---
title: Image OCR & Read Aloud
category: Audio & Voice
icon: "\U0001F441️"
sort_order: 19
slug: ocr-and-read-aloud
canonical_url: 'https://basaltnotes.com/guides/ocr-and-read-aloud'
markdown_url: 'https://basaltnotes.com/guides/ocr-and-read-aloud.md'
---
# Image OCR & Read Aloud

Scan text from images and PDFs, and listen to your notes using the text-to-speech Audio Reader.

## Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

To extract text from images or PDF documents:
1. Drag and drop an image or PDF file into the editor.
2. Basalt automatically scans the file locally on your device.
3. Click the **Extract Text** button to paste the recognized text directly into your note as editable markdown.

## Read Aloud (Audio Reader)

To listen to any note:
1. Click the **Listen** speaker icon in the top header of a note.
2. Use the media player controls to play, pause, or skip paragraphs.
3. Customize reading speeds and voice variants in **Settings -> Accessibility**.