To really make the most of your reading time, you should definitely check out text-to-speech tools like Speechify. It’s like having a personal assistant who reads anything aloud for you, whether it’s a long article, an important document, or even your favorite e-book. These tools are game-changers for boosting productivity and making content more accessible, letting you soak up information even when your eyes are busy. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get through their reading list faster while doing other tasks? If you’re curious about what else is out there and want to explore some top-tier options for professional AI voice generation, including a free tier to get started, you might want to check out Eleven Labs: Professional AI Voice Generator, Free Tier Available. It’s a fantastic way to experience how advanced AI voices can truly transform your content.
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What Exactly is Speechify?
You know how sometimes you just wish you could listen to something instead of reading it? That’s where text-to-speech TTS technology comes in, and Speechify is one of the big players in this space. Essentially, it’s an AI-powered tool that takes written text—from a webpage, a PDF, an email, or even a physical book you scan—and converts it into spoken words.
Think of it as your personal audiobook creator for pretty much anything. It’s not just for convenience. Speechify was originally created by Cliff Weitzman, who struggled with dyslexia, to help people like him make reading more manageable. But its appeal has really grown, reaching millions of users, because it’s genuinely helpful for so many different situations.
So, who’s Speechify really for? Well, it’s pretty versatile:
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- Students: Whether you’re dealing with dyslexia, ADHD, or just want to get through textbooks and study materials faster, Speechify can read aloud your assignments, notes, and articles, helping you understand and retain information better. Imagine listening to your lecture notes while commuting!
- Busy Professionals: Got a mountain of emails, reports, or industry articles to get through? Speechify lets you listen while you multitask, freeing up your eyes for other tasks and helping you stay on top of your workload.
- People with Reading Challenges: For those with visual impairments, dyslexia, migraines, or other conditions that make traditional reading difficult, Speechify transforms text into an accessible audio format.
- Language Learners: Hearing text read aloud by natural-sounding AI voices can significantly improve your listening skills and pronunciation in a new language.
- Anyone Who Prefers Listening: Honestly, sometimes you just prefer to listen. Whether you’re cooking, exercising, or relaxing, Speechify lets you consume content without staring at a screen.
With over 50 million users experiencing its power, Speechify truly aims to remove barriers to reading and enhance how we interact with digital and physical text.
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Getting Started with Speechify: A Step-by-Step Guide
Jumping into Speechify is actually pretty straightforward, no matter what device you’re using. Let’s walk through how to get it set up and start listening to your content.
Downloading and Installing
You’ve got options here, which is great because it means you can use Speechify wherever you are.
- Mobile Apps: If you’re always on the go, grab the Speechify app for your smartphone or tablet. You can find it on the Apple App Store for iOS devices or the Google Play Store for Android devices. Just search for “Speechify” and hit download.
- Web App Desktop: Prefer to listen on your computer without installing anything heavy? Speechify has a web app that works right in your browser on both Windows and Mac. Just head to their website, and you can usually log in and start using it directly.
- Chrome Extension: This is a real lifesaver for browsing the internet! The Speechify Chrome extension lets you listen to almost any webpage directly.
- To get it, open your Chrome browser and go to the Chrome Web Store.
- Search for “Speechify Text to Speech Voice Reader”.
- Click “Add to Chrome” and then “Add extension”.
- Once installed, you’ll usually see a little puzzle piece icon or the Speechify icon near your address bar. Click it, and you can pin the Speechify extension for easy access. It’s also available for Microsoft Edge users.
After installation, you’ll likely need to create an account or log in. This helps Speechify sync your library and preferences across all your devices.
Importing Your Text
Now that you have Speechify installed, how do you get your text into it? They’ve made this super flexible:
- Copy and Paste: This is probably the quickest way for short pieces of text. Just highlight the text you want to hear, copy it, and then paste it directly into the Speechify app or web interface.
- Upload Files: Have PDFs, Word documents, or other text files saved on your computer or phone? You can upload these directly into Speechify. It works with popular cloud services too, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, so you can easily pull files from there.
- Paste a Web Link: For articles or blog posts online, you can often just paste the URL into Speechify, and it will pull the text from the webpage to read aloud. This is super handy for catching up on news or research.
- Scanning Physical Documents OCR: This is pretty cool! Both the mobile app and the Chrome extension have an Optical Character Recognition OCR feature. You can snap a picture of a physical book, a handwritten note, a textbook page, or any printed text, and Speechify will convert it into digital text it can then read aloud.
Choosing Your Voice and Speed
This is where you start to personalize your listening experience. Where to buy zquiet near me
- Pick Your Voice: Speechify offers a wide range of voices. With the premium version, you get access to over 200 natural-sounding AI voices in more than 60 languages and accents. They even have some recognizable “celebrity” voices like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. The free version, however, usually has a more limited selection of standard, sometimes more robotic-sounding, voices. You can easily switch between them until you find one you like.
- Adjust Reading Speed: One of Speechify’s standout features is the ability to adjust the playback speed. You can slow it down if you’re learning something new or speed it up significantly—up to 4.5x or even 5x faster around 900 words per minute with the premium plan. This is a massive productivity booster!
Starting to Listen
Once your text is imported and you’ve picked your voice and speed, just hit the play button! Speechify will start reading your content aloud. You’ll typically find controls to pause, skip forward, or rewind, just like with a podcast player or audiobook.
Key Settings to Tweak
Speechify has some extra settings that can really enhance your experience:
- Text Highlighting: As Speechify reads, it can highlight the words on the screen, following along in real-time. This is super helpful for focus, comprehension, and retention, especially for students or those with reading difficulties. You can usually toggle this on or off in the settings.
- Auto Scroll: If you’re reading a long document on the web app or an article, auto-scroll ensures the text keeps moving, so you don’t have to manually scroll down.
- Offline Listening: For premium users, you can download audio files to listen even when you don’t have an internet connection. This is perfect for flights, commutes, or just saving data.
- Side Player: With the Chrome extension, you can have a small toolbar appear on the side of your screen, making it easy to control playback without obscuring the content.
Getting these basic steps down will have you enjoying your content in a whole new way in no time!
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Speechify Features That Matter
Speechify isn’t just a simple text-to-voice tool. it packs a bunch of features designed to make listening to your content as effective and enjoyable as possible. Where to Buy Art Prints: Your Ultimate Guide to Filling Your Walls with Beauty
Natural-Sounding AI Voices
This is often what sets good TTS apart, and Speechify puts a lot of effort into making its voices sound human. While the free version might offer more basic, sometimes a bit robotic, voices, the premium plans really shine. You get access to over 200 high-quality, natural-sounding AI voices across more than 60 languages and various accents. They’ve even got those fun celebrity voices like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow, which can make listening a unique experience. The goal is for the voices to be “indistinguishable from human voices,” making your listening experience pleasant rather than a chore.
Adjustable Reading Speed
Need to power through a lengthy report before a deadline? Or maybe you want to slow down to really grasp a complex topic? Speechify lets you control the playback speed, from as slow as 0.5x around 100 words per minute up to an incredible 4.5x or even 5x faster, which is about 900 words per minute for premium users. Many users report saving hours each week by listening faster, significantly boosting their productivity.
Optical Character Recognition OCR Scanning
This feature is a must for anyone dealing with physical documents. With Speechify’s OCR technology, you can use your phone’s camera to snap a picture of any printed text—whether it’s a textbook, a menu, or even handwritten notes—and the app will convert that image into digital text that it can then read aloud. It’s incredibly useful for digitizing and listening to content that isn’t already on your device.
Cross-Device Syncing
Imagine starting an article on your laptop, then seamlessly switching to your phone to continue listening during your commute. Speechify makes this happen. Anything you save to your Speechify library, including your progress, instantly syncs across all your devices—iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and the Chrome extension. This means you can pick up exactly where you left off, no matter where you are.
AI Summaries
For those moments when you need the gist of a long document without listening to every single word, Speechify’s AI Summaries a premium feature can be a real time-saver. This feature condenses lengthy texts into key takeaways, either as a paragraph or bullet points, helping you quickly grasp the main ideas and boost your comprehension. Best blender courses
Offline Listening & Downloads
While a stable internet connection is great for optimal use, there are times you just won’t have it. That’s why premium users can download their converted audio files, often as MP3s, for offline listening. This means you can listen to your content anywhere, anytime, without worrying about Wi-Fi or data.
Integrations
Speechify plays well with others. It integrates with various platforms and document types, making it super easy to get your content in. This includes:
- Google Docs, Word Docs, PDFs: Essential for students and professionals alike.
- Web Pages: The browser extensions Chrome, Edge are fantastic for reading articles, blogs, and news directly from the web.
- Emails: Yes, it can even read your emails aloud, turning your inbox into an auditory experience.
- Cloud Storage: Direct connections to Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive for easy file importing.
- Kindle: While some users have reported occasional formatting issues, Speechify generally offers integration to listen to your Kindle books.
These features collectively make Speechify a powerful tool for anyone looking to enhance their reading experience, improve productivity, or overcome reading barriers.
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Speechify Free vs. Premium: What’s the Real Difference?
So, you’re probably wondering, “Is Speechify actually free, or do I need to pay?” The answer is a bit of both. Speechify offers a free version that’s a good starting point, but like most freemium models, its true power is unlocked with a premium subscription. Unraveling ‘NQ Crypto’: Your Guide to Nasdaq Futures and Cryptocurrency Trading
The Free Experience: What You Get and What You Don’t
Yes, Speechify does have a free plan, and it’s available to everyone, including students. It gives you a basic introduction to text-to-speech technology without costing you a thing.
Here’s what you can expect from the free version:
- Basic Text-to-Speech: You can convert text from PDFs, images, and simple text messages into speech.
- Limited Voices: Typically, you get access to about 10 standard reading voices. However, many users find these voices to be somewhat “robotic” compared to the premium offerings.
- Standard Speed: Your listening speed will be capped, often at around 1x or 1.5x the normal pace.
- Usage Limits: Some sources suggest a limit, like 100 minutes of listening per month, which can be restrictive if you’re a heavy user.
- No MP3 Downloads: You usually won’t be able to download audio files for offline listening.
- Fewer Features: Advanced functionalities like AI summaries, scanning printed text in some cases, or skipping headers/footers are generally not included in the free tier.
The free plan is great if you just need basic text-to-speech for occasional use or want to test the waters before committing. But if you’re looking for a richer, more efficient experience, you’ll likely hit its limitations pretty quickly.
Unlocking Premium: The Full Experience
This is where Speechify really steps up its game. The Premium plan unlocks the full suite of features and significantly enhances your listening experience.
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- Unlimited Listening: No more worrying about monthly minute caps. listen as much as you want.
- High-Quality, Natural Voices: Access to over 200 “lifelike” AI voices across more than 60 languages and accents, including those celebrity voices. These voices are designed to be much more natural and engaging.
- Faster Speeds: You can listen at speeds up to 4.5x or even 5x faster around 900 words per minute, allowing you to power through content much more quickly.
- OCR Scanning: Full capability to scan and listen to any printed text, from books to documents.
- Offline Downloads: The ability to download your converted audio files often as MP3s for listening without an internet connection.
- AI Summaries: Get quick, AI-generated summaries of long documents to grasp key takeaways fast.
- Advanced Skipping and Importing: More refined controls for navigating your text.
- 24/7 Priority Support: For premium users, dedicated customer support is often part of the package.
- Cross-Platform Syncing: Seamlessly continue listening across your mobile apps, web app, and browser extensions.
Pricing Breakdown
Speechify’s pricing can vary slightly depending on current promotions and whether you choose monthly or annual billing. As of recent information, here’s a general idea:
- Monthly Premium Plan: This typically costs around $29 per month. It gives you full access without a long-term commitment.
- Annual Premium Plan: This is usually more cost-effective if you plan to use Speechify regularly. Prices generally range from $139 to $159 per year, which breaks down to about $11.58 to $13.25 per month.
- Lifetime Plan: Some sources mention a one-time payment of $299 for unlimited usage and all premium features forever.
- Enterprise Plan: For larger teams or businesses, custom pricing and features are available, often including API access and enhanced support.
Student Discounts? While Speechify is incredibly useful for students, there aren’t specific student-exclusive free plans or discounts beyond the standard free and premium options available to everyone.
It’s important to note that some users have reported potential “hidden” limitations, such as a 150k-word limit for premium voices even on paid plans, which wasn’t clearly advertised on the platform according to some reviews. Always check the most current terms and conditions directly on Speechify’s website to ensure you understand what you’re getting.
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Pros and Cons of Using Speechify
Like any tool, Speechify has its strengths and areas where it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. It’s good to weigh these before in. Unraveling the Threads: Your Guide to Sewing Machine GST Rates in 2023 and Beyond
The Good Stuff Pros: Making Life Easier
- Boosts Productivity: This is a big one for many users. By converting text to audio, Speechify lets you multitask. You can listen to articles, emails, or documents while you’re exercising, commuting, cooking, or doing chores. This means you can get through more content in less time, with some users reporting saving up to 9 hours a week.
- Enhances Accessibility: This is at the core of Speechify’s mission. For individuals with dyslexia, ADHD, visual impairments, or other learning challenges, Speechify can be a life-changing tool. It makes written content accessible through an auditory format, improving comprehension and engagement.
- Improves Comprehension and Retention: For many, listening to information, especially when combined with visual text highlighting, helps it “stick” better. It engages both auditory and visual senses, leading to a deeper understanding, particularly for complex material.
- Wide Range of Applications: Speechify isn’t just for reading books. It can handle PDFs, web pages, emails, Google Docs, Kindle books, and even physical text through its scanning feature. This versatility means you can use it for school, work, personal learning, and even just casual reading.
- Natural-Sounding Voices Premium: While the free version has basic voices, the premium AI voices are often praised for being highly natural and human-like. This makes for a much more pleasant and less fatiguing listening experience over extended periods.
- Customizable Experience: You’re in control of your listening. You can pick from a variety of voices, adjust the reading speed to your preference, and even tweak settings like text highlighting and auto-scroll.
- Cross-Device Sync: Seamlessly switch between your phone, tablet, and computer, picking up exactly where you left off. Your library and progress are always in sync.
Things to Consider Cons: Potential Drawbacks
- Cost of Premium Features: The free version is quite limited, and unlocking the most powerful features requires a premium subscription, which can be seen as expensive, especially compared to some alternatives. A monthly plan at $29 can add up, though the annual plan is more affordable.
- Varying Voice Quality Free vs. Premium: While premium voices are excellent, the free tier’s voices can sound noticeably robotic, which might not be engaging for everyone. There might also be occasional mispronunciations of certain words or symbols, especially in the free plan.
- Internet Dependency: While offline listening is a premium feature, the optimal functionality and quick loading of content often depend on a stable internet connection.
- Potential Hidden Limitations: Some user reviews mention unadvertised word limits for premium voices, even for paid subscribers e.g., 150k words, which can be frustrating if you’re not aware of it.
- Customer Service Concerns: A few user experiences suggest that customer service can be unhelpful or difficult to reach for some issues, particularly concerning refunds.
- Integration Quirks: While it integrates with many platforms, some users have reported issues with specific integrations, like Kindle, where text formatting can be “butchered,” leading to an unnatural reading flow.
- Feature Overload for Beginners: For someone just looking for basic TTS, Speechify’s extensive features might feel a bit overwhelming or unnecessary.
Ultimately, Speechify offers a robust and highly beneficial service, especially for those who genuinely need its advanced features for productivity or accessibility. However, it’s worth considering your specific needs and budget to determine if the premium investment is right for you.
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Speechify Chrome Extension: Reading the Web Aloud
One of the coolest and most practical ways to use Speechify is through its Chrome extension. Seriously, once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever browsed the web without it.
How to Install and Activate
Getting the Chrome extension up and running is super easy:
- Open Chrome: Just launch your Google Chrome browser.
- Go to the Web Store: Head over to the Chrome Web Store. You can usually find it by searching “Chrome Web Store” on Google.
- Search for Speechify: Type “Speechify Text to Speech Voice Reader” into the search bar.
- Add to Chrome: Click on the Speechify extension and then hit the “Add to Chrome” button. Confirm by clicking “Add extension” when prompted.
- Pin for Easy Access: After installation, you’ll often see a small puzzle piece icon Extensions icon in the top right of your browser, next to your address bar. Click it, find Speechify in the list, and then click the pin icon next to it. This will keep the Speechify icon visible for quick access.
Once installed and you’ve logged into your Speechify account if prompted, the extension is usually ready to go. On many web pages, you’ll see a small Speechify toolbar or icon pop up, or you can just click the pinned extension icon to activate it. Flow hair care products
Key Functionalities and Customization
The Chrome extension isn’t just a basic reader. it’s packed with features that enhance your web browsing experience:
- Read Any Webpage: This is its primary superpower. With a single click, Speechify can read aloud pretty much any text content on the active tab of your browser – articles, blog posts, news, emails like Gmail, and even content in Google Docs or Word Docs on the web.
- Real-time Text Highlighting: As the AI voice reads, the extension can highlight the words on the screen, letting you visually follow along. This is fantastic for staying focused and boosting comprehension.
- Voice and Speed Control: Just like the app, you can easily change the voice choosing from the wide selection, including premium ones and adjust the reading speed directly from the extension’s interface.
- OCR Scanning for Portions: Need only a specific paragraph or text from an image on a webpage read aloud? The OCR scanning feature lets you drag and select a specific area, and Speechify will read just that part.
- Auto Scroll: This setting makes sure the page scrolls automatically as the text is read, so you don’t have to keep manually moving down the page.
- Side Player: You can opt to have the Speechify control bar appear as a movable side player, keeping it out of the way of the main content.
- Sync with Your Library: Any content you listen to or save via the extension will sync with your Speechify library across all your other devices.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
While generally reliable, sometimes extensions can be finicky. If your Speechify Chrome extension isn’t working quite right, here are a few quick fixes:
- Refresh the Page: Often, a simple page refresh can resolve minor glitches.
- Check for Updates: Make sure your Chrome browser and the Speechify extension are up to date. Developers regularly release updates with bug fixes. You can check extensions by typing
chrome://extensions
in your address bar and clicking “Update” in the top-left. - Disable Other Extensions: Sometimes, other extensions can conflict with Speechify. Try temporarily disabling other extensions to see if that resolves the issue.
- Reinstall the Extension: If all else fails, a clean reinstall often does the trick. Remove the extension from Chrome, then download and install it again from the Web Store.
- Log Out/Log In: Sometimes, simply logging out of your Speechify account within the extension and logging back in can reset things.
The Speechify Chrome extension is a powerful tool for anyone who spends a lot of time reading online. It truly converts your browser into a listening device, enhancing productivity and making web content more accessible.
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Is Speechify the Best AI Voice Reader for You? Consider Alternatives
Speechify is undeniably a fantastic tool, especially with its premium features, natural-sounding voices, and versatility across platforms. It’s truly a standout for anyone looking to boost productivity, enhance comprehension, or access content more easily, particularly for those with reading difficulties like dyslexia or ADHD. The convenience of having text read aloud on the go, paired with features like adjustable speeds and OCR scanning, makes it a powerful option. Commercial espresso machine italy
When Speechify Really Shines
- Accessibility Needs: If you or someone you know struggles with traditional reading due to dyslexia, ADHD, visual impairments, or other conditions, Speechify’s comprehensive approach to making text audible can be life-changing.
- Multitasking Enthusiasts: For professionals and students who need to consume a lot of written information but are short on time, Speechify allows you to listen while doing other activities, effectively doubling your productivity.
- Cross-Platform Users: The seamless syncing across mobile apps, web app, and browser extensions is a huge plus if you work or learn across multiple devices.
- Premium Voice Quality Desired: If you’re willing to invest in the premium plan, the natural, human-like AI voices are among the best for a smooth and engaging listening experience.
A Brief Mention of Other Top AI Voice Generators
While Speechify is excellent, the world of AI voice technology is growing incredibly fast, and there are some fantastic alternatives out there, each with its own strengths. If Speechify’s pricing or specific features aren’t quite aligning with your needs, you might want to explore these:
- ElevenLabs: This platform is often cited for its exceptionally high-quality, natural-sounding voices, making them a strong contender, especially if voice realism is your top priority. They offer a variety of voices, languages, and accents. If you’re really serious about getting top-tier AI voices for any project, I highly recommend checking them out. You can even try them with a free tier to see the quality for yourself: Discover Professional AI Voice Generation with Eleven Labs – Free Tier Available!
- Natural Reader: This is another popular text-to-speech tool that offers a good free version with basic features and supports various document formats. Its flexibility, including the ability to create MP3 audio files, makes it a solid alternative for many users.
- Murf.ai: If you’re a content creator looking for professional voiceovers, Murf.ai stands out. It offers extensive customization over tone, pacing, and emotions, and even features like voice cloning for a truly personalized audio experience.
- Descript: This is a comprehensive audio and video editing platform that also includes text-to-speech capabilities. It’s particularly useful for creators who need to edit audio with text-based tools and can even create synthetic versions of your voice.
- Google Text-to-Speech: Often integrated into Android devices, Google’s TTS offers nearly human-quality voices and is free for personal use. While it might not have all the advanced features of dedicated apps, it’s a readily available option.
Ultimately, the “best” AI voice reader depends on your personal needs, budget, and how you plan to use it. Speechify holds its own with a robust set of features, but exploring alternatives can help you find the perfect fit for your unique workflow.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Speechify Text to Speech really free?
Speechify offers a free plan that provides basic text-to-speech functionality, but it comes with limitations. You’ll typically get access to about 10 standard voices that might sound a bit robotic, and your listening speed and usage might be capped e.g., 100 minutes per month. To unlock all the advanced features, natural-sounding voices, faster speeds, and unlimited listening, you’ll need to subscribe to a premium plan.
How much does Speechify Text to Speech cost?
Speechify’s pricing varies depending on the plan. The Premium plan typically costs around $29 per month if billed monthly. However, if you opt for the annual plan, it’s more cost-effective, often ranging from $139 to $159 per year, which breaks down to roughly $11.58 to $13.25 per month. There might also be a one-time lifetime payment option or custom enterprise plans available. Choosing the Right Commercial Embroidery Machine: Your Ultimate Guide to Top Brands
Can Speechify Text to Speech read PDFs?
Yes, absolutely! Speechify is excellent at reading PDFs. You can easily upload PDF files directly into the Speechify app or web interface, and it will convert the text into speech. The premium version even allows you to download the audio from PDFs for offline listening.
Are Speechify voices natural-sounding?
In its premium plans, Speechify offers over 200 high-quality, natural-sounding AI voices across many languages and accents. Many users find these voices to be very lifelike and engaging, making for a pleasant listening experience. However, the voices in the free version are often described as more basic or “robotic”.
Does Speechify have a Chrome extension?
Yes, Speechify has a very popular and functional Chrome extension. You can install it from the Chrome Web Store, and it allows you to quickly convert any text on a webpage, including articles, emails, and documents, into speech directly in your browser. It also offers features like text highlighting and speed control.
Is Speechify good for dyslexia?
Speechify was actually founded by Cliff Weitzman, who has dyslexia, specifically to help people with reading disabilities. It is widely regarded as an excellent tool for individuals with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning challenges. By providing an auditory way to consume text, along with features like adjustable reading speed and text highlighting, it can significantly improve comprehension, retention, and overall accessibility for those who struggle with traditional reading.
Can I download audio from Speechify?
Yes, if you have a Speechify Premium plan, you can typically download your converted text-to-speech audio files, often in MP3 format. This feature is crucial for offline listening, allowing you to access your content even without an internet connection. The free version generally does not support audio downloads. Vpn starlink yxz1000r
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