Listen to AO3 Fanfiction
Turn any Archive of Our Own fic into natural-sounding audio. Open it in Chrome, click CastReader, and listen while commuting, cooking, or doing chores.
The Weight of Old Pages
by quietink · 24,891 words
The library was empty at this hour, which was exactly why she came. Dust motes drifted through the amber light that fell between the shelves, and somewhere deep in the stacks a clock ticked steadily.
She ran her fingers along the spines until she found it — the leather cover worn smooth by decades of hands before hers. She pulled it free and the shelf breathed out a sigh of old paper.
CastReaderReads AO3 fanfiction aloud — word-by-word highlighting follows along
Why Listen to AO3 with CastReader?
Consume more fanfiction without eye strain
One Click
Any Fic, Any Chapter
Open any AO3 work — any rating, any fandom — and click the CastReader icon. It reads the chapter aloud immediately with natural AI voices.
Smart Extraction
Reads the Fic, Not the Tags
CastReader extracts the story text and skips tags, author notes, kudos, comments, and navigation. You hear only the story.
Follow Along
Paragraph Highlighting
Each paragraph highlights as it's read aloud. Click any paragraph to jump there. Perfect for 100K+ word epics.
100% Free
Free Tool for a Free Platform
AO3 is free. CastReader is free. No signup, no subscription, no usage limits. Install and start listening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about listening to AO3 fanfiction
How do I listen to AO3 fanfiction?
Install CastReader from the Chrome Web Store (free, no account needed). Open any AO3 work, click the CastReader icon in your toolbar, and it reads the chapter aloud with natural AI voices.
Does AO3 have a built-in text-to-speech feature?
No. AO3 does not have any built-in TTS feature. You can use CastReader to read any AO3 fic aloud directly in your browser.
Does it skip tags, author notes, and comments?
Yes. CastReader's extraction algorithm identifies the story text and skips everything else — tags, notes, kudos, bookmarks, comments, and navigation.
Does it work with the entire work view?
Yes. Whether you're reading chapter by chapter or the full work view, CastReader extracts and reads the story text.
Is it free?
Completely free with no limits. No signup needed. CastReader is free forever — just like AO3.
Can I control playback speed?
Yes. Adjust speed from the floating player. Many readers use 1.5x or 2x for long fics.
Does it highlight text as it reads?
Yes. The current paragraph is highlighted and the page auto-scrolls to follow along.
Does it work on Edge?
Yes. CastReader is available on both Chrome and Edge.
Start Listening Now
Completely free. No signup. No limits. Install and start listening.