Hyperlocal news titles are set to get help to transform the articles they publish into audio files.

The Independent Community News Network is partnering with SpeechKit, a tool which turns news stories into audio clips using natural sounding AI voices that have been specifically enhanced for written news content.

The audio takes seconds to produce using a WordPress plugin, and once it’s ready readers can use the audio player that sits beneath the headline to listen to a news story.

The tool will be available to members of ICNN, the hyperlocal trade body, with a 30pc discount.

ICNN Emma Meese said: “At ICNN we are always looking for new ways to help our members and when we heard about SpeechKit and saw it in action, we knew it would be a huge benefit to our members and help them expand their audiences even further.”

HTFP reported on Friday how Yorkshire Post business reporter Ismail Mulla begun to trial making audio versions of his stories available for website readers who are pressed for time.

Ismail used online audio distribution platform Soundcloud to record a version of a feature he wrote in order to help those who don’t have time to read the piece on a screen.