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Stories, insights, and announcements from the BeyondWords blog—read aloud by AI. Learn how publishers are using audio and video to shape the future of digital storytelling.

  1. 4D AGO

    Make your news app listenable with Pugpig x BeyondWords

    BeyondWords has partnered with Pugpig, the mobile app platform that powers the world's biggest media brands, to help publishers bring high-quality AI audio into their apps using ElevenLabs voices—without adding work for editorial or engineering teams. With audio embedded into the app experience, publishers can reach audiences in more moments, improve accessibility, and drive deeper engagement. Leading brands are already using the BeyondWords x Pugpig integration to make audio a core part of their app offering. Let's look at three examples, each with a different goal and approach. The Irish News: Keeping users informed on the go The Irish News uses the BeyondWords x Pugpig integration to add audio to every in-app article and let listeners build custom audio queues. And listening isn't confined to the in-app experience. Audio continues playing even when the app is minimized or the device is locked. So readers can stay informed while doing other things, without having to keep the app open in front of them. That flexibility extends to the car. With support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, listeners can take their playlists on the road, turning drive time into dedicated news time. For a regional title with a loyal, engaged readership, the result is a more flexible, habit-forming experience that keeps audiences connected to the news that matters to them. The Week: Upgrading to a premium audio experience The Week US previously offered in-app audio using Amazon Polly, but the voices weren't living up to the quality of the journalism. So, the publisher switched to ElevenLabs voices through the BeyondWords x Pugpig integration. The step up in voice quality is significant: more natural, more engaging, and better suited to holding attention across the long-form briefings The Week is known for. The Week also delivers AI audio versions of articles and daily editions in its UK app, using a voice tailored to the region. Because audio is generated and embedded automatically, there's no delay for listeners and no added workload for editorial teams. Subscribers can listen while commuting, working out, or doing chores, fitting The Week's journalism into the moments they actually have available. DC Thomson: Delivering the right voice for every audience DC Thomson uses the BeyondWords x Pugpig integration to deliver high-quality AI narration across its Stylist and Press and Journal apps, tailoring the listening experience to each distinct audience. For Press and Journal, a regional title serving northern and Highland Scotland, authenticity was non-negotiable. So, DC Thomson worked with BeyondWords to create a Professional voice clone, capturing a tone and accent that feels familiar and credible to local readers. For Stylist, the brief was very different. The team selected a pre-made ElevenLabs voice that matches the magazine's editorial personality: clear, confident, and distinctly on-tone for a fashion-forward audience. Because the BeyondWords x Pugpig integration handles the full audio workflow, DC Thomson was able to launch two distinct listening experiences without building complex infrastructure. In-app audio without the overhead The BeyondWords x Pugpig integration makes it straightforward to deliver in-app audio, covering everything from CMS integration and audio generation to player integration and analytics. This means you can modernize your app—and meet changing audience behaviour—without adding complexity for your team. And that's just the beginning. The same audio can be distributed across your website, podcast platforms, and social channels, helping you extend your reach and build a consistent sonic identity. BeyondWords also lets you turn articles into short-form videos, ready to embed or distribute across channels. Want to see how it works? Speak to your Pugpig customer success manager to see how quickly you could get started. Or contact our team to book a BeyondWords demo.

    4 min

  2. APR 30

    Generate custom voices to narrate your content How it works The right voice for every audience

    BeyondWords now offers voice generation, letting you create custom ElevenLabs voices from simple text prompts. Finding the right voice for your content can be difficult. Premade voices get you close, but rarely exact. Voice cloning is an option, but requires you to find the right person, secure consent, and put legal agreements in place. With voice generation, you define the characteristics you want, generate options instantly, and refine until it fits. No studio time; no compromises. You can create your ideal voice in minutes, then easily add it to your audio and video workflows. We've used a generated voice to narrate this very article. Voice generation is built directly into the BeyondWords dashboard, so there's no extra setup or tooling required. Write a prompt describing the voice you want, defining characteristics like accent, age, tone, pacing, delivery style, and audio quality. The more specific you are, the better the result. Once you've written your prompt, you can generate multiple voice options, compare them side by side, and refine until you get the right result. When you're happy, name your chosen voice and add it to your project. You can then use the voice to generate audio and video versions of your articles. Voice generation currently uses the ElevenLabs Voice Design v3 model, and each voice can speak up to 74 languages. Learn more in our voice generation doc. Example 1: Opinion columnist Example 2: Regional newsroom journalist Example 3: Policy analyst Example 4: TikTok influencer We've already helped multiple publishers generate the ideal voice for their audiences. One Norwegian publisher needed a voice to support a regional language standard that's not well covered by premade voices. We generated multiple voice options and tuned them toward that variant, so the team could identify a strong fit for their editorial output. Another news publisher wanted male and female voices that felt consistent with their brand. Instead of mixing and matching, we generated a paired set for them to review, making it easier for them to achieve a cohesive sound across their content. Want to hear what your brand voice could sound like? Book a demo.

    4 min

  3. APR 13

    5 ways to fuel long sessions with audio articles

    Audio articles are usually pretty short. Sometimes, that's exactly what the user wants. But often, listeners want to keep going. They're multitasking—driving to work, doing chores, or working out, for example—and they want audio that stays with them. By designing for these listening needs, you can seriously increase engagement. Here are five ways to fuel longer listening sessions with audio articles: 1. Queue the next audio automatically Automatically queue audio so playback continues when the selected article ends. That way, listeners can keep listening uninterrupted. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music use this tactic in a feature called autoplay. It keeps the session going without asking the user to make another decision, reducing the risk of drop-off and aiding content discovery. If you use BeyondWords, you can enable continuous playback to automatically play your most recent articles after the selected audio ends. This ensures listeners move straight into the latest coverage, keeping the experience timely and relevant. You can also build a custom solution to queue audio based on other criteria. For example, SPH Media syncs playback with on-site navigation. As one audio ends, the page automatically scrolls to the next article and the corresponding audio starts playing. If users scroll manually, audio updates to match the article in view. 2. Let users build custom audio queues Automatic queueing works well for low-effort listening, but you should also let users build their own audio queues to support more intentional listening habits. This is a tactic The Week employs on its app: People who come across articles they're interested in but don't have time to read or listen straight away can save them for later, so that intent isn't lost. Users can also prepare playlists for specific parts of their day, like commutes or workouts, choosing exactly what to listen to and how long for. When they can plan ahead, they may be more likely to spend that time with your content. An "add to queue" feature also lets active listeners extend sessions on their own terms. This encourages them to explore your website or app and find more content they're interested in. When users curate their own queues, they're more invested in the experience. So, this functionality can play an important role in driving engagement, loyalty, and repeat consumption. 3. Provide editor-curated playlists Editor-curated playlists give listeners a sense of control without the effort, letting them delve into topics they care about without having to pick each article individually. Curated playlists also frame audio as a more substantial experience—something to settle into and stay with. Which can encourage users to commit to longer sessions from the outset. Publishers like Bulletin and The Washington Post group articles into topical playlists, while Stylist highlights "editor's picks" to entice listeners and readers alike: Many publishers place playlists in a dedicated section of their website or app, increasing the visibility of audio. Instead of being tied to individual articles, audio becomes a destination in its own right, encouraging more users to start listening in the first place. 4. Make audio work with device controls Make sure your audio registers with the user's mobile operating system as a proper media source, so it works with native device controls. This allows playback to continue in the background as users switch apps, browse other webpages, or lock their device, so they can step away from their screen or multitask. Device integration also lets users control playback through the methods they already rely on—on the lock screen, in the notification panel, on car dashboards, and through headphone buttons—so they can pause, skip, or rewind without returning to the original page. All of this makes audio more intuitive and convenient to engage with, so it fits more naturally into users' daily lives and existing audio habits. In addition to supp...

    5 min

  4. MAR 30

    How immersion reading can drive deeper news engagement

    Immersion reading (or immersive reading) is the act of following along with text while listening to audio narration. In other words, synchronized reading and listening. (You can try it out for yourself by playing this article.) Google Trends shows interest in immersion reading has surged in recent months: Interest peaked in February 2026 when Audible launched its Read & Listen feature, which highlights the corresponding ebook text as the audiobook plays. Kindle has offered a similar feature for years, but this new launch pushes immersion reading further into the mainstream and makes it more accessible. It also reflects a broader shift in how people consume content: Audiences don't always want to choose between reading and listening—they expect both to work seamlessly together. Why enable immersion reading on articles? Enabling immersion reading on articles means tapping into a behavior that's gaining momentum and has potential to drive meaningful value for your business. Audible says customers who read and listen simultaneously are among their most engaged users. That's not surprising. Combining visual and auditory input helps people stay focused, absorb more, and move through content with less effort. Nine in ten Audible customers agree: immersion reading improves content retention and comprehension. So, immersion readers are likely to spend longer with your journalism and get more from your stories. Adoption is likely to emerge across several audiences, such as: Book lovers bringing read-and-listen habits with them Younger audiences accustomed to watching subtitled content News subscribers keen to stay more focused in a world of distractions Second-language readers who benefit from seeing and hearing content together Readers who need more accessible ways to absorb the news Listeners engaging with longer or more complex stories By offering audio, text, and a read-along feature, you cater to a wide range of needs and preferences. Whether your audience is multitasking or taking time to focus, you're giving them a way to engage that fits. And delivering a read-listen experience is easier than you think. How to enable immersion reading on articles BeyondWords makes it simple for publishers to enable immersion reading on their websites and apps. Our platform automatically turns articles into audio, embeds a player alongside the text, and highlights each word as it's spoken—so users can read along as they listen. Setup takes minutes. Create a project, embed the player script, and you're ready to go. You can tailor the immersion reading experience to match your publication's style, with customizable word and paragraph highlight colors for light and dark modes, as well as flexible player styling. BeyondWords also makes it easy for readers to control playback. Click-to-play lets users start listening from any paragraph, while a sticky player keeps controls accessible as they scroll down the page. Audio narration is powered by hyper-realistic ElevenLabs voices or voice clones, so every article sounds natural, engaging, and on-brand. Together, these features turn every article into a seamless read-and-listen experience that keeps audiences engaged from start to finish. Want to enable immersion reading on your website or app? Book a demo with our team.

    3 min

  5. MAR 23

    How AI audio is reshaping modern news apps

    Apps are where news publishers build their most valuable audience relationships, and AI audio is playing a growing role in their success. Leading publishers like The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Business Insider are using AI audio to deepen in-app engagement in a way that's scalable and cost-effective. And they're deploying it in increasingly creative ways. Expanding usable moments Listening is already entrenched in mobile behavior. Music, podcasts, and audiobooks fill commutes, workouts, and quiet moments throughout the day. AI audio helps your app compete for those same moments within daily routines. Publishers including The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal let users listen to almost any story inside their apps. They can switch between listening and reading without friction, easily choosing the format that best suits their needs and preferences. This means audiences can more easily fit news into their day. So, they're more likely to subscribe—and stay subscribed. Or drive ad impressions. Making individual articles playable is the foundation to building audio engagement. But the real magic happens when listening extends beyond a single story. Turning single plays into long listening sessions Many publishers use playlists and audio queueing to encourage exploration and longer listening sessions. On The Washington Post and Bulletin apps, starting one article automatically generates a queue of related stories. When one audio finishes, the next one begins, pulling listeners into deeper sessions than they originally planned. These apps also let users start editor-curated playlists and build custom audio queues, so they can intentionally engage in longer listening sessions. For example, listeners can queue up articles to play on their commute home. Or start a themed playlist before heading out for a run. By giving readers the option to step away from the screen while staying connected with your app, you unlock new patterns of news consumption. Patterns that are key to building long-term loyalty. And if your app integrates with the user's device, driving sustained engagement becomes even easier. Making audio mobile-native Native device integration allows your audio to function as part of a smartphone's built-in playback system, so listening works the way users expect from any established audio app. For example: Playback continues when the screen locks or the app is minimized Stories appear in lock-screen controls and system control panels Playback can be controlled using familiar on-screen controls Readers can pause and resume with headphones Audio works seamlessly in vehicles through CarPlay and Android Auto Incoming calls automatically pause playback and resume afterwards When audio works this way, users can move between tasks without breaking playback. This continuity reduces friction, supports longer sessions, and makes your audio journalism feel like a first-class mobile experience—not an add-on feature. It also keeps your brand present beyond the app itself, increasing the likelihood that users return and press play again. Tapping into audio stickiness For many publishers, in-app audio isn't just embedded in articles or tucked away in menus—it's a prominent destination in its own right. Apps like The Washington Post and Bulletin feature "Listen" tabs, bringing audio to the centre of the news experience rather than treating it as a secondary format. That prominence matters. According to the Pugpig Media App Report 2025, users who engage with audio in publisher apps spend nearly twice as much time as those who don't. That means more advertising revenue, more subscription conversions, and stronger subscription loyalty. Some publishers accelerate in-app audio discovery and adoption even further by: Providing personalized audio recommendations based on user data Sending push notifications at key audio engagement moments Introducing audio during the app onboarding process Creating an audio-native experience also me...

    5 min

  6. MAR 10

    How we curated ElevenLabs voices for news publishing

    This post is narrated by Caroline Piercy's Instant voice clone, powered by ElevenLabs through BeyondWords. ElevenLabs offers more than 10,000 AI voices across a range of styles, tones, and personalities. If you're looking for pre-made voices to narrate your articles, the abundance of choice quickly becomes friction. After all, not every voice lives up to newsroom standards. That's why, when adding ElevenLabs voices into BeyondWords, we didn't just add the full library—we handpicked the very best options for news narration. Key criteria for news narration First, we excluded ElevenLabs voices that use "Live Moderation". News publishers regularly cover sensitive or controversial topics, and automated moderation systems aren't always calibrated for journalism. By removing moderated voices from our selection, we help ensure legitimate reporting isn't inadvertently flagged or restricted. Secondly, we filtered out voices with short notice periods to give publishers greater stability once a voice is selected. The final filter we applied was for "High-Quality" voices. These voices have been reviewed by the ElevenLabs team to meet professional standards for clarity, stability, and tone—all essential to doing publishers' journalism justice. Once we'd applied our initial filters, it was time to start listening. Curation through careful listening Our team listened to hundreds of remaining ElevenLabs voices to assess their suitability for article narration, testing them with long-form news content. We evaluated voices against the qualities publishers consistently tell us matter most: naturalness, clarity, and authority. This meant removing: character voices, like those made for cartoons; novelty voices, like those created for ASMR content; voices that didn't meet our studio-level quality standards; and voices with overly emotional or flat delivery. Where we didn't have in-house language expertise, we brought in native speakers to share their opinions on the voices. We also gathered feedback from some of our publishers. The result is a selection of over 200 news-ready voices across dozens of languages and accents*. All available for immediate use through the BeyondWords platform. Many of these voices are multilingual, which means they're capable of delivering natural narration across various languages. This is particularly useful for publishers who want to maintain consistency across markets. Multilingual voices can carry traces of their native accent, but they're often indistinguishable from native voices. It's worth exploring the full range before narrowing your selection. Tools for faster voice selection To make voice selection even easier, we added voice previews built around real news-style openings. These give you a realistic sense of how each voice will perform in context. We also set new default voices to give you a convenient starting point across our most-used languages. You can preview some of our favorite ElevenLabs voices below: If you'd like to get tailored voice advice from our team, we're happy to help. Finding the right voices for every publisher We have vast experience working with publishers to find the right voices for their brands. Just recently, we helped a fashion title adopt a female, regionally accented voice that feels authentic to its readership and aligns seamlessly with its style. Whether you have a detailed brief or prefer to rely on instinct, we'll guide you toward voices that align with your editorial identity. And collaborate to find the right fit for every use case. If there's a specific ElevenLabs voice you'd like to use that isn't part of our curated selection, we'll add it for you. You can also create ElevenLabs voice clones. Ready to find your publication's voice? Book a demo with our team.

    4 min

  7. FEB 19

    Outside Interactive uses BeyondWords to scale ElevenLabs voices across multiple titles

    Outside Interactive now uses BeyondWords to deliver ElevenLabs narration across multiple editorial titles, including Outside Online, Velo, and Backpacker. Once an article is published, an audio version can be generated and embedded with BeyondWords, so subscribers can listen on the move or read and listen simultaneously. Quality voices for quality journalism. After reviewing a range of AI voice providers, Outside gravitated toward ElevenLabs voices for their quality and realism. For a brand built on immersive, human-led storytelling, anything less wouldn't cut it. Rachel Risko, Lead Product Manager at Outside, explains: "Our long-form features are crafted pieces of journalism—they deserve narration that sounds natural and engaging, not robotic. ElevenLabs produces voices that can carry the emotional weight of a 5,000-word adventure narrative without listener fatigue. "When someone's on a long trail run listening to one of our stories, the voice needs to feel like a companion, not a machine." You can listen to an extract of one of Outside's audio articles below: "It's the kind of immersive, character-driven narrative that works beautifully in audio," says Risko. Adopting ElevenLabs, without the complexity. ElevenLabs set the benchmark for voice quality, but Outside knew building the surrounding infrastructure—from CMS integration to the audio player—would be complex and time-consuming. That's when they discovered BeyondWords. BeyondWords allows Outside to use ElevenLabs voices as part of an automated publishing workflow. After a simple, one-time setup of the WordPress plugin and a dedicated project for each title, audio versions are created and embedded into articles. There are no extra steps for editors, and minimal engineering overhead. So, Outside can scale ElevenLabs audio without disrupting existing workflows. Using audio to drive subscriptions. Audio plays a direct role in Outside's subscription strategy, offered as one of the many exclusive benefits to Outside+ subscribers. For non-subscribers, the BeyondWords Player displays a "Subscribe to listen" prompt. Clicking play takes readers to the sign-up page, where audio is positioned as a premium benefit. For subscribers, the audio player displays a "Listen and enjoy this subscriber-only benefit" message that reinforces exclusivity. By giving subscribers flexibility in how they consume content, Outside can foster engagement habits that increase satisfaction and reduce churn. Outside also uses audio to support its brand identity. With a mission to help people get outdoors, the company believes that time outside is transformational and essential to human health, happiness, and connection—for everyone. By turning its editorial content into a premium listening experience, this allows their audience to enjoy the stories that inspire them while on the go. "Our readers are active people—they're out hiking, running, driving to trailheads, or commuting to their next adventure. Audio lets them engage with our long-form storytelling during moments when reading isn't practical," explains Risko. "It's about meeting our audience where they are: in motion, outdoors, living the lifestyle we celebrate." Add ElevenLabs narration to your publication. Want to offer high-quality AI narration without building and maintaining an audio stack? BeyondWords lets you deploy ElevenLabs voices through a fully automated, publisher-ready workflow—across websites, apps, and feeds. Book a demo to see it in action.

    3 min

  8. FEB 12

    Audio article best practices: 11 ways to boost listener engagement

    Audio articles get more engagement when they're presented and promoted thoughtfully. In this post, we'll share audio article best practices informed by our close partnerships with leading publishers. So you can get more readers to click play—and keep listening. Here are 11 ways to boost listener engagement: 1. Choose the right voice Choosing the right voice for your audio articles reduces friction, strengthens trust, and makes the listening experience more enjoyable. So people listen for longer and come back for more. Many publishers choose AI voices because they're easy to scale and deliver a consistent listening experience across large volumes of content. These are key factors to consider when choosing an AI voice: Naturalness and clarity: The voice should sound lifelike, with smooth pacing, natural emphasis, and accurate pronunciation, so it never distracts from the story. Brand alignment: The voice should feel true to your publication's character. Consider whether the accent reflects the communities you serve and whether the voice's personality fits your newsroom. Tone and editorial fit: The delivery should suit the content. For example, a steady tone helps serious reporting feel more credible. You may want to use different voices across different categories. At BeyondWords, we curate AI voices from ElevenLabs and Azure to give you the best possible balance of quality and variety. And we can help you find the best options for your publication. That said, we recommend voice cloning above anything else. Clone your journalists' voices Cloning your journalists' voices is one of the most effective ways to make your AI audio feel authentic, distinctive, and closely aligned with your newsroom's identity. It can deepen audience connection, encouraging listeners to stay engaged for longer and return more often. If your newsroom already has recognizable voices (such as podcast hosts) cloning lets you extend the value of their voices without adding to their workload. Publishers like News Corp Australia, SPH Media, Schibsted, and La Nación have worked with BeyondWords to create Professional voice clones for their publications. 2. Customize the audio player Customizing the player is one of the simplest ways to make audio feel more integrated with your website or app and increase playback rates. If you're using the BeyondWords Player, you can choose from Small, Standard, or Large player designs. Each offers a different balance between visibility and functionality. Whatever player size you choose, update the background, icon, and text colors so they fit naturally with your light and dark mode designs. Aim for strong contrast to ensure accessibility and make the play button easy to spot. If you prefer full control over the design and behavior of your player, you can build custom interfaces using our JavaScript, iOS, and Android SDKs. 3. Position the player (and widget) strategically We recommend positioning the audio player directly above the featured image or first paragraph of your article, so it's easy for prospective listeners to discover. Also enable the BeyondWords Player widget, so users can access the player as they scroll down the page. Alternatively, build a custom solution for your website or app. 4. Enable playback-by-paragraph JFM boosted audio engagement rates tenfold after enabling BeyondWords' playback-by-paragraph feature, which lets readers click anywhere in an article to start (or stop) listening. The feature lowers the barrier to audio by making it easy to try out, while also giving readers more control over how they consume a story. Together, these benefits can increase dwell time and improve reader satisfaction. 5. Use paragraph highlighting With paragraph highlighting, the section of text being read aloud is highlighted in a color of your choice. This reduces the friction of switching between reading and listening, improves comprehension, and makes long-form articles easier to follow. Combined with playback-...

    8 min
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Stories, insights, and announcements from the BeyondWords blog—read aloud by AI. Learn how publishers are using audio and video to shape the future of digital storytelling.

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  • Creator
    BeyondWords
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © BeyondWords
  • Show Website
    BeyondWords Blog