Built an iOS EPUB3 Media Overlay reader for synced text + audiobook-style playback
I built for generating EPUB 3 Media Overlay books from an audiobook + EPUB.
I’ve now made a small iOS reader app for the other side of that workflow: actually reading/listening to those EPUB3 Media Overlay files.
App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/epub-player/id6768852246
Source code:
https://github.com/seedds/EPUB_Player
The app is focused on EPUB3 books with media overlays, especially books where text and audio are synced. If the EPUB has media overlay support, the app can play the audio while highlighting the active text segment.
What it does:
- imports local EPUB files from Files
- plays EPUB3 Media Overlay audio
- highlights the currently spoken text
- lets you tap text to start playback from that point
- supports chapter navigation and resume
- includes basic reader controls like theme, font size, line height, highlight color, and custom fonts
- does not collect user data
This is mainly meant for people experimenting with read-aloud EPUBs, synchronized audiobook/text workflows, accessibility-style EPUBs, or Calibre libraries that include EPUB3 media overlay files.
It’s still early, so I’d be interested in feedback from people here who work with EPUB internals, Calibre-managed libraries, or generated EPUB3 files.
A couple of things I’m especially curious about:
- how well it handles EPUBs generated by different tools
- whether the import/library flow feels reasonable
- what features would make it more useful for a Calibre-based workflow
Thanks!