Audm - New Yorker, Atlantic Reviews

by Mbbrrr

this app has great content though, as others have pointed out, has sparse offerings from some of the publications that may have attracted you. Audm is a stripped down audio player with no bookmarking, cross device play is hit and miss if you use more than one device, forget trying to fast scrub by touch—it isn’t supported. It will not play next in Low Power Mode. Audm also stutters, does weird time indexing (buffer mishandling), inserts strange awkward pauses. “Did the article end?” “No it’s just pausing for irritating effect.” It is very difficult to recommend the service as implemented despite the great content. Today I could not get Audm to play for several minutes without quitting Audm repeatedly. These are issues still present from prior versions! Does the developer do version updates to bump bad reviews? I may cancel out of frustration, but I will give it one more version 0.0.X

by Señor Dingdong

This is a horrible app. The content is fine although you have to pay for things you are already paying for if you are a subscriber to any of the publications. Also, quite few articles are published here. But the really horrible part is the reading. Even if you set it to 2x speed it is mind boggling slow. The worst part however is that every time the article has a full stop the audio pauses for several seconds. As in many many seconds. So stressful and it really makes Audm useless. iOS even things the audio has stopped so it pauses and restarts. Very strange. The pause is what you would expect between two articles but not something that happens hundreds of times in one article. Having listened to one article for 40 minutes, which should have taken maybe 20, I have never been more stressed ever. To preserve my health I have now deleted Audm .

by Tiny_Wings

I have been using Audm for nearly 2 years now and I have been enjoying it. There are still some longstanding pesky bugs and issues with the usability, but that's not what I'm here for. Since NYT acquired this app, Audm changed for the worse. Previously this app mostly marketed itself as an app for verified longform articles, which were read by professional narrators. I liked it a lot. But since the acquisition, this app is full of short NYT columns or op-eds which don't have much info. Sure, NYT has good articles too; but what NYT pushes to this app are short columns that are mostly not very informational. And worse still, those short NYT columns are *read by the reporters*. Where have the professional narrators gone? Sure, some of the reporters have really good voices clear pronunciation, but the quality of the narration varies a lot depending on who reads it. Why all NYT articles should be read by the authors themselves? They are not professional narrators. Can this app please come back to its old self, Audm with verified good-quality longform articles, read by pro narrators?

by Canavansbackyard

As the title of this review indicates, I think the developers of this app had a great idea. Sadly, it has not been implemented very effectively. From a purely technical point of view the user interface is a bit clumsy. The way in which articles are selected, queued, and played could be a lot cleaner. More annoying is Audm ’s propensity to crash. For example, as I am writing this (the last day of October 2019), Audm nearly always crashes when scrolling through the list of available periodicals.

I could perhaps live with these technical shortcomings, but far more troublesome are the content issues, viz., the lack of good articles from which to select. Given the lengthy list of periodicals Audm touts, the developer would have prospective users think that there is a vast, vast number of quality articles from which to chose. But that’s not really the case. To cite just one example, the last article available from “The New York Review of Books”, a semi-monthly publication, was two and a half months prior to the writing of Audm review.

by 1anggrl

I like this app generally but a few things keep me from using it as often as I had hoped. My complaints-1) I’d like more longform pieces. When the feed is overrun by 5-10 minute short pieces and op-eds it’s disappointing. It’s the longer news stories, profiles, features, and investigative pieces that I really want from Audm. Also, there are times when a long print piece from a participating publication will get a lot of attention on social media during the work week, and I will think “great, I will catch that on this app this weekend” and it never appears. Or it takes several weeks. Not sure what’s happening there. 2) The car interface is annoying because you have to line up all of your preferred articles in a queue in advance. You can’t just play straight through the current news feed. 3) This is probably the most important item— please stop having NYTimes reporters read their own work. Stick to the professionals voice folks. It genuinely impacts the quality of my listening experience with Audm, to the point that I will often just switch to another article, podcast, audiobook, or NPR because I just… cannot. It is a lot like listening to your classmate being made to read a passage out loud to the class— awkward, and sometimes even cringey, for listener and reader both.

by DNmaker

I love this subscription so much — the ability to listen to long-form news and magazine articles while working or traveling is such a great thing to have. The individuals who do the readings are engaging and soothing to listen to, and the breadth of article availability is awesome.

Audm , however, is so very frustrating. I’ve frequently had articles stop playing as soon as I minimize the article or when my phone locks, which obviously isn’t sustainable for a listening app. I have also had articles stop playing every time they reached the end of a paragraph. CarPlay integration is similarly dysfunctional. Each article takes up too much space on the main screen, it takes an inordinate amount of scrolling. The author filter is nice I guess, but you have to scroll through an endless list of authors to select one. I think a voice actor filter with the ability to type to complete would be more handy for an app such as this. Genre/topic filters also seem like a no-brained to add. And I pray for the day when the desktop player is finally implemented.

I still recommend the service, but it has a ways to go.

by Is Amore!

This would be an everyday experience for me- fantastic articles and fabulous readers well-worth the annual cost - but there are shortcomings that make me seriously hesitate now that renewal time draws near.
1) navigating within the article is mysteriously difficult- I want to scroll back to sections that were particularly interesting or that I need to refresh my memory for relevant details - sakes alive, some of the articles are nearly an hour long and the 15 second review button ain’t gonna help much.
2) The article menu wastes visual space on pictures that don’t help me decide whether or not to listen to an article. I would much prefer a 2 sentence summary of the article rather than a picture and 6-7 words. If I have a print magazine in front of me, I can easily skim to decide but that’s extra difficult here.
3) i wish I could track and save articles that I particularly enjoyed or that I want to refer back to. As it is now, they just slide ever-farther down the article scroll, endlessly replaced by new articles that make me realize how much I’ve forgotten because I can’t find them again.

by OregonKatana

I used to listen to this all the time and really loved how many different periodicals contributed. But, as time has gone on, I have found the various stories to be part of an echo-chamber. While the narrators are superb (they really are), the featured stories themselves are all of a piece: primarily NY-based, liberal, etc. Don’t get me wrong; I *am* liberal, but the effect of having pieces from the NYorker, the NYT, the Atlantic, etc...they’re all pretty much the same after a while (or covering the same topic). There’s just not enough variety. I find myself listening only to the book reviews nowadays (principally London Review of Books) or those from Outside. Otherwise...I find the lack of variety of topic and viewpoint to be both stultifying and too much of an echo-chamber. I’m not learning anything “new,” and I will be canceling when my subscription runs out.

by DiyaSensei

Whyyyyyy is this the single app I actually pay a subscription for, yet it is SOOOOO GLITCHY!! It feels like a joke. Every other audio app runs fine, and all of those are free/unpaid! The playback pauses randomly for huge gaps time. Pauses randomly when you lock the phone screen. Pauses randomly during G Maps directions. Yhe queue/download system is absurd, and glitches out if you try to manyally reorder it, and every couple weeks it forgets your queue’d stuff entirely and reverts back to things you had saved and already listened to OVER A YEAR AGO. In this day and age, it feels like an absurd joke to pay for a subscription and the interface be this terrible. It is sooooo annoying, and makes me want to request a refund almost. What Audm offers is FANTASTIC, and very worth the price! But the faulty design is infuriating. And halts me entirely from recommending to friends.

by AlexanderAnthonyLopez

I’m so grateful for this service!

Getting to experience some of my favorite writers, narrated by high quality professional voice actors and narrators is awesome!

I usually stick to The New Yorker, ProPublica, The Atlantic, The London Review of Books and similar periodicals, but having this app has really opened me up to so many fascinating publications with top tier journalists that I might’ve not engaged with or even known about previously.

Notably, the work coming out of Outside magazine is excellent, gripping and very informative.

I think this app does a great job at democratizing access to tons of the best journals, while keeping an affordable price.

I know I am not able to afford some of these journals at their normal prices, so having a six dollar a month audio-alternative is great.

I’ve also read that this app pays the publications and the narrators fairly and it all seems to be very ethical and ultimately contributing to greater access to great minds who are pushing the public to think critically about the issues of the day.

Definitely worth subscribing! I probably spend about two hours each day listening to this app. Great for listening while commuting, working out, cooking, cleaning, etc.

by Juergiegirl

I live in LA and I’m in the car a lot. I love my New Yorker and Atlantic, but don’t always have time to plow through the long-form articles… though I want to, since they tend to be well-researched and beautifully written - not to mention about fascinating topics. Audm has changed all that. I can “listen” to all these amazing articles by having them read to me by fabulous voiceover artists while driving. What a treat! Worth every penny. The other bonus is I’ve stumbled across terrific pieces from other magazines I don’t normally pick up. It has seriously broadened the depth of my knowledge in many different areas. Highly recommend!!

by Banzaifly

Disregard my earlier review — the developer got back to me and I was just wrong. They *do* provide the full description from the publisher; you just need to tap on the description field to see it. My bad! Thanks for the excellent service and for getting back to me, Listen In Audio, Inc.

Excellent app, I love the idea as well as the content. This is something I’ve been thinking of, myself, for years and they have executed the concept beautifully. However, I just can’t understand why the user isn’t able to see the full synopses of the articles prior to listening. You see a small sub-headline in the “Discover” feed, but when you click on the article it just launches right into the content so that you don’t really know the entire concept of the article before you start it. I’ve had to search the titles of the articles online to try to find synopses, because otherwise I’m never sure whether I’m actually interested in what the article is about. Short descriptions (could be the ones written by the original publication, doesn’t need to be complicated) would go a long way in improving the usability of Audm.

by -RSE

This is the first time I have ever penned a review for an app. this app, however, is unlike any app I’ve ever downloaded.

Every person has a unique amount of money, intelligence, good fortune, etc. But we are all allocated exactly 24 hours in a given day. The ability to listen to the most relevant long form journalism while doing activities that I must do anyway (driving, exercising, cleaning) means that I am able to get more out of my allotted 24 hours. For this I am grateful.

The articles are excellent- I think it is fair to say these are among the best current writers alive today. this app makes it even better by engaging the very best narrators in the business to read the articles. Grover Gardner is, without question, the best reader in the history of audiobooks or articles. Julia Whelan does an excellent job every time. The entire narrating crew is consistent and excellent.

Audm ’s performance has been flawless and the customer service is competent, helpful and responsive (I asked a question via email that was addressed immediately).

Rarely can an app make a person smarter. this app makes me smarter.

Thank you for your creativity and delivery.

by Permanentdaylight

I originally downloaded Audm to listen to some specific article fully intending to delete it after the free trial period because really who needs another subscription, especially when podcasts exist for free. But surprisingly I found that it’s well worth it - for one, subscriptions to all the different magazines this app pulls from would be way more than $9 a month. There’s a pretty steady stream of new articles available too. The narration is audiobook quality and for the narrators who read a bit too slow for my taste, the option to listen on 1.1x speed basically eliminates that issue without making it sound distorted or weird. I spend all day looking at a computer for work so it’s really nice to be able to listen to great journalism without having to spend more time sitting looking at a screen.

My only complaint is I wish they had some ways to filter articles by genre or content, like categories or tags for “film” “music” “opEds” “literary criticism” “tech” etc. For new subscribers there’s a significant back catalogue of articles and I’m sure there are interesting finds in there, but it’s difficult to navigate through them if you don’t either have a specific one in mind, or don’t want to scroll through every single one.

by Conwayman

this app is perhaps the best example of an app positively rotating into my daily routine. Better than meditation. Better than games. Def better than twitter. I love the New Yorker but it sits on my coffee table collecting dust for 3 months until my wife puts it in the pile. And maybe I read the big year long researched feature or maybe not. On this app it is read by a professional voice actor. Like watching a movie on opening weekend or watching a tv show as it airs it allows you to understand the important journalism happening as it is published. I find a lot of pleasure in that. And the catalog is nuts. From Texas monthly to buzzfeed. It’s a perfect app for me. It replaces bad podcasts that I overly dine on. Audm is fairly bare bones, but you can imagine it will evolve as Audm finds its core audience. I love it.

by J________P

There is so much great writing out there today, and I’ve always struggled to stay up-to-date on new pieces from the popular press. this app is the perfect way to “read” the major articles from all of the best media outlets without having to spend additional hours in front of your computer every day, and without having to subscribe to 15+ publications. I’ve been ravenously consuming articles since I purchased Audm - it’s been around for two years and you have access to everything produced since 2018 - especially while doing household tasks or lounging around. The voice actors are excellent, and the topics range from politics to technology to art and culture. It is definitely worth the price if you listen to it regularly.

by Rp052552

I think the service provided by this app is one of my best finds over the last year. Being able to listen to these wonderful articles in multiple journals while I’m driving somewhere or even just sitting at home listening is a real pleasure. At first I felt a little guilty that I was listening to these articles instead of reading them. But after a while I realized it was no different than listening to the books I listen to on Audible or to the podcasts that I listen to. The narrator‘s are excellent and the addition of this service to my listening pleasure has been exquisite. I strongly recommend it and have actually purchased subscriptions for a few friends and family already. I certainly hope it continues to grow and improve over time but for right now it’s just a pleasure to have it.

by Joey DB

I suspect I’m one of many people who will excitedly open a new internet browser window to an intriguing Atlantic, New Yorker, Rolling Stone, etc .... article, only to notice the length and proceed to then sadly either close the article’s window out, or - resolutely suppressing an ever-expanding sense of futility - add the article’s link to some rapidly growing “reading list”; this list in truth serving primarily to induce within me, a curious breed of FOMO.

I’ve spent the first day and a half of my free trial listening to one, after another, of this type of article: Narrated to me in an engaging tone by a voice actor; all of this occurring while I organize my room, clean dishes, and generally complete the mind numbing tasks which used to suffocate
my ability to read topical and/or deep-dive articles about topics that I wanted to understand.

by Tr In Sf

If you like both the Longread format and podcasts, this is a great app to check out. this app manages to get really interesting longread content (in a variety of lengths from 15 minutes to well over an hour, sometimes in multi-part serial articles) in a huge variety of topics. I like episodic podcasts also but sometimes on my runs or at the gym, I want to plug into something different and have the ability to curate a really interesting listening queue. I’ve listened to tracks on crime, politics, science, health, pop culture, and some totally random stuff that is so compelling. Some major publications with great credibility. You won’t be disappointed by the content or the audio quality. Over the 18 months I’ve been a subscriber they have made major improvements to the interface and quality. If I ever have a technical issue the dev team responds rapidly - a rarity with apps today. I’ve recommended this app to several friends so far and they’ve signed up. The bottom line .... I don’t go for my long distance runs or short plane rides without it :)

by Famke Girl

At first I balked at paying for yet another subscription service. As a news and podcast junkie, I’m pretty maxed out on subscription payments; however, Adum has replaced podcasts and audiobooks as the first place I check for listening when getting into the car or free time at home. The selections are left and center left in content and include ProPublica and the Texas Monthly. As a subscriber since the beginning, Adum has expanded and increased its daily new content. Another thing is they’ve asked what content listeners are interested in and replied to any query I’ve made.

One thing I’d like then to offer is a family streaming service that would let me share content, even for a slightly increased price. That would be awesome.

by Bkd1

I’m a big fan of audible, it allows me to “read” many more books than I have time to, listening to anything that strikes my fancy. As soon as the New Yorker started the experiment online with the long form podcasts I jumped to get this app! What could be better? I am writing this because I think it could be better.
My chief complaint is with some of the readers. It’s really hit or miss with certain ones simply ruining the experience for me. I like the quirkinesses if some of the articles.
this app had a great start. But now I find myself getting frustrated with the presentation. I wind up cutting it off in the middle-going to a new book in audible.
I keep checking this app. I see Audm as a work in progress.

by RG5602

I want Audm because I am losing my vision and ability to read, but the interface is not friendly enough to vision impaired!! I greatly appreciate Audm however because it expands my range of material that I have access to so greatly. I look forward to seeing some improvements to Audm. I have found their support to be very helpful and responsive, so I feel sure that there will be continuing improvements made to Audm .
Updating my comments in 11/19, I have to say I am disappointed to see no improvement in features for visually impaired seniors, who can really benefit from Audm! As my sight continues to fail, I have more and more need for contrast in the presentation! Why is this so hard to change?

by Ramoncito7

My favorite app to have on during my commute. I love podcasts, and NPR, and current event stories, but I rarely have enough time to read those interesting/entertaining/smart magazine articles that come up in my newsfeed all the time. This company not only reads those to you, but it’s roster of incredibly talented voice performers makes you feel like the listener and the writer are both taken care of and you can just relax and enjoy the articles. High production value and tons of magazine articles to choose from. You’d be hard pressed to find so much quality and value. Bravo. Love this.

by Vulpes Hornette

Audm is fantastic! Amazing, diverse and interesting content from huge publishers and talents, new pieces every day, gorgeous design, and easy to use. It took me a while to decide to subscribe, but I’m so glad I did and have never looked back. Audm has transformed my daily commute and broadened my understanding of so many topics and current events. I even like the voices of the readers.

I had one small technical glitch when I first started with it, but I was helped immediately over email. They asked me to delete and reinstall Audm , and from then on it’s been smooth sailing.

by Kellanstanner

This is the first app review I’ve ever left. I’m really confused by other reviewers issues with the interface. Everything works seamlessly for me. The content is reliable and has entirely changed the way I commute. It’s also basically allowed me to cancel my beloved New Yorker print subscription.

I had an issue with a beeping in my wireless headphones and the developers were prompt in responding to it. Even if there are some kinks - which I myself have not seen - the content far outweighs them. Get in on an early and affordable rate because I really think Audm is going to take off.

by Egretsrus

I’ve just written to the brilliant developers for probably the third time asking a dumb question (if I have to keep slapping my head like this I’m going to do serious brain damage). As before, I got a response so fast I wasn’t even looking for it yet. These people are so kind and smart and you will always hear from a real human who knows Audm down to the tiniest detail.
I can’t imagine how it could be improved...unless someday licensing permits a family subscription.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
PS I get articles from NINETEEN publications and they are read by the best actors/narrators, all of whom I love from my Audible books

by SFPolkSt

I’ve never written a review for ANY app but this app has had such a positive impact on my media consumption / life in general that I feel obligated to tell others about it. For what you get, the price is totally fair. Audm functions great. When there was a bug, I emailed and received a reply back from an engineer within a few hours. After the first fix failed, he worked with me to test out another solution, which worked. Audm itself: for any of you who love reading periodicals but hate lugging them around or managing subscriptions, Audm is for you. I download dozens of articles and listen to them when on a plane or in a car. I just hope they never stop making Audm

by Fairfax14

There is so much amazing journalism out there—and some of the best journalism appears in long form magazine articles. It’s just so hard to find the time or to subscribe to every magazine. Here is the solution — the best, most recent long form pieces performed by professional narrators. Who could ask for more? And yet, this app gives you more, because in addition to being able to listen, you can quickly and easily transition to reading the articles. Better yet, once you subscribe you have access to the entire catalog of articles dating back years — all from top publications. So, if there’s a topic in the news you want to learn more about, just search within Audm and you’re bound to find great, in-depth reporting on that content. It is easily my favorite app in years. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!

by Sanmatadiaor

I subscribe to several magazines that are included with Audm. I find that I am accessy more of the important messages included in the articles by listening vs reading. Both types of “reading“ have advantages, but I really appreciate the capacity to hear an article as well as read it the old-fashioned way. Actually, I am more likely to listen to an article then to “read” the text. I appreciate the quality of the narrators for articles that Audm offers.