Windows · macOS · Linux

NarrateX

A structured desktop reading system that converts books and documents into continuous audio playback.

Built for long-form listening. Runs locally. Behaves predictably.
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Local execution. Deterministic playback. No cloud dependency.

NarrateX is for listening to what you would otherwise have to sit and read. Use it at your computer on any operating system, or send it to a wireless headset and keep listening, hands-free, while you move around the house and get on with everything else.

NarrateX screenshot showing structured ebook and PDF audio playback

Core behaviour

Playback follows structure Not file order
Navigation is derived From headings and bookmarks
Non-content excluded Frontmatter and indexes removed
Instant navigation Processed in the background
Deterministic position Consistent across sessions

How it works

How NarrateX works: your book, reads the structure, a clear chapter list, continuous narration, and you listening hands-free on a headset. Runs entirely offline.

Architecture you can leave running

A reader you leave running for hours cannot stutter because a UI event reached into the playback core. So that core is a pure domain with no I/O and no framework, inside a four-layer architecture with every dependency pointing inward. Layer boundaries, 100% coverage and a 400-line file limit are enforced by automated architecture tests on every run.

NarrateX clean architecture diagram: UI, Application, Domain and Infrastructure layers with dependencies pointing inward to a pure Domain, plus Composition root and Shared cross-cutting bands.

Why this exists

Most tools treat documents as flat text streams. This leads to broken navigation, skipped sections and inconsistent playback.

NarrateX treats books as structured systems. Structure is preserved, navigation is derived from it and playback follows it.

Supported formats

EPUB
PDF
Plain text
Kindle (via Calibre)

Runs on every desktop

One codebase, native packages on Windows, macOS and Linux. Everything runs locally, the same way on each.

Windows Installer
macOS Disk image (.dmg)
Linux Flatpak

Execution model

Text is processed into structured chunks. Audio is generated and streamed continuously.

Playback begins immediately and continues without interruption. Everything runs locally which keeps the system fast, predictable and private.

Frequently asked questions

Is NarrateX free?

Yes. NarrateX is free and open source, released under the GNU LGPL-3.0 licence.

Does NarrateX work offline?

Yes. NarrateX runs entirely on your device with no cloud dependency. Nothing you read is uploaded anywhere.

What does the narration sound like?

NarrateX uses the Kokoro neural text-to-speech voice running locally on your machine, so it sounds natural rather than robotic, with no internet connection required.

Which file formats can NarrateX read?

EPUB, PDF and plain text natively, plus Kindle formats such as MOBI, AZW and AZW3 via optional Calibre conversion to EPUB.

Which platforms does NarrateX run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux, shipped as an installer, a disk image (.dmg) and a Flatpak respectively.

NarrateX is a text-to-speech reader for ebooks, PDFs and documents. It reads EPUB files, PDF files and plain text aloud with continuous audio playback, structured navigation and offline local execution. It is designed for long-form listening and predictable document reading without cloud dependency.
Created by Oliver Ernster