Read web pages aloud
Open the extension on a web article and use the in-page player to listen to its body text aloud.
Lisen
Lisen is a Chrome extension that reads web articles aloud using voices from a user’s Cartesia library. It supports streaming playback, on-page read-along highlighting, and WAV export, but requires a Cartesia account and API key.
Overview
Lisen is a Chrome extension for reading web articles aloud with Cartesia text-to-speech voices. It is designed for articles, blog posts, newsletters, documentation, Substack and Medium pages, and other pages containing a body of text. Users bring a Cartesia account and API key rather than creating a separate Lisen account.
After opening the extension on an article, users can start streaming speech immediately or generate the complete article first. The player follows the text on the page by tinting the current passage and marking the spoken word, while a generated recording can be downloaded as a WAV file. Lisen states that it has no separate server, analytics, or telemetry, and that its settings and key remain in Chrome on the user's device.
Features
Use Cartesia voice libraries
Choose any voice available in your Cartesia library, including voices you cloned or designed through Cartesia.
Stream or pre-generate audio
Start speaking as soon as playback begins, or generate the complete article before listening.
Follow along with word highlighting
The player tints the current passage and marks the spoken word so you can track the narration on the page.
Download WAV audio
Generate an article as a WAV file. Word timings are stored in the file so read-along remains available when it is reopened.
Local settings and user-triggered processing
Lisen keeps the API key and settings in Chrome on the device and sends page text to Cartesia only after play is pressed on a page where the player was opened.
Use cases
Hands-free article listening
Listen to articles, newsletters, blog posts, and long-form web pages when reading on screen is inconvenient, such as during a commute or while cooking.
Reading documentation
Use the page highlighting to keep the spoken position visible while following along with technical or reference material.
Long-form web reading
Listen to Substack, Medium, or other text-heavy pages without relying on a separate reading workflow, provided the page exposes its text.
Prepare audio for later use
Generate an article first, check its measured duration, scrub through the recording, and save it as a WAV file for later playback.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Uses voices from the user's existing Cartesia library, including cloned or designed voices.
- Offers both immediate streaming and full-article generation with measured duration and scrubbing.
- Provides on-page passage and word highlighting for read-along tracking.
- Can export generated articles as WAV files with stored word timings.
- The listing says there is no Lisen subscription, separate Lisen account, server, analytics, or telemetry.
Cons
- A Cartesia account and API key are required.
- Support is limited to text exposed by the page; Chrome's built-in PDF viewer, Chrome pages, and the Chrome Web Store are not supported.
- Speech generation is subject to Cartesia usage and charges under the user's Cartesia plan; the available limits are not specified in the listing.
FAQ
Do I need a Cartesia account to use Lisen?
Yes. Lisen requires a Cartesia account and a Cartesia API key because Cartesia provides the speech generation.
What does Lisen cost?
Lisen itself is free and has no additional subscription. You pay Cartesia for the speech you generate under your Cartesia plan; the listing says Cartesia offers a free tier, but it does not specify usage limits here.
How do I read an article aloud?
Click Lisen's icon on an article to open its player, then press play. Streaming begins immediately. Alternatively, generate the full article first to see the audio length and use a scrub bar.
Can I use my own Cartesia voices?
You can paste your Cartesia API key into Lisen and choose a voice from your Cartesia library, including voices you have cloned or designed there.
Does Lisen work with PDFs and paywalled pages?
Lisen reads text that the page exposes. It cannot run in Chrome's built-in PDF viewer, on Chrome's own pages, or in the Chrome Web Store; the listing also notes that paywalled content is limited to what the page displays.
Quick Facts
- Product type
- Chrome extension
- Category
- Accessibility
- Primary function
- Web article text-to-speech
- Speech provider
- Cartesia
- Output
- Streaming playback or WAV download
- Language listed
- English
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