WordPress

What This Helps You Do¶

The Hi, Moose WordPress plugin lets you automatically convert your blog posts into engaging audio podcasts that visitors can listen to directly on your site.

Get the Hi, Moose plugin on WordPress.org ➡️ Listen to This Article - Text to Speech WordPress Plugin

The Listen to This Article plugin integrates with Hi, Moose's Podcast Generator to:

Transform written content into conversational audio - Two AI voices discuss your article naturally
Embed audio players automatically - Players appear on your posts with your branding
Improve accessibility - Give readers an audio option for consuming content
Increase engagement - Keep visitors on your site longer with audio content
Support 24+ languages - Generate podcasts in multiple languages

Unlike standalone text-to-speech tools, this creates natural, conversational podcasts where two AI hosts discuss your content—making it more engaging than robotic narration.

When to Use This¶

Blog-heavy WordPress sites - Convert articles into audio automatically
Content marketing - Give your audience multiple ways to consume content
Accessibility improvement - Make content available to audio-first audiences
Engagement boost - Increase time-on-site metrics
Multilingual sites - Create audio versions in various languages
News and updates - Let busy readers listen on-the-go
Educational content - Provide audio learning alternatives

Before You Start¶

Requirements¶

WordPress Installation
WordPress 6.0 or higher
PHP 7.4 or higher
Active WordPress site with admin access
Hi, Moose Account
Free or paid Hi, Moose subscription
Domain configured in Hi, Moose settings
Access to Podcast Generator feature
Plugin Installation
Ability to install plugins on your WordPress site
Plugins permission (Administrator role)

Important Notes¶

The plugin currently supports the Podcast Generator feature only
Audio files are hosted by Hi, Moose (not on your WordPress server) and use a global CDN
Your domain must be whitelisted in Hi, Moose to play audio
If you're on the Free or BYOK plan, each podcast generation uses podcast generation credits
For Paid plans, each podcast generation uses AI tokens

Step-by-Step Installation¶

1. Install the Plugin¶

Method A: From WordPress.org (Recommended)¶

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
Navigate to your WordPress site's admin area (typically yoursite.com/wp-admin)
Go to Plugins → Add New
Click Plugins in the left sidebar
Click Add New at the top
Search for the plugin
In the search box, type: Listen to This Article
Look for the plugin by Hi, Moose (look for the dog logo)
Install the plugin
Click Install Now button
Wait for installation to complete (usually 5-10 seconds)
Activate the plugin
Click Activate button
You'll be redirected to your Plugins page

Method B: Manual Upload¶

Download the plugin
Visit wordpress.org/plugins/listen-to-this-article
Click the Download button
Save the .zip file to your computer
Upload to WordPress
Go to Plugins → Add New in WordPress admin
Click Upload Plugin at the top
Click Choose File and select the downloaded .zip file
Click Install Now
Activate the plugin
After installation, click Activate Plugin

Configuring the Plugin¶

1. Set Your Domain in Hi, Moose¶

Before using the plugin, you must whitelist your domain in Hi, Moose:

Log in to Hi, Moose at himoose.com
Go to Settings
Enter your WordPress domain (e.g., yoursite.com)
Save your settings

Why this matters: Audio files will only play on whitelisted domains. When you generate a podcast in Hi, Moose, you'll see a "Domain Whitelisted" confirmation showing which domains can access the audio (e.g., "This audio file will only be accessible from himoose.com and himoose.com").

Without whitelisting, the audio player will not work on your WordPress site.

2. Access Plugin Settings¶

In WordPress admin, go to Settings → Listen to This Article
You'll see the plugin configuration page

3. Basic Configuration¶

The plugin works out-of-the-box with default settings, but you can customize:

Auto-embed: Automatically add audio player to posts
Player position: Anywhere within the body content
Player style: Customize appearance to match your theme
Post types: Which post types get audio (posts)

Generating Podcasts¶

For Individual Posts¶

Method 1: From the Post Editor¶

Edit or create a post in WordPress
Look for the "Listen to This Article" meta box in the sidebar
Click "Generate Podcast"
The plugin will:
Send your content to Hi, Moose
Generate the conversational audio
Automatically embed the player
Preview the audio player in your post

Method 2: From Post List¶

Go to Posts → All Posts
Hover over any post
Click "Generate Podcast" in the quick actions
Wait for generation to complete

Bulk Generation¶

Generate podcasts for multiple posts at once:

Go to Posts → All Posts
Select multiple posts using checkboxes
Choose "Generate Podcasts" from Bulk Actions dropdown
Click Apply
Podcasts will be generated in the background

Using the Audio Player¶

Automatic Embedding¶

Once a podcast is generated:

The audio player automatically appears in your post
Position depends on your settings (top or bottom)
Player includes:
Play/pause button
Progress bar
Playback speed controls
Volume control
Podcast title

Manual Shortcode (Optional)¶

If you prefer manual placement, use the shortcode:

[himoose_podcast]

Insert this anywhere in your post content where you want the player to appear.

Customizing Player Appearance¶

In Settings → Listen to This Article:

Choose a color scheme - Match your site's branding
Select player size - Compact, standard, or full-width
Enable/disable controls - Show or hide playback speed, download button, etc.
Custom CSS - Add your own styling if needed

Managing Podcasts¶

Regenerate a Podcast¶

If you update your post content:

Edit the post in WordPress
Find the "Listen to This Article" meta box
Click "Regenerate Podcast"
The plugin will create a new audio version with updated content

Delete a Podcast¶

To remove the audio from a post:

Edit the post
Click "Delete Podcast" in the meta box
The audio player will be removed from the post

View Podcast Statistics¶

See how many people are listening:

Go to Settings → Listen to This Article
Click the "Analytics" tab
View metrics:
Total plays
Average listen time
Most popular posts
Completion rates

Troubleshooting¶

Plugin Issues¶

Audio player not showing:

Verify domain is set in Hi, Moose settings
Check that post has a generated podcast
Clear WordPress cache
Check for JavaScript conflicts with other plugins

"Domain not whitelisted" error:

Go to Hi, Moose settings
Add your WordPress domain (without http:// or https://)
Save and try again

Generation fails:

Check your Hi, Moose account has available credits (if on a Free or BYOK plan)
Verify post has sufficient content (minimum 800 words recommended)
Ensure post is published and publicly accessible
Check Hi, Moose API connection within the WordPress Settings

Player not styled correctly:

Check for theme CSS conflicts
Try disabling other audio/media plugins temporarily
Clear browser cache
Use custom CSS in plugin settings

WordPress Compatibility¶

Theme conflicts:

Most themes work out-of-the-box
If issues occur, try switching to a default WordPress theme temporarily
Contact support with your theme name

Page builder compatibility:

Works with: Gutenberg, Classic Editor, Elementor, Divi
May need manual shortcode placement with some builders

Caching plugins:

Clear cache after generating podcasts
Exclude audio player elements from caching if issues persist

Advanced Features¶

Custom Voice Selection¶

Hi, Moose's Podcast Generator uses two AI voices for natural conversation:

Host Voice: The primary narrator who introduces topics and asks questions Guest Voice: The secondary voice who provides answers and additional context

Available voices include options with different tones and personalities.

To customize voices:

Go to Hi, Moose Podcast Generator at himoose.com
Select your preferred Host and Guest voices from the dropdowns
Generate the podcast with your voice pairing
Copy the audio embed code and use it in WordPress

Advanced Conversation Customization¶

For more control over how the podcast sounds, Hi, Moose offers advanced customization options:

Podcast Length:

Choose from: Short (4-5 minutes), Medium, or Long
Longer content = more detailed discussion
Shorter = focused on key takeaways

Conversation Guidance (all optional):

Host Direction: Guide how the host should present (e.g., "friendly, confident, and curious")
Guest Direction: Direct the guest's style (e.g., "analytical, detail-oriented, but still friendly")
The Scene: Set the environment (e.g., "a quiet podcast studio that is warm")
Conversation Style: Overall tone (e.g., "warm", "professional", "casual")
Conversation Pace: Speed of dialogue (e.g., "medium", "fast", "slow")
Accent: Voice accent preference (e.g., "neutral US")
More Context: Additional instructions for the conversation (e.g., "the listener is a busy marketer who wants key takeaways on engagement, SEO and AEO")

These advanced options are available when you generate podcasts directly in Hi, Moose. The WordPress plugin uses default settings but you can customize individual podcasts in the Hi, Moose dashboard.

Language Support¶

Generate podcasts in different languages:

Auto-detection (Recommended): Hi, Moose automatically detects your article's language and generates audio to match. This is the default and works for 24+ languages.

Manual selection: If needed, you can manually select a language in Hi, Moose's Podcast Generator:

Go to Podcast Generator at himoose.com
Select Language from the dropdown (instead of "Auto-detect from article")
Generate podcast - AI will speak in the selected language

Supported languages include: - English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese - Chinese, Japanese, Korean - Arabic, Hindi, Dutch, Polish, Russian - And 12+ more languages

Custom Player Branding¶

Customize the audio player's appearance to match your brand:

Player Colors:

Primary Color: Main player controls and progress bar color
Secondary Color (Gradient): Gradient accent for visual depth
Use the color pickers in Hi, Moose Podcast Generator to match your brand

Player Title:

Toggle "Show title above player" to display/hide the article title
Helps users identify what they're listening to

Preview: Hi, Moose shows a live preview of your player as you customize it

These settings apply to each podcast individually. You can choose different settings per podcast if you prefer.

Best Practices¶

Content Optimization¶

Ideal post length:

800-3000 words works best
Shorter content feels rushed
Longer content should be split into series

User Experience¶

Player placement:

Place at the top for maximum visibility
Place at bottom if you want readers to see other content first

Call-to-action:

Add a custom title on the audio player: "Prefer to listen? Click play below!"
Encourage audio consumption in your intro
Mention podcast availability in social shares

Performance¶

Generation timing:

Don't generate for very short posts (< 500 words)
Update podcasts only when content significantly changes

Plugin Settings Reference¶

General Settings¶

Enable plugin: Turn podcast generation on/off site-wide
Auto-embed: Automatically add players to the top of the post body. The himoose_podcast shortcode will override this.

Podcast Generator¶

The WordPress plugin uses Hi, Moose's Podcast Generator:

Direct control: Generate and customize in Hi, Moose dashboard
More options: Advanced voice selection, tone adjustment
Embed codes: Get custom embed code for copy/paste placement

See the Podcast Generator documentation for full feature details.

Support & Resources¶

Getting Help¶

Plugin issues:

Check WordPress.org plugin support forum
Search common issues in FAQ section
Contact Hi, Moose support

Feature requests:

Submit ideas on wordpress.org/plugins/listen-to-this-article
Vote on existing feature requests
Join Hi, Moose community discussions

Hi, Moose account issues:

Email support@himoose.com
Verify subscription and credits

Useful Links¶

Listen to this Article - Text to Speech WordPress Plugin page: wordpress.org/plugins/listen-to-this-article
Hi, Moose dashboard: himoose.com/dashboard
Podcast Generator docs: Podcast Generator

FAQ¶

Q: Does this work with Gutenberg?
A: Yes! The plugin works with Gutenberg (Block Editor), Classic Editor, and most page builders.

Q: Are audio files hosted on my server?
A: No, audio is hosted by Hi, Moose. This saves your server storage and bandwidth.

Q: Does this affect my site speed?
A: No, audio is loaded on-demand and the player size is minimal.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: The WordPress plugin is free. Podcast generation uses AI tokens, or podcast generation credits if you're on the Free or BYOK plans.

Ready to make your content even more engaging? Install the plugin from WordPress.org and start generating podcasts.