Adam Greenwell

ListenUp is a powerful WordPress plugin that adds text-to-speech functionality to your posts and pages. With just a few clicks, you can generate high-quality audio versions of your content using Murf.ai’s advanced AI voices.
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Easy Audio Generation: Generate audio for any post or page with a simple click</li>
<li>Murf.ai Integration: Uses professional AI voices for natural-sounding audio</li>
<li>Gen2 API Controls: Tune reusable Murf audio with locale, format, response mode, duration, timing metadata, speed, pitch and pauses</li>
<li>No FFmpeg Required: Ideal for hosting environments where FFmpeg is not available or restricted</li>
<li>Smart Caching: Audio files are cached locally to save API credits</li>
<li>Hands-Off Generation: Queue audio automatically when content is published and backfill recent posts on a schedule</li>
<li>Intelligent Chunking: Long content is automatically broken into manageable chunks</li>
<li>Seamless Playback: Multiple audio chunks play continuously without interruption</li>
<li>Leech Protection: Secure audio delivery prevents unauthorized direct file access and hotlinking</li>
<li>Download Control: Restrict downloads to logged-in users or disable downloads entirely</li>
<li>Flexible Placement: Choose where to display the audio player (before/after content)</li>
<li>Shortcode Support: Use [listenup] shortcode to place players anywhere</li>
<li>Accessibility First: WCAG-compliant audio player with keyboard navigation</li>
<li>Mobile Responsive: Works perfectly on all devices</li>
<li>Admin-Friendly: Simple settings page with clear instructions</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>Setup: Enter your Murf.ai API key in the plugin settings</li>
<li>Generate: Use the meta box on any post/page, or enable background generation on publish</li>
<li>Display: Audio players appear automatically or via shortcode</li>
<li>Listen: Visitors can play, pause, and download audio content</li>
</ol>
<h4>Advanced Features</h4>
Content Chunking: For posts that exceed Murf.ai’s API limits, content is automatically broken into smaller chunks. Each chunk generates a separate audio file, but the frontend player seamlessly plays all chunks in sequence without interruption.
Audio Concatenation: When downloading audio content that has been chunked, the plugin automatically concatenates supported stream-friendly formats into a single file, so listeners do not have to manage separate chunks.
Bulk Cloud Migration: Upload existing local-only audio files to configured cloud storage from the Audio Library without regenerating audio. Large backlogs run in small browser-safe batches, track remaining work by post, and upload the canonical playable audio file instead of internal chunk files.
Murf Gen2 Controls: Choose URL or direct base64 responses, set single-file target durations, request word timing metadata, tune speed/pitch/variation, and use <code>[pause 1s]</code> tags in content or pre-roll scripts. ListenUp still caches generated files locally so audio is reused instead of regenerated on every play.
No FFmpeg Dependency: Unlike many audio plugins, ListenUp doesn’t require FFmpeg, making it perfect for shared hosting environments, managed WordPress hosts, or any situation where FFmpeg is not available or restricted.
Leech Protection: Audio files are served through a secure PHP proxy with cache-safe per-file tokens, preventing unauthorized direct access and hotlinking without embedding expiring nonces in cached article HTML. All audio is delivered via WordPress AJAX endpoints with proper HTTP range request support for smooth seeking. This server-agnostic solution works on Apache, Nginx, IIS, and any PHP-capable server without requiring special server configuration.
<h4>Perfect For</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bloggers who want to offer audio versions of their posts</li>
<li>Content creators looking to improve accessibility</li>
<li>Websites targeting mobile users who prefer audio content</li>
<li>Educational sites with long-form content</li>
<li>News sites wanting to offer audio news</li>
</ul>
<h4>Accessibility Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Full keyboard navigation support</li>
<li>Screen reader compatible</li>
<li>High contrast mode support</li>
<li>Reduced motion support</li>
<li>Proper ARIA labels and descriptions</li>
</ul>
<h3>External Services</h3>
This plugin integrates with external services to provide text-to-speech functionality and optional cloud storage capabilities.
Murf.ai API 
This plugin uses Murf.ai’s text-to-speech API to generate high-quality audio content from your post and page text.
<ul>
<li>Purpose: Generates high-quality audio from text content using professional AI voices</li>
<li>Data Sent: Post/page text content, selected voice ID, locale, voice style preferences, speech generation settings, response mode, optional target duration, optional word timing request, pronunciation dictionary rules (if configured)</li>
<li>When Sent: Only when audio generation is requested manually, queued automatically on publish, processed by the recurring backfill job, or when generating pre-roll audio through the plugin settings</li>
<li>Terms of Service: https://murf.ai/terms-of-service</li>
<li>Privacy Policy: https://murf.ai/privacy-policy</li>
</ul>
Optional Cloud Storage Services 
This plugin optionally supports uploading audio files to cloud storage services (Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Cloudflare R2) to reduce bandwidth usage on your web server. This feature is completely optional and disabled by default. No data is sent to these services unless you explicitly configure and enable cloud storage in the plugin settings.
<ul>
<li>Amazon S3: https://aws.amazon.com/service-terms/</li>
<li>Google Cloud Storage: https://cloud.google.com/terms/</li>
<li>Cloudflare R2: https://www.cloudflare.com/terms/</li>
</ul>
<h3>Support</h3>
For support, please visit the plugin’s support forum or contact the developer.
<h3>Privacy Policy</h3>
This plugin does not collect or store any personal data. Audio files are cached locally on your server. The plugin only communicates with Murf.ai’s API when audio generation is requested manually, through enabled automation, or when generating pre-roll audio from plugin settings.

ListenUp

Add "read this to me" functionality to your WordPress posts using Murf.ai text-to-speech technology.

glowdopera

Speechable transforms your WordPress content into natural-sounding audio using AI-powered text-to-speech technology. Speechable uses Piper TTS, an open-source neural text-to-speech engine that runs in your browser.
<h4>Third-Party Service</h4>
This plugin uses the following third-party services for text-to-speech functionality:
Piper TTS Web Library
<ul>
<li>Service Provider: <a href="https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/piper-tts-web" rel="nofollow ugc">Mintplex Labs</a></li>
<li>Library CDN: jsDelivr (https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@mintplex-labs/piper-tts-web)</li>
<li>ONNX Runtime CDN: Cloudflare (https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/onnxruntime-web)</li>
<li>WASM Phonemizer CDN: jsDelivr (https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@diffusionstudio/piper-wasm)</li>
<li>Voice Models: Downloaded from <a href="https://huggingface.co/diffusionstudio/piper-voices" rel="nofollow ugc">Hugging Face</a></li>
<li>Terms of Service: <a href="https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/piper-tts-web/blob/main/LICENSE" rel="nofollow ugc">MIT License</a></li>
</ul>
Whisper (Word Timestamps)
<ul>
<li>Service Provider: <a href="https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers.js" rel="nofollow ugc">Hugging Face Transformers.js</a></li>
<li>Library CDN: jsDelivr (https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@huggingface/transformers)</li>
<li>Model: Xenova/whisper-tiny.en (~75MB, downloaded on first use)</li>
<li>Purpose: Provides accurate word-level timestamps for synchronized highlighting</li>
<li>Terms of Service: <a href="https://github.com/huggingface/transformers.js/blob/main/LICENSE" rel="nofollow ugc">Apache 2.0 License</a></li>
</ul>
What data is transmitted:
<ul>
<li>The TTS library and ONNX runtime are loaded from CDN when generating audio</li>
<li>Voice model files are downloaded from Hugging Face when first using a voice</li>
<li>Whisper model is downloaded for word timestamp extraction (first use only)</li>
<li>Your content text is processed locally in your browser and is NOT sent to any external server</li>
<li>Once downloaded, all resources are cached locally in your browser</li>
</ul>
Why external resources are required:
The text-to-speech engine requires machine learning runtime (ONNX) and voice models that are too large to bundle with the plugin. These are loaded on-demand from CDN services, similar to how Google Fonts or other web services work. This is a service-based approach that keeps the plugin lightweight while providing high-quality AI voices.
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>AI-Powered Voices – Natural-sounding speech using Piper TTS neural network models</li>
<li>Accurate Word Highlighting – Whisper-powered word timestamps for precise synchronization</li>
<li>12 Languages – English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean</li>
<li>Customizable Player – Match your theme with custom colors and styling</li>
<li>Download Audio – Let visitors download audio files for offline listening</li>
<li>Voice Presets – Quick effects like Radio, Stadium, Cave, Chipmunk, Robot, and more</li>
<li>Free – No premium version, no limits, no hidden costs</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>Install and activate the plugin</li>
<li>Go to Settings → Speechable to configure your preferences</li>
<li>Edit any post and click “Generate Audio” in the sidebar</li>
<li>The audio player automatically appears on your published posts</li>
</ol>
<h4>Voice Presets</h4>
Transform your audio with one-click presets:
<ul>
<li>Default – Natural voice</li>
<li>Radio – Broadcast quality</li>
<li>Stadium – Echo effect</li>
<li>Cave – Deep reverb</li>
<li>Chipmunk – High-pitched fun</li>
<li>Deep – Low bass voice</li>
<li>Robot – Mechanical tone</li>
<li>Telephone – Phone quality</li>
<li>Megaphone – Announcement style</li>
<li>Giant – Booming voice</li>
<li>Fairy – Magical high voice</li>
<li>Narrator – Audiobook style</li>
</ul>
<h4>Perfect For</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bloggers – Give readers an audio option</li>
<li>News Sites – Accessibility for all visitors</li>
<li>Educational Content – Help students learn</li>
<li>Accessibility – Support visually impaired users</li>
<li>Podcasters – Quick audio versions of written content</li>
</ul>
<h4>Privacy</h4>
Your content is processed locally in the browser. Text is not sent to external servers. Voice models are downloaded once and cached locally.
<h3>Usage</h3>
<h4>Getting Started</h4>
<ol>
<li>After activation, go to Settings → Speechable to configure your default options</li>
<li>Select your preferred language and voice</li>
<li>Choose which post types should have audio (posts, pages, etc.)</li>
<li>Customize the player colors to match your theme</li>
</ol>
<h4>Generating Audio for a Post</h4>
Method 1: Block Editor (Single Post)
<ol>
<li>Edit any post or page in the WordPress block editor</li>
<li>Look for the “Speechable” panel in the right sidebar (under Document settings)</li>
<li>Select your preferred voice and quality settings</li>
<li>Click “Generate Audio” and wait for processing</li>
<li>Once complete, you can preview the audio before publishing</li>
<li>Publish or update your post – the audio player will appear automatically</li>
</ol>
Method 2: Posts List (Quick Access)
<ol>
<li>Go to Posts → All Posts</li>
<li>Hover over any post to see the “Audio” button in the row actions</li>
<li>Click it to open the audio generation modal</li>
<li>Configure settings and click “Generate”</li>
<li>The audio will be saved to that post</li>
</ol>
<h4>Configuring Settings</h4>
Voice Settings
<ul>
<li>Language – Choose from 12 supported languages</li>
<li>Voice – Select a voice for the chosen language (preview available)</li>
<li>Quality – Low (faster), Medium (balanced), or High (best sync accuracy)</li>
<li>Whisper Model – Controls word timestamp accuracy (Tiny is fastest, Small is more accurate)</li>
</ul>
Voice Presets
Click any preset to quickly apply pitch and reverb effects:
<ul>
<li>Default, Warm, Bright, Radio, Narrator, Podcast, Deep, Soft, Room, Hall, Telephone, Vintage</li>
</ul>
Display Settings
<ul>
<li>Post Types – Enable audio for posts, pages, or custom post types</li>
<li>Player Position – Show player before or after content</li>
<li>Word Highlighting – Enable/disable word-by-word highlighting during playback</li>
<li>Auto-scroll – Automatically scroll to keep highlighted word visible</li>
</ul>
Player Appearance
<ul>
<li>Customize background, text, button, progress bar, and highlight colors</li>
<li>Adjust border radius for rounded or square corners</li>
<li>Live preview shows your changes instantly</li>
</ul>
<h4>Managing Audio</h4>
<ul>
<li>Regenerate – Click “Regenerate” in the editor panel to create new audio with different settings</li>
<li>Delete – Remove audio from a post using the “Delete” button</li>
<li>Download – Visitors can download the audio file using the player’s download button</li>
</ul>
<h4>Tips for Best Results</h4>
<ol>
<li>Use High quality for important content where word sync matters</li>
<li>Preview voices in Settings before generating to find the best match</li>
<li>Shorter posts generate faster – consider breaking very long content into parts</li>
<li>First generation takes longer as voice models are downloaded and cached</li>
<li>Word highlighting works best with standard theme content areas</li>
</ol>
<h3>Credits</h3>
<h4>Core Technologies</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Piper TTS – <a href="https://github.com/rhasspy/piper" rel="nofollow ugc">rhasspy/piper</a> by Mike Hansen 
Fast, local neural text-to-speech system (MIT License)
</li>
<li>
Piper TTS Web – <a href="https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/piper-tts-web" rel="nofollow ugc">Mintplex-Labs/piper-tts-web</a> v1.0.4 
Browser-compatible Piper TTS implementation (MIT License)
</li>
<li>
OpenAI Whisper – <a href="https://github.com/openai/whisper" rel="nofollow ugc">openai/whisper</a> 
Robust speech recognition for word-level timestamps (MIT License)
</li>
<li>
Transformers.js – <a href="https://github.com/huggingface/transformers.js" rel="nofollow ugc">huggingface/transformers.js</a> v3.4.1 
Run Whisper models in the browser by Xenova (Apache 2.0 License)
</li>
<li>
ONNX Runtime Web – <a href="https://github.com/microsoft/onnxruntime" rel="nofollow ugc">microsoft/onnxruntime</a> 
Machine learning inference engine (MIT License)
</li>
<li>
Piper WASM Phonemizer – <a href="https://github.com/diffusionstudio/piper-wasm" rel="nofollow ugc">diffusionstudio/piper-wasm</a> 
WebAssembly phonemizer for text processing (MIT License)
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Voice Models</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Piper Voices – <a href="https://huggingface.co/diffusionstudio/piper-voices" rel="nofollow ugc">diffusionstudio/piper-voices</a> 
High-quality neural voice models hosted on Hugging Face
</li>
<li>
Whisper Models – <a href="https://huggingface.co/Xenova" rel="nofollow ugc">Xenova on Hugging Face</a> 
Optimized Whisper models for browser inference (whisper-tiny.en, whisper-small)
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Infrastructure</h4>
<ul>
<li>jsDelivr CDN – Fast, reliable CDN for npm packages</li>
<li>Cloudflare CDN – ONNX Runtime delivery</li>
<li>Hugging Face – Model hosting and distribution</li>
</ul>
<h4>Design</h4>
<ul>
<li>Lucide Icons – <a href="https://lucide.dev" rel="nofollow ugc">lucide.dev</a> (ISC License) 
Beautiful, consistent icon set</li>
</ul>
<h4>Development</h4>
<ul>
<li>Developer: <a href="https://tanishmittal.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Tanish Mittal</a></li>
<li>Plugin Architecture: WordPress standards-compliant</li>
<li>Browser Compatibility: Modern ES6+ with Web Workers</li>
</ul>

Speechable

Convert your WordPress posts to audio with AI-powered text-to-speech. Works in the browser with word highlighting.

ListenUp vs Speechable