent where it will not always read a page from top to bottom, but skips all over a page wherever fonts change, or even to a later page. Upon testing and inspection, it is not merely an ocr issue as other readers do not have this issue. In such cases, this app is becoming increasingly unusable..MstormerVersion: 4.22.4

Unethical (updated)They are trying to force all existing users - who paid a premium for a non-subscription app - onto their subscription model by breaking the app. Starting in May they won’t allow any new documents to be added if you don’t sign up for a subscription. That isn’t about cloud storage and server fees. They won’t let you import a document for local storage. It’s pure disregard for their customers. I dislike subscriptions as a whole and would prefer simply releasing a new paid upgrade so users can decide if the new features are worthwhile. But if you want to switch to a subscription model there are good ways to do it, then there is the path that this developer has chosen. Update: I’ll leave it at one star. They are backpedaling on their forced subscription with comments about listening to their users. I suspect they’re only listening to Apple telling them they can’t do it this way. In announcing the change this for-profit company had the gall to ask for donations in lieu of subscriptions. Their ethics remain they same and tell you all you need to know about the future for this app. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”.8DUCK3mockVersion: 4.31.0

“Death” by a thousand subscriptionsI love this app. I paid for it and for a few voices, and though it was more expensive than I usually pay for apps I thought it worth it. Now they are going to subscription, at an outrageous price of $80 a year. Some other apps might cost more, but I would NEVER consider using one of them. They say they’re giving us a 25% discount, so generous, but that is still $60 a year. In 5 years, I will have paid $300 for the app and it never ends. As I said, I appreciate this app and use it often, but that is way too expensive. If it was 20 or even 30, I would not complain. It’s not like the app has earth shattering features. It can’t read many common formats. The voices are made by other companies and leased by the developers. Will there be word count limitations? What will I be paying so much for? There better be updates every week for that price. And a better selection of premium voices. And how about less data collection. How can companies expect customers to pay so much for so many subscriptions? The streaming services are experiencing decline because people can’t afford to pay for all of them. Is the App Store immune?.XristosnikaVersion: 4.30.2

Doesn’t add much to system capabilitiesMy fault, I suppose, for not doing due diligence but I don’t really think this app’s features reflects its price. It is simply an interface for built-in text-to-speech system feature on iOS (with the option of purchasing additional voices which are better but, of course, never as good in practice as the promotional audio samples suggest). Without this app, you can already tell Siri to read you anything, and you can even change the frequency/pitch using free apps (like Apple’s own Workflow app), so this app doesn’t really add much. Voice Dream Reader doesn’t really do what I was hoping it would do, like be smart about not reading footers (which can be very long). If I can quickly delete footers with a simple regex workflow (I’m not a programmer) before it speaks text, then surely this app’s developers can, too? Their pdf margin editor is very difficult to work—surprising given that this app geared to improve digital accessibility. I like the tap gestures, but other than that, this I app doesn’t really add much value to system features, certainly not the kind of value suggested by the price..Vulgar demosVersion: 4.4.8

Since this app was sold off, I can no longer recommend this appI bought this app about 5 years ago. As of recent, the origional developer sold the app to Applause group. Acording to the new owners of voice dream reader Applause group, exsisting customers who already had bought the app would still be able to use the app, and the subcription wouldn't be affected with the move to subscription. As of a few days ago, a announcement was made where the new owners said that all users; even those who bought voice dream reader before it ever bacame subscription would be forced to move to subscription, and the price of the app is... $80, or $72 if you pay monthly. This will take effect on the first of may. Don't buy this app. The new owners have pruven with this that they're willing to shaft their customer bace, and not honor previous agreements; not to mention the price is way too high for a book reading app. Shame. A app that once was great got ruined by greed do to it being sold off to a corporation that's only intrested in shafting its customers at any cost. Shame, really. Do not go for this app..Argra99Version: 4.30.0

Great, but flawed, customer support doesn’t support those with disabilitiesThis would’ve been a 5 star review — I’ve poured over $100 dollars into this app and the voices, as well previously recommend it to others — but isn’t for the simple reason they don’t listen to users with disabilities and their needs. Before an iOS update, one could check their notes and bookmarks in a text, and still be in the same area of the bookmarks and notes you’re looking through. But after, you lose your place and have to start from the beginning. When you’re close reading a text that’s several hundred pages long, this can be very exhausting. I wrote customer service about this over 6 months ago, and followed up multiple times, each with a video demonstration of the problem and they never listened; Sandra merely said it was a design choice, and they’ll see what they could do about it. Shame on voice dream for not listening to those with actual disabilities, and instead making aesthetic decisions that make those with disabilities fall behind and struggle..YouTubeviewer20Version: 4.10.2

Disappointing company actionsNot only has this company added a subscription, they have also neglected to make an old version of this app available for those of us who purchased already. It was a nice app but I will not support this developer..Matthew1211Version: 4.30.1

Asking me to take an annual subscription even if I already paid for a lifetime license?This app is working great, however, the app dev is now asking me to subscribe to annual plan which is billed at a ridiculous high price? No more... I already paid a lifetime license that I can't use anymore? Well, this is really unfair..AlexbellemareVersion: 4.30.1

The developer is disabling our lifetime purchasesThe Voice Dream Reader developers have decided to disable the app for users who purchased the lifetime version and force everyone into the subscription model. They did this by releasing an update that didn't specify this behaviour in the release notes. The update is said to disable Voice Dream Reader for all lifetime users starting May 1st. Charging for updates is fine. Charging a subscription for new users, or new features, is fine. Yanking back previously purchased functionality and not refunding users for their disabled purchases is fraudulent and deceptive behaviour. I will be reporting this to Apple when the changes go live and I'm so very disappointed at what this app has become..Canadian2014Version: 4.30.0

No Longer Pleased!I am a little bit miffed about the developer forcing those of us who spent our hard earned money to get the full app, and now for some reason, forcing us to spend a significant monthly amount to keep the same functionality that we had when previously paying full price for the app. I can understand moving forward with subscriptions for those who will purchase the app from now on, but to pull this kind of stunt to your previous customers, who supported you, is in really bad taste and I will no longer support this developer or this app..Blinken23Version: 4.30.0

Dishonest developerI am told this app was purchased some months ago. People who had purchased the app years and years ago were told that they would not be required to subscribe having paid the initial purchase price only to be told that now we will have to pay. feels extremely dishonest and. contrary to the agreement we had to consent to when we “purchase“ the app..BlindcreepVersion: 4.30.0

So disappointedVoice dream reader has been my go to for the last 10 years. I am so disappointed to hear that all customers are being forced to switch to a subscription model. This is unacceptable for existing customers who paid a one time fee for the app. We have already paid for this app!!! Multiple options should be available, including consideration for users with print disabilities for whom this app is an essential tool. Other platforms in support of individuals with print disabilities are able to provide discounted or free services - look at Book share! If this subscription model is enforced I will be seriously considering other alternatives. I am disappointed beyond words..ChilliduckVersion: 4.28.8

Another Slimy DeveloperYet another developer who is taking an app people have already paid for and switching to a subscription model, removing features people have already paid for..Steve CanadianVersion: 4.30.3

ThievesI bought this app years ago and have been using it daily ever since. Now I’m being forced into a subscription model for what I already paid for. I refuse to partake and in this nonsense app subscription business model, where features you’ve already paid for are being removed and sold back to you on a monthly premium..JeffKennyVersion: 4.30.2

DisappointedWhen I bought this App a few years ago I was happy to pay the one time fee (cost) to use it. The App itself is good but the politics of getting rich , pisses me off. Now - as of 2024 this developer wants to recharge its customers per year instead of the one time cost. It’s like buying a car last year , but now the car dealership wants to put you on a lease program where it’s a monthly payment plan. That’s exactly what this developer is doing to us customers who already paid for this App. There should be a grandfather clause ; but of course, App’s are the Wild West where they can do whatever they want. Apps should be highly regulated ; such a shame! I already paid for this App - so why am I forced on the monthly payment plan. They say,” We have to be fair to everyone “ LOL ! How about being fair to the customers who support you in the beginning!.ArtistwriterVersion: 4.30.2

Very upsettingSuddenly moving to a subscription-model, after existing users have already paid full-price for the app—this is completely unfair and disappointing! Why not be loyal to existing users (who have already supported the dev), and allow them to continue using the app as before? I think subscription fees should only be for new features and new users. Perhaps give existing users the option to donate, instead of forcing them to subscribe..N_102Version: 4.30.1

Apple needs to review and stop this extortionary businessThis iOS app developer sold a perpetual version of this app years ago at a specific price. After a while, they tweaked the name of the app to a different edition to sell it at a higher price and stopped supporting the original one. In March 2024, they came up with a new business trick. They started threatening the existing paid users of the app with messages to pay them ten times more annually or they would remotely disable their already purchased app even if they do not want a new update for it anymore. They do not feel satisfied with just stop supporting the existing version of the app anymore. They want to disable a device-based app with no online services to twist existing users’ arm to pay them annual subscription for something they do not need. I do not know where this developer is located but such business practices are called “extortion” in legal terms in some countries and can initiate legal actions..TiredSubscriberVersion: 4.30.1

Complete utter 100% scam stay away at all cost!I signed up for the trial though I didn’t want to. I canceled the trial by the due date and yet I was still charged almost $60. I applied for a refund haven’t heard anything back. This stupid app doesn’t work in any of my use cases. I got scammed out of 60 bucks. And thanks to Voice Dream more like voice nightmare from hell I will never again by another app. I’m deleting my credit card from Apple. And I blame Apple and Hell of a scam voice nightmare for scamming me out of my money, I can’t afford to be scammed out of. I am a student. So thanks a lot nightmare you’re really got me. You screwed me good and I’ll make sure even if it’s the last thing I do that not a single person I know or have any contact with ever buys anything from your company. Let’s be honest it’s not really a company is it? You’re more like the snake oil salesman for the 21st century..Lila Alex InglisVersion: 4.30.1

Reviewing Voice Dream readerThis app used to be good, but now they want to make a subscription based I will not be paying that daylight robbery I no longer like this app.Advocate for blindVersion: 4.28.8

They’re moving to subscription pricing. Save your moneyI got this app because it was a one-time purchase. Now they’re opting everyone in to subscription pricing in May for “about” the price of a cup of coffee a month but without naming the actual price, and with no explanation of how to opt out. I’m deleting my Voice Dream account and the app. If you’re downloading this before May as a new user, the price is changing to 79.99 annually! Unless you have specific needs from an app, Microsoft Edge reads PDFs pretty well now. Not worth $80..NinonbutnottakenVersion: 4.30.0

Glitches, glitches everywhereCrashes, glitches, other nonsense. This is a new thing. Sorry, I have to report it here..C.E.SharpeVersion: 4.30.0

UpdateWhat the hell You can’t even use Voice bream without a subscription. And there’s no Kindle support. At least there’s other text to audio apps out there that let you use them for free and don’t make you pay to use them one⭐️ star.JobewonVersion: 4.28.8

So badI wish I can give this 0 stars, because you have to pay, 99 DOLLARS A YEAR, It doesn’t even give you a monthly option, wow, just ridiculously stupid this is..JasaandVersion: 4.25.0

False AdvertisingApp promotes itself as free with in-app purchases to unlock bonus features. Instead, you are required to purchase a monthly/annual subscription to use the software. It also states in the app notes that you will receive one FREE high quality voice to use—it neglects to tell you must first purchase a subscription to obtain this free voice, meaning it’s not free at all. I would prefer the option to try the app for free, and then purchase it (as the notes indicate). I absolutely loathe subscription services. I prefer to pay a one-time fee, with additional purchases being for add-on content, such as additional voices, and for the occasional major overhaul..NyravarVersion: 4.24.3

NoI don't have enough money to pay for subscription and it won't let me cancel. Anyone help?.Alliy catVersion: 4.24.3

Pricey App, but no additional valueI downloaded this app based on the Apple recommendation. It uses several Apple voices to read books and notes. I don’t find any benefit of using it instead of Apple’s built-in accessibility feature, the Spoken Content. I don’t understand why they charge about CAD100 towards annual subscription, when the similar functionality is available for free..M5ar123Version: 4.24.1

Terrible PruchasingWhen buying this app on the iPhone. The displayed cost on the apps opening screen says 79.99$ yearly! I then added my password thinking I'd be given the option to buy just a one month subscription. It never does. This app automatically charges you a 99.99$ subscription for a yearly basis for the premium account. Apple even seemed to think this is misleading, the price displayed and not even allowing the customer to choose the monthly basis purchase?.Met99999Version: 4.23.8

Let people try then subscribe!I recommend the app developer to allow people to try this app before subscribing. How do I know how well it works with books, journals, etc. I cannot rely on a bunch of comments. I have to see it hit myself. If you are sure about the quality of your app let people try it for as Ilya’s at least three days. I cannot purchase something and having difficulty to unsubscribe. Some apps are like that. Sorry but this is the reality..Narvan44Version: 4.22.4

Changed from five star to one starI do manual app updates, and was alarmed to see that apparently we now need to subscribe to use this app. I paid for his app several years ago, and purchased premium voices. Are you telling me that I now have to pay 100 dollars a year to use an app that I already bought? I was already alarmed when writer and scan split off, and I see that was not without reason. Sell out. At least do us the courtesy of something good like drafts, which left people with daft 4 (?) if they wanted to stay with that paid app, or get the separate new and updating subscription app if they preferred. I’m disgusted. If I’m wrong about this works, I’d be delighted to received a response to the contrary..Ansa_ansaVersion: 4.21.7

Doesn’t work well with scanned mediaTris to use this to read textbook material but the app didn’t read the material clearly. Even when the converted text was written clearly, the voice didn’t read the words correctly. Result: completely unintelligible, as in 2 mistakes per sentence such that you can’t understand the basic meaning. E.g. omits the first word of a sentence; reads the number 1 as “L”..OceanOnTheSlopesVersion: 4.20.9

My God!C'était une excellente app, jusqu'au moment ou elle a passé en abonnement, incluant les anciens utilisateurs. Délolé, mais Speech Central... Beaucoup mieux! Aurevoir VoiceDream!.AlexdesjVersion: 4.30.1

Très décevantJ'achète une appli une fois et oups, ça change de développeur et on doit payer... Un développeur qui ne répond même pas au courriel! Je désinstalle et n'utiliserai plus... Équitable pour tous! ahahah!.Pinotte72Version: 4.30.1

Choppy for the most partIt does its job, but the way it is advertised makes you think it should be much better than that. The voices are just too choppy, robotic and lifeless to listen to. Definitely not suitable for narrative text..L’argVersion: 4.24.1

Always FreezesVoices are OK. Cursor freezes. Page Freezes. Takes a very long time to download books. Wouldn’t buy again. Thinking of paying a monthly subscription for another one. Would definitely not pay monthly for this one if that was the asking price..BBBCanadaVersion: 4.22.4

I don’t know what’s happenedI have been using this app for at least eight years. It is my go to reading app and I recommend it to everybody I know if they don’t already use it. Over the past six months, I’ve been having progressively more and more issues with it. it lags when I open books, random books in my collection will show as being unavailable until I restart the app, at which point they will be fine and others will show as unavailable. I just deleted it off my phone, because I am trying to read a book, and every time I select a chapter, the app crashes. I have a modern iPhone, an updated app, and updated operating system. I have no idea what changed or why this has been so bad, or if it’s a me issue rather than an app issue. Regardless, I no longer can use this without getting really frustrated, and I can’t comfortably recommend it to people anymore. I sincerely hope that the app returns to the high standard it used to have. for now, I will be switching away and hope to one day find something that compares to the voicedream reader that used to be excellent..The happiest place on MarsVersion: 4.20.8

Can’t even use this without a subscriptionNo free version, can’t even access the app without subscribing.Carolshin33Version: 4.20.4

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