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Elseleaf is an app built to interpret articles from websites into bite-sized digestible paragraph, and then use an on-device AI reader to let you hear those articles while you do something else, such as listen to music. 

Elseleaf’s creator is a journalist, and for months had been trying to work out “what next” for journalism. He decided the problem was the consumption of journalism, a problem even he was guilty of: he’d read his own work, and a little bit from others, but not as much as he wanted. Time was the problem. He had plenty of time for things to listen to, but not for things to read. 

So he built the concept of Elseleaf: a journalism reader that could play articles out loud, and even make the task of reading that little bit easier. The concept saw articles played over music, making it something you could walk with or exercise to. It could work with existing websites, and even find ways to bundle up big stories to make them that much easier. 

And hopefully it would help publishers reach more people and stay in business for longer. Journalism isn’t easy, but in an era where we’re all time-poor, Elseleaf stands as a way to ensure great information can be consumed without needing to read through a big page. You can go beyond the page, and hear what you need. 

Elseleaf isn’t technically a publisher, but you may find the odd news article, blog, or support item at its website (which is where you are). It also has an Elseleaf-compatible programme “Seedling”, which acts as a starter episode for every Elseleaf app user to learn how the app works. 

For users, readers, and listeners, Elseleaf is free. You can download the app on devices and hear your stories without having to pay a thing. Even the AI being used to generate the voices is free, relying solely on the hardware of your phone, tablet, and laptop. 

For publishers, Elseleaf is free, unless they want to run advertising in their feeds. Publishers can manage their ads however they please, but depending on how many subscribers they have, they may need to pay for ads to run. Contact Elseleaf for more information. 

No, they absolutely do not. The AI used in Elseleaf is what’s called “on-device AI” or “local AI”. It means it uses the hardware of the phone, tablet, or computer you’re using to generate the audio, and not the hardware of data centres.

Crazily, you can use Elseleaf on airplane mode and the voices will still work. There’s no link to a data centres or AI server farm of any kind when the voices are generated. They simply use your device’s architecture, which has been inside phones for a number of years now. Some devices will definitely be quicker than others, but it should work on much of what’s out there. 

A sort of extra part that makes Elseleaf special, programmes are like a podcast made by a publisher where stories, articles, and other tidbits can be read out. They may include sounds, interviews, spoken word from real people, or just the AI narration the articles use. 

Think of programmes as podcasts made from articles, and available on your device whenever you want. You’ve heard audiobooks and podcasts before, and these are similar, often covering topics and released on websites that have installed Elseleaf’s tools.

No. The directory is being designed to include articles-only publications too. Programmes give you another way to present an ongoing series.

Yes, absolutely. Currently in beta, Elseleaf’s publisher plugin has been made for WordPress, and makes it possible to create programmes, episodes of the programmes, and submit directory information with ease. 

That said, it is early days for Elseleaf, and we are looking into releasing the tools for other platforms. If you’re at all interested in joining and don’t use WordPress, please reach out and we’ll see what we can do. 

Technically no. Anyone producing content keen to have it heard could be found on Elseleaf. That could mean a law firm keen to have its articles read or a communications agency sharing information. You could even be a software or services.

“Publisher” is a loose term; you simply need to have information you want to share, and people who would want to read and listen to it.

No. Discover in the directory will very much be on an opt-in basis. Editorial featuring is a separate choice made by Elseleaf.

Elseleaf is in testing for iOS and macOS, covering iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the Apple side of things, while a variation is also in development for Android and is designed to work across phones and tablets of all sizes, including foldable phones.