# Listen to Summaries of Videos, Articles and PDFs

> SumAI reads any summary aloud on iPhone and iPad. Press Listen and choose your speed, from 0.75x to 2x, to take in a video, article or PDF hands-free.

- Source: https://getsumai.app/features/listen-to-summaries/
- Last updated: 2026-11-12
- About: SumAI: YouTube & PDF Summary, an AI summarizer app for iPhone and iPad

**Eyes busy? Just listen.** SumAI can read any summary aloud. Press Listen and choose your speed, from 0.75x to 2x, to take in the key points of a video, article or PDF while you walk, commute or cook.

## Highlights

- **Any summary, out loud.** Summaries of YouTube videos, web articles and PDFs can all be read aloud.
- **Five speeds.** 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x. Slow down for dense material, speed up for a recap.
- **In the language you chose.** Summaries can be written in more than 60 languages, so you can listen in yours.
- **Reading time becomes any time.** A three-minute summary fits into a walk to the station.

## A summary you do not have to look at

Reading needs your eyes and a free hand. A lot of the day offers neither: walking, driving, washing up, the gym. Listen turns those stretches into time for the things you saved to read later.

Press **Listen** on any summary and SumAI reads it aloud at the speed you pick.

## Choosing a speed

| Speed | Good for |
| --- | --- |
| 0.75x | Dense or technical material, or listening in a second language |
| 1x | Following along comfortably |
| 1.25x | Everyday listening once you are used to it |
| 1.5x | Recaps of things you partly know |
| 2x | A quick refresher |

There is no right answer. Start at 1x and move up until you notice yourself missing things, then step back one.

## Ways people use it

**The commute queue.** Share a handful of articles and videos to SumAI in the morning, then listen to the summaries on the way to work.

**Review by ear.** The night before an exam or a meeting, listen again to the summaries you read earlier in the week. Hearing material in a different form is a useful second pass.

**Second-language practice.** Set the summary language to the one you are learning and the speed to 0.75x. You get short, structured listening practice on topics you chose. See [summaries in 60+ languages](https://getsumai.app/features/summarize-in-any-language/).

**Resting your eyes.** After a day of screens, listening is easier than reading.

## What Listen reads

Listen reads the **summary**, not the original video or document. That is the point: an hour-long talk becomes a few minutes of audio containing its key ideas.

If a point catches your attention, the full source is still there. For videos, the [key moments](https://getsumai.app/features/key-moments-and-chapters/) take you to the exact part of the original.

## How to listen to a summary in SumAI

1. **Create a summary.** Paste a YouTube or web link, or pick a PDF, and choose a style and a language.
2. **Press Listen.** Open the summary and press **Listen** to have it read aloud.
3. **Set your speed.** Choose 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x to match how closely you want to follow.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can SumAI read a summary aloud?

Yes. SumAI's Listen feature reads a summary aloud, and you can set the speed to 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x.

### Can I listen to a PDF or web article with SumAI?

You can listen to the summary of a PDF or web article. SumAI summarizes the document first, then the Listen feature reads that summary aloud.

### What playback speeds are available?

Five: 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x and 2x.

### Is listening to a summary better than watching the video at 2x?

They suit different goals. Watching at 2x still takes half the video's length and keeps the speaker's examples and tone. Listening to a summary takes a few minutes and gives you the key points. Use the summary to decide which videos deserve the fuller treatment.