What is HD narration?
HD narration is a higher-quality, on-demand AI voice you generate per passage, separate from the standard read-aloud voices.
Overview
HD narration is a separate, higher-quality narration option, distinct from the default voices covered in Listening while you read. It's available from the chunk header in the reader, look for a "Narrate" or "HD" button. You need to be signed in to open it, and it's available on desktop with an active plan.
Generating a narration
- Open the Narrate/HD button on the chunk you want narrated.
- Pick a voice. Options are named rather than numbered: Warm, Informative, Mature, Gentle, Breathy, Upbeat, Firm. You can also choose an optional accent.
- Review the estimated time, usually one to two minutes, and confirm.
- The narration generates as a batch job. It takes about a minute and a half to come back.
Once it's ready, it's cached for that passage, so you won't wait for it again unless something changes (more on that below).
Where it shows up
After generation, the narration appears as an "HD narration" option in the regular voice picker, marked with a small microphone icon. Select it like any other voice.
When narration goes stale
If the text or your reading level changes after a narration was generated, the cached version is marked stale and shown in amber in the voice picker. You can regenerate it to match the current text.
Lexxio Originals with narration built in
Some Lexxio Originals ship with narration already recorded, no cost or setup involved. It's available the first time you open that book on desktop. If a title doesn't have pre-recorded narration, opening the Narrate/HD button falls back to the paid on-demand generation described above. Read more about these books in What are Lexxio Originals?
HD narration doesn't spend AI credits. It's included with your plan instead, gated by plan tier rather than your credit balance. See How AI credits work for what credits actually pay for.