When we published The birth of Voctale, the platform was a promise: audio stories where your choices change everything. Today, that promise has taken shape – and it goes far beyond what we had imagined.
Podcasts come to Voctale
Voctale is no longer limited to interactive audiobooks. We have added podcast support, with an episodic format: creators can publish episodes over time, with an "ongoing" or "completed" indicator. Listeners find their favorite podcasts directly in their library, with automatic resume where they left off.
A safe space for children
Family is at the heart of our concerns. The new child mode allows parents to create dedicated profiles for their children, protected by a 4-digit PIN code. Each profile automatically filters content by age: a 7-year-old will only see stories suitable for their age.
In child mode, access to purchases, the blog and community features is automatically blocked. Children have their own progress, their own favorites and their own bookmarks – everything is separate from the parent account.
At login, if child profiles exist, a profile selection screen appears – just like Netflix.
Series and sagas
Long stories deserve a proper framework. Series group multiple audiobooks in a specific order, with a dedicated page showing overall progress. Authors can create and manage their series from their dashboard, and listeners find the "continue series" section directly on the home page.
Search reimagined
The search bar has been completely redesigned. It now offers real-time suggestions while typing, trending searches, and even voice search for those who prefer speaking over typing. Results cover audiobooks, authors, genres and series.
An enriched audio player
The player has received many improvements:
- Audio equalizer with 6 presets (voice, audiobook, podcast, bass, night)
- Sleep timer customizable (5 min to 1h, end of chapter, or custom duration)
- Bookmarks with notes – mark a specific moment with a comment and find it easily
- Car mode with a simplified interface for driving
- Synchronized subtitles for maximum accessibility
- Timed choices in interactive stories – sometimes you have to decide fast
Community and sharing
Voctale has become a social space. Listeners can:
- Follow their favorite authors and receive notifications
- Create and share reading lists
- Join book clubs
- Participate in discussions on each audiobook
- Exchange on the community forum
A system of badges and listening levels rewards engagement: the more you listen, the more badges you unlock and the higher your level.
For creators
The author space has also evolved. Creators now have an integrated audio production studio that automatically cleans and optimizes audio files. The system handles background noise, volume normalization and compression – turning an amateur recording into professional-quality audio.
Authors with multiple narrators can manage contributions and commissions directly from the platform.
What is next?
We are preparing the public launch for this summer. In the meantime, we are working on the mobile app, smart recommendations based on your tastes, and new stories waiting to be discovered.
Voctale is your story. Literally.
