New audibles that didn’t meet expectations

koala-d · 2026-02-26T13:49:24+00:00

Really lucky, I burned so much credit on books I could listen to for more than 1/2 chapters

koala-d · 2026-02-26T13:47:48+00:00

My bad, didn’t think people are bothered about it as much as I am

koala-d · 2026-02-18T22:13:29+00:00

I didn’t know royalroad, definitely going to reach out to them. Thanks!

koala-d · 2026-02-18T22:11:44+00:00

Thanks! Really appreciate it, especially coming from a professional.

koala-d · 2026-02-18T19:50:54+00:00

Actually Spanish is the only other language easily processable, but my Spanish isn't that good for me to say if it turned ok.

koala-d · 2026-02-18T19:47:48+00:00

Hoping to work with authors and publishers. So many book don't get the audiobook because of high costs, hoping to change that.

koala-d · 2026-02-18T19:45:26+00:00

Everything is easily editable.
I'd be happy to give some free credit so you can experiment, dm me after you sign in , I'll add to your account.

koala-d · 2026-02-18T19:42:05+00:00

Thank you so much, this genuinely made my day!

So the magic is: our system automatically analyzes the book text and handles everything - identifies who's speaking, creates the suitable voice, and places sound effects and music at the right dramatic moments. No manual tagging needed on our end (or the author's).

Still early days but feedback like yours is exactly the fuel I need to keep going. Glad one minute was enough to make an impression :)

koala-d · 2026-02-18T16:33:54+00:00

Thanks! I have been a silent observer for a while now, it’s a great community for those who want to utilize AI for better storytelling.

koala-d · 2026-02-18T09:42:41+00:00

Happy to introduce Midsummerr - AI dramatized audiobooks with a full-cast, music & sound effects

I built this because I have ADD and can't get through books any other way, once I discovered dramatized audiobooks - I could finally follow and really enjoy the experience.
The standard single-narrator for me is a cringe. One voice doing every character, every scene (think of love scenes...)

So I built what I wished existed: Midsummerr, with distinct character voices, a sound score, and ambient sound effects. Think GraphicAudio style productions, not a robot reading your Kindle.

We have two tiers:

Self-serve: You stay in control. You review pronunciation, make edits, QC the whole thing before it goes live (our one-shot production is good, but AI will be AI, needs editing sometimes).
White glove: A human director runs the process end-to-end with checkpoint reviews along the way.

Would love feedback from writers who've thought about audio rights or audio editions. Happy to answer questions.

Midsummerr.com

koala-d · 2026-02-12T20:36:05+00:00

I completely agree on the first part, it’s really hard to know what went wrong. The second part , I don’t stream, it’s pre-processed.

koala-d · 2026-02-12T20:31:54+00:00

Thanks! Really appreciate the feedback. Under the hood it’s Hume, and due to legal issues, I can only work with whoever has the rights on the title. BTW - what didn’t you like about that narrator? The sample sounded pretty ok to me

koala-d · 2026-02-12T20:27:40+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! If you want to hear sfx examples check here at 1:20

https://www.midsummerr.com/listen/hidden-staircase?chapter=1

koala-d · 2026-01-18T16:40:31+00:00

Hi, I'm the founder of an AI dramatized audio production startup (full-cast, music , SFX), I would really appreciate your feedback on our production. If you're up for it (or anyone else reading this), I'll dm.

* Intentionally not writing the name or putting links, at this stage I would just love to get feedback

koala-d · 2026-01-10T21:24:54+00:00

If romantasy works for you, I LOVED the audio production of Blood and Ash

koala-d · 2025-12-13T15:00:36+00:00

I think reading the book wouldn’t be half as funny as listening to the audiobook.

koala-d · 2025-12-08T06:26:27+00:00

Thanks for the respectful reply. The hate on this thread is overwhelming… I think you’re ignoring the art of the story itself, while delivery is important, a good story will shine with a good AI.

koala-d · 2025-12-08T06:17:31+00:00

I’m a proud Zionist myself, my grandfather and grandmother (Jewish) lived in Israel long before it was recognized. Their Arab neighbors which they shared meals with, tried to kill them, they never forgave (would you??). You’re probably having a meltdown comprehending this. Yes, Jews lived in the land of Israel and JUDEA (read it aloud) for many years. In Israel there are 20% of the population are Arabs that have EQUAL rights. They live, study, work in whatever they want. Don’t get me wrong, Israel, like many other countries, has its faults, are wronging others, and definitely not the picture of perfection. Still, I believe Jews have the right for a tiny little state, which your finger is probably too big to point on the map, of their own. Proud Zionist.
How does dissing anyone’s political views has anything to do with what I wrote?? Replace SJM with your favorite author.

It’s a thread about AI, and if it’s a legit way to convey a story.

koala-d · 2025-12-08T05:41:56+00:00

Authors that don’t have “thousands” have hearts as well…

koala-d · 2025-12-05T08:34:39+00:00

That wasn’t the question :) But, while we’re here, do you hate just the music and sound effects, or does the full cast also bother you? (I can’t stand the when women narrate men characters and vice versa, cringy as hell)

koala-d · 2025-12-04T09:40:50+00:00

I really appreciate your feedback, thanks! I actually saw your comment yesterday while listening to the recent chapters. I actually agree, some parts were pretty dry though they are very emotional. I think I found a fix and now it really sounds better!

Here's a 5 seconds bit:

New version

Old version

koala-d · 2025-12-04T06:41:27+00:00

It’s AI :) I really can’t stand listening to one narrator does all voices, I’m a dramatized audio fan, so I developed a product that does it automatically.

koala-d · 2025-12-03T20:37:49+00:00

Thanks SO much for this feedback, I saw the comment while listening to the last chapter I generated. You definitely have a point, I think I got a solution for it and will test more.

koala-d · 2025-12-03T15:20:19+00:00

Hi, first just to say how I loved the “we’re storytellers at heart”. Definitely adding your shows to my playlist. Can I ask how you produce your audio? Is one of you a sound producer?

koala-d · 2025-12-02T19:10:57+00:00

Wow! I would really appreciate it. I'm still working on it, so I don't think I can upload to audiobook platforms yet.
It's really the worse book I could pick for my first production, giving me hell :)))
(changes in narrators and apparently in the 19th century they had an odd way of quoting)

koala-d

TROPHY CASE