The ReadLume App Guide: Everything It Does

ReadLume does one thing: it reads your novels aloud so you can listen instead of stare. Under that simple idea is a handful of features that make long, hands-free listening actually work. Here is the full tour.

Importing what you read

ReadLume takes three sources: web novels by URL, plus your own PDFs and EPUBs. URL import is the standout, since it follows a live, growing series from any chapter link. Files cover the books you already own. Which to use, and how, is spelled out in how to import a web novel into ReadLume and the import-by-URL guide.

Reading aloud

Playback uses neural text-to-speech voices, so the reading sounds natural rather than robotic. You control the speed, pause and resume, and skip forward or back. The point is comfortable listening across a whole novel, not a novelty demo. How the text gets from a web page to a voice is explained in how ReadLume reads web novels aloud.

Auto-advance

This is what turns reading aloud into hands-free reading. When a chapter ends, ReadLume loads the next one and keeps playing, with no tap from you. A listening session lasts as long as you want it to, chapter after chapter, instead of stopping every ten minutes.

Screen-off and background playback

ReadLume plays like a media app, so audio continues with the screen off and the phone locked in your pocket. You get lock-screen controls to pause, skip, and adjust without unlocking. That makes it usable on a walk, a commute, or at the gym. On Android, exempt it from battery optimization so the system does not stop it, a step we cover in the setup guide.

Remembering your place

Close the app, come back tomorrow, and ReadLume resumes exactly where you stopped. For web novels, progress can sync so you carry on across devices. This is part of why switching between reading with your eyes and listening feels seamless.

What it costs

Your own PDFs and EPUBs are free to read and listen to. Web-novel import, the URL feature, is on the paid plans: Basic at $2.50/month and Plus at $5/month, both with a 3-day free trial. ReadLume is on Google Play now, and you can see the full breakdown on the pricing page or the features page.