SoundReads
"An audiobook streaming service focused on timeless classic public domain works, featuring curated and remastered human narrations from Librivox plus original voice actor recordings."
Marketing Channels
Hacker News
Shared in annual thread; generated enough traffic that creator posted a 50% off coupon ($11.75/year) for HN visitors
Product website / landing page
soundreads.io with marketing page; creator updated homepage in real-time based on commenter feedback to add 'Browse All Books' button
Content marketing (War of the Worlds restoration)
Featured a restored 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast as a free sample to showcase audio quality and differentiation
Growth Levers
- Surface the full content library to public visitors before requiring signup — implemented in real-time based on commenter feedback
- Lean into the 'human narration, no AI' positioning as a key differentiator in an increasingly AI-saturated market
- Continue expanding the original voice actor library to build exclusive content that cannot be found elsewhere
- Improve cover art and descriptions to reduce AI-generated perception — commenters flagged AI tells in visuals and copy
- Position as 'Standard Ebooks for audiobooks' — a commenter drew this analogy to Project Gutenberg, suggesting a clear brand narrative
- Use the audio restoration showcase (War of the Worlds) as ongoing content marketing to demonstrate craftsmanship
First Customer Strategy
Built a differentiated audiobook service by curating the best public domain narrations from Librivox, enhancing their audio quality, and commissioning original voice actor recordings. Used free samples like the War of the Worlds restoration to demonstrate quality and differentiate from AI narration.
Pricing Insight
Annual subscription at $23.50/year (full price), with a 50% HN coupon bringing it to $11.75 for the first year. Very affordable positioning compared to mainstream audiobook services like Audible.
New Market Opportunities
- Standard Ebooks analogy for audiobooks Compared SoundReads to what Standard Ebooks is to Project Gutenberg — a curated, quality-focused layer on top of public domain content
- AI-skeptical audiobook listeners Creator explicitly does not use AI narration because it 'just doesn't sound good' and sees this as a differentiator
- Audio restoration enthusiasts The War of the Worlds 1938 restoration demonstrates a unique skill set that could attract archival and restoration-focused audiences
Key Takeaways
- • Showing your content library upfront is critical for subscription conversion — hiding it behind a paywall loses potential subscribers
- • AI-generated visual assets (cover art, descriptions) can undermine trust even when the core product is genuinely human-crafted
- • Being responsive to user feedback in real-time (updating the homepage during an HN thread) demonstrates commitment and earns goodwill
- • Public domain content can be a viable business when curation, quality enhancement, and delivery experience add genuine value
- • Explicitly anti-AI positioning (human narrators only) can be a powerful differentiator as AI-generated content floods the market
- • Offering a compelling free sample (War of the Worlds restoration) is more effective than describing your value proposition abstractly
Sentiment Analysis
3 Pos / 1 NeuNotable Quotes
"You should surface the library of content to public visitors. I would be more likely to convert if I knew that you had the content I wanted. — megabless123"
"I'm seeing a lot of AI tells in the cover art and book descriptions. — rafram"
"So it's kind of like what Standard Ebooks is to Project Gutenberg. — ycombinete"
"When I read your first comment, I immediately thought that the audiobooks are voiced by AI. I'm really surprised to learn the opposite. — t0mk"
Comments
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