← Back to BlogHow to Read More Books by Listening (TTS Guide)
Most people want to read more but can't find the time. Between work, commuting, exercise, and daily chores, there aren't enough quiet hours for sitting with a book. But there are plenty of hours when your hands and eyes are busy while your ears are free. The average person spends 2-3 hours per day on activities where listening is possible: commuting, exercising, cooking, cleaning, walking. At 1.25x speed, that's roughly one book every 5-7 days — over 50 books a year. Text-to-speech makes this possible without spending a dollar on audiobooks. This guide shows you how to build a sustainable book-listening habit using SpeakCove.
Prerequisites
- •An iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or later
- •SpeakCove installed from the App Store (free)
- •Books in EPUB, PDF, MOBI, or other supported formats (or use the built-in Gutenberg library)
- 1
Identify your daily listening windows
Map out the times in your day when your ears are free: commute (both ways), exercise, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, walking the dog. Add them up — most people find 1.5 to 3 hours of available listening time they weren't using.
Tip: Even 30 minutes a day adds up to 15-20 books a year at average reading speed. You don't need hours — consistency matters more than duration. - 2
Build a reading queue in SpeakCove
Import books you want to read into SpeakCove. Use the built-in Gutenberg library for free classics, or import your own EPUB, PDF, and MOBI files. Having a queue of 3-5 books ready eliminates the friction of finding something to listen to.
Tip: Mix genres — alternate between dense non-fiction and lighter fiction to prevent fatigue. Having variety keeps the habit enjoyable. - 3
Start with a comfortable speed and work up
Begin listening at 1x speed. As your brain adapts to processing spoken text, gradually increase to 1.25x, then 1.5x. Most regular listeners settle around 1.25x-1.5x, which lets you cover 25-50% more content in the same time.
Tip: Don't rush the speed increase. It takes about a week at each speed level for your comprehension to fully adjust. The goal is comfortable listening, not a race. - 4
Anchor listening to existing habits
Attach your listening to activities you already do every day. Put on SpeakCove every time you start your commute, every time you lace up for a run, every time you start cooking. The existing habit becomes the trigger for listening.
Tip: The most successful book-listeners treat it like a podcast habit — it's just what they do during certain activities. - 5
Use the sleep timer for bedtime reading
Set a 15-30 minute sleep timer and listen to a book in bed. This replaces screen time with a wind-down routine that's better for sleep and adds another 15-30 minutes of daily reading.
Tip: Choose calmer, lighter content for bedtime. Save dense non-fiction for alert listening periods like your morning commute. - 6
Track your progress and celebrate milestones
SpeakCove saves your reading position and shows progress for each book. Watch your library of completed books grow. At 1.25x speed with 1.5 hours of daily listening, you'll finish a standard book every 5-7 days.
Tip: Set a yearly goal — 25 books is very achievable. 50 books is realistic with consistent daily listening.
Alternative Methods
Audible audiobooks
Audible offers professionally narrated audiobooks with excellent production quality. The app has great playback features, bookmarks, and a large library.
Costs $14.95/month for one credit (one book). Additional books cost $12-30 each. Reading 50 books a year would cost hundreds of dollars. Audible can't read your own documents, only their catalog.
Library audiobooks via Libby
Borrow free audiobooks from your public library through the Libby app. No cost beyond your library card.
Popular books have wait lists of weeks to months. Your library's catalog may be limited. You're dependent on availability, which makes a consistent reading habit difficult. Can't read your own documents.
Physical books and ebook readers
Traditional reading with physical books or e-readers like Kindle. The classic approach to reading more.
Requires dedicated time sitting with the book — exactly the resource most people lack. Can't read during commutes (unless walking or on transit), workouts, cooking, or chores. Competes with screen time rather than complementing your existing schedule.
Turn dead time into books. SpeakCove lets you listen to any book or document with natural neural voices — free Gutenberg library included. No subscription, no account, works offline. Download SpeakCove from the App Store.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does listening to books count as reading?
Research shows that listening comprehension and reading comprehension activate similar brain processes and produce comparable retention. Listening is reading — just through a different sensory channel. For most content, you'll retain just as much by listening as by reading.
How many books can I finish in a year with TTS?
At 1.25x speed with 1.5 hours of daily listening, you can finish roughly one standard book (250-300 pages) every 5-7 days. That's 50-70 books per year. Even 30 minutes a day gets you 15-20 books annually.
Is the voice quality good enough for hours of listening?
Yes. SpeakCove's neural voices are designed for extended listening and sound natural. They're a significant upgrade from older robotic TTS. Most people adjust to them within a few chapters and find them comfortable for hours.
Where do I get books to listen to?
SpeakCove has a built-in Gutenberg library with 70,000+ free classic books. You can also import your own EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DOCX, and other files from any source — DRM-free ebook stores, indie publishers, personal documents.
What's the best speed for book listening?
Start at 1x and gradually increase. Most regular listeners settle between 1.25x and 1.5x. SpeakCove supports 0.75x to 2x. The right speed is where you can listen comfortably without missing content.
Do I need the premium version to listen to books?
No. The free version gives you everything: all 9 formats, Gutenberg library, 2 neural voices, 5 languages, speed control, sleep timer, iCloud sync, and sentence highlighting. Premium ($14.99 one-time) adds 8 more voices and background/locked-screen playback.
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