Does it handle academic formatting?

speakeasy extracts the text content from research papers, handling abstracts, sections, and conclusions. Mathematical formulas are simplified to their text descriptions. For best results, use the HTML or text version of papers rather than PDFs when available.

Can I convert papers from ArXiv?

Yes. Paste the ArXiv abstract URL (e.g., arxiv.org/abs/xxxx.xxxxx) and speakeasy will extract and convert the paper. The HTML version of ArXiv papers works particularly well.

What about figures and tables?

speakeasy focuses on the text content. Figures and tables are skipped, though their captions are included in the audio to maintain context. This makes speakeasy great for a first pass, after which you can deep-read the figures.

Is this useful for literature reviews?

Absolutely. Converting papers to audio lets you 'read' 3-4x more papers in the same time. Use speakeasy for initial passes to identify the most relevant papers, then deep-read the best ones.

Convert

Convert Research Papers to Audio

Stay current with research, minus the desk.

Keeping up with research papers is a full-time job. Between ArXiv preprints, journal articles, and conference proceedings, the reading list never ends. speakeasy converts research papers into natural audio so you can absorb new findings during commutes, workouts, or walks. Turn your paper backlog into a personal research podcast. speakeasy handles the entire conversion process automatically — from extracting the text content to generating natural-sounding audio with AI voices. Just paste a URL or share directly from your browser, and within seconds you'll have a high-quality audio version ready to play. Your converted content syncs through iCloud, so it's available on all your Apple devices whenever you're ready to listen.

How it works

Paste the research paper URL (ArXiv, journal, etc.)

speakeasy extracts the paper text

AI converts dense academic content to clear audio

Listen at your preferred speed, up to 4x

How research paper conversion works

Converting research paper to audio with speakeasy is a three-step process that happens almost entirely in the background. First, speakeasy's extraction engine fetches and parses the content, intelligently stripping away navigation, ads, and irrelevant elements to isolate the actual text you want to hear.

Next, the text is sent to InWorld's neural TTS engine, which breaks it into natural segments and generates studio-quality speech with appropriate intonation, pauses, and emphasis. Finally, the audio is saved to your library and synced through iCloud. The whole process typically takes just seconds, even for long-form content.

Why listen to research paper as audio?

The average person encounters more research paper content than they can possibly read. Newsletters pile up, browser tabs multiply, and the reading backlog grows faster than you can clear it. Converting to audio breaks this cycle by letting you consume content during time that would otherwise go unused.

Your morning commute becomes a productive listening session. Your evening walk transforms into a chance to catch up on the day's best writing. Even household chores become opportunities to engage with ideas. speakeasy's natural voices make the experience feel less like a compromise and more like a genuine upgrade — many users report preferring the audio version of articles to reading them on a screen.

Getting the best audio quality

Not all text converts to audio equally well, and a few best practices will significantly improve your listening experience. Well-structured articles with clear paragraphs and headings produce the best results — which fortunately describes most professional blog posts, newsletters, and news articles.

For optimal results, choose a voice that matches the content's tone. speakeasy offers multiple voice options, from warm and conversational to crisp and professional. Pair this with the right playback speed — 1.0-1.2x for complex or nuanced content, 1.3-1.5x for news and straightforward articles — and you'll have a listening experience that rivals professional podcasts.

Building your audio library

The real power of converting research paper to audio emerges over time as you build a personal listening library. Each converted article is saved with its original metadata — title, source, and publication info — making it easy to find and revisit content you've listened to before.

speakeasy's iCloud sync ensures your library is always up to date across iPhone and Mac. Queue articles throughout the day from your desktop browser, then listen during your commute from your phone. Over weeks and months, you'll accumulate a curated collection of the best research paper content from across the web, all accessible in audio form whenever you need it.