Text to Speech for Articles, PDFs & Webpages | Catch Gist

What

Catch Gist is a browser-based AI reader that turns a webpage, pasted text, PDF or other supported document, or image into a spoken "gist" — a narrated summary with main points shown as text — followed by an interruptible question-and-answer session, with an option to hear the full original text. It targets readers working through long articles, research papers, reports, and small sets of related sources. Its positioning is closer to a comprehension aid than a plain text-to-speech utility, since the summary-then-question loop, not verbatim playback, is the primary interface.

Features

• Gist-first briefing: Plays a narrated summary while displaying the written summary and main points, so users can judge whether the full document is worth their time.
• Interruptible Q&A by voice or typing: Users can stop playback at any point and ask a question, which supports clarifying dense or unfamiliar passages without leaving the material.
• Full-text playback: A "Hear the original" control in the player switches from summary to the source's own wording when exact phrasing matters.
• Multi-item input (up to 5): Accepts links, pasted text, documents, and images in one panel; the page states items are compared only when the user asks, which suits agreement-and-disagreement analysis across sources.
• Playback controls: Six output languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese), five named voices, and 0.75×–1.25× speed; the page notes these change only the audio, not the underlying text.

Helpful Tips

• Treat the gist as an orientation layer, not a substitute for the source. Verify figures, caveats, and quoted wording against the original before relying on them in published or decision-critical work.
• Ask explicit comparison questions when working across several items. Because comparison is described as question-triggered, unrequested cross-document synthesis should not be assumed.
• The 10 free uses are shared between gists and full-text listens, so budget them: use gists for triage and reserve full-text playback for material where wording is the point.
• Document coverage beyond PDF is described only as "supported." Confirm format handling with a representative file and a domain-specific question before adopting this in a recurring workflow.