Speechify integration

Mike Haines
Mike Haines Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
edited December 2024 in English Forum

I am a user of Speechify. It is an AI based text to speech application with even allows you to remove headers, page numbers, citations and alike. I would like logos integrated with speechify. Speechify is on mac, PC, android and iPhone. It does cost money, but it is exceptional at what it does and things that don't cost anything generally don't have good support. 

Comments

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,275

    Hi Mike - and welcome to the forums

    Logos does have the ability to read aloud books in our library. What additional value would you envisage a speechify integration providing?

    Graham

  • Mike Haines
    Mike Haines Member Posts: 2 ✭✭

    The simple answer is I didn't know it was built in. Is that new? Based on this response, I just used it. Thanks, and I will use it.

    Speechify is great and allows faster reading (2.5x and 2.75x is helpful), many selected voices, and so forth, but I was suggesting it because I didn't think you had it and thought this would shortcut to a solution. Thanks.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,275

    Is that new?

    It was introduced in Logos 10 - hope you enjoy it.

  • Christopher powers
    Christopher powers Member Posts: 18 ✭✭

    I’m an iOS / iPad OS / PC user and I’d like to ’bump’ this request back up if possible.

    The ‘speech integration’ currently available with Logos seems pretty bare bones, and every resources I’ve checked thus far in my library does not have this feature (Save for the ESV, which comes with it built in). 


    Speechify offers an exponentially better listening experience than the robotic reading voice that comes integrated with iOS or PC. The voices are AI enhanced and sound 95% like the real thing. This makes comprehension much better. More than this, Speechify will…’speechify’ any text you give it, so there’s no concern about whether a particular resource is supported or not. 

    It would be a huge help to me as a post-grad student to have this feature. As it is, I’m looking to buy my future resources in platforms that *do* integrate with Speechify (kindle, pdf, ebook, etc.). Of course, keeping it all in Logos would be my preference!

    Thanks for the consideration.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,275

    Speechify offers an exponentially better listening experience than the robotic reading voice that comes integrated with iOS or PC. The voices are AI enhanced and sound 95% like the real thing. This makes comprehension much better. More than this, Speechify will…’speechify’ any text you give it, so there’s no concern about whether a particular resource is supported or not. 

    I don't know about any plans for Speechify integration.

    But have you looked at enabling enhances voices in iOS as per https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/6024414864269-How-do-I-set-up-enhanced-voices-in-iOS ?

  • Christopher powers
    Christopher powers Member Posts: 18 ✭✭

    Thank you, Graham,

    I have, yes, but it it still lacks quite a bit. There’s also the tricky bit about navigating with the iOS system voices…plus the challenge of some resources not having this feature (namely, the resources to which I’m hoping to listen).

    However, I think I’ve found a way around it. I can print particular sections off from Logos as PDFs and then upload those PDFs to Speechify‘s app for listening. This will serve as a work around for now.

    Thanks very much for the quick response!

  • John
    John Member Posts: 738 ✭✭✭

    The ‘speech integration’ currently available with Logos seems pretty bare bones, and every resources I’ve checked thus far in my library does not have this feature (Save for the ESV, which comes with it built in). 

    The LEB translation also has audio that synchronizes with the text. One of the things I cannot figure out is why Logos does not think this feature is important enough on mobile to make it work with all audio Bibles. It would be especially useful for other languages such as Greek.

    As far as speechify goes, You should be asking THEM, not Logos why they cannot add their product as a voice in iOS.

    Apple is investing heavily in AI. In time I'm sure you will see improvements in the built in narration. But my preference will always be a human narrator.

    Many years ago I invested money in a similar product that was based on technology that had been developed by AT&T. This was long before all the hype about AI. I just checked, they are still in business. nextup.com

    I wonder how this really old technology compares to speechify?

  • Justin Gatlin
    Justin Gatlin Member, MVP Posts: 2,272

    John, I am confused about what you mean. I can use the AI voice for any book in my library. Bibles for which I own the audiobook version also provide that option. Are you not seeing the option to have the system reader do other Bibles?

  • John
    John Member Posts: 738 ✭✭✭

    John, I am confused about what you mean. I can use the AI voice for any book in my library. Bibles for which I own the audiobook version also provide that option. Are you not seeing the option to have the system reader do other Bibles?

    The audio Bibles purchased from Logos are real human narrated audiobooks. And certain Bibles, such as the LEB and ESV, can synchronize the audio with the text. Some of the product pages describe this as a karaoke feature.

    However, if you search the forum, you will find many disappointed people who had purchased audio, only to find that it did not synchronize; or that if it did it was a desktop-only feature that did not work on mobile.

    The "text to speech" voices (i do not call them AI) built into the operating systems such as iOS are a different thing. It is functional and better than nothing, but I don't like listening to it compared to a real human narrator.