DAISY Audio Books
DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) is the international standard for accessible talking books. TAB2Read supports on-demand streaming of DAISY audio books with the full range of structured navigation features that make DAISY superior to regular audiobooks.
On-Demand Streaming vs Traditional
Section titled “On-Demand Streaming vs Traditional”
What Makes DAISY Different from Regular Audiobooks?
Section titled “What Makes DAISY Different from Regular Audiobooks?”Regular audiobook apps (Audible, Apple Books, etc.) treat audio books as a single long audio stream with chapter marks. DAISY books are fundamentally different — they are structured documents with multiple layers of navigation built in.
| Feature | Regular Audiobook | DAISY in TAB2Read |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | Chapters only | Chapters, pages, phrases, headings |
| Bookmarks | Simple timestamp | Named bookmarks synced to server |
| Position sync | Per-device | Synced across devices via DODP server |
| Speed range | Usually 0.5x–2x | 0.5x to 3.0x without pitch distortion |
| Content search | Not available | Search within book text |
| Table of contents | Flat chapter list | Hierarchical, searchable TOC |
| Streaming | Download first | Stream on demand or download |
| Standard | Proprietary | Open international standard |
DAISY audio player — full view showing play/pause, chapter nav, progress bar, speed, and navigation controls
Navigation Modes
Section titled “Navigation Modes”DAISY books support three levels of navigation, allowing you to move through the book at different granularities.
Chapter Mode
Section titled “Chapter Mode”Jump between chapters or sections using previous/next controls. The table of contents shows the full chapter hierarchy.
Page Mode
Section titled “Page Mode”Navigate by page number — matching the original print edition. Useful when following along with a class or discussion group.
Phrase Mode
Section titled “Phrase Mode”Move sentence by sentence through the narration. This is the most fine-grained navigation available — essential for studying, reviewing details, or when you missed something.
Chapter navigation — previous/next chapter buttons with chapter title displayed
Page navigation mode — showing page number with previous/next page buttons
Table of Contents
Section titled “Table of Contents”The TOC in DAISY books is hierarchical — chapters contain sections, sections contain sub-sections. TAB2Read displays this structure and allows you to:
- Browse the full table of contents
- Search within the TOC to find a specific section
- Jump directly to any point in the book
- See your current position highlighted in the TOC
Table of Contents view — hierarchical chapter/section list with search field and current position indicator
Bookmarks
Section titled “Bookmarks”TAB2Read supports two types of bookmarks for DAISY books:
Online Bookmarks (Synced)
Section titled “Online Bookmarks (Synced)”When reading from the library (online), bookmarks are saved to the DODP server. This means:
- Bookmarks are available across all your devices
- Your last reading position (lastmark) syncs automatically
- You can start reading on your phone and continue on your iPad
Offline Bookmarks (Local)
Section titled “Offline Bookmarks (Local)”When reading downloaded books offline, bookmarks are saved locally on your device.
Adding a bookmark — confirmation showing bookmark saved at current position
Bookmarks list — saved positions with chapter names and timestamps
Content Search
Section titled “Content Search”Search for specific words or phrases within the DAISY book content. Results show the matching text with its location, and you can jump directly to any result.
Content search — search field with results showing matching text and chapter location
Player Controls
Section titled “Player Controls”The DAISY player provides full playback control, all accessible through VoiceOver:
- Play / Pause — start or stop narration
- Previous / Next — navigate by chapter, page, or phrase (depending on selected mode)
- Playback Speed — adjust from 0.5x to 3.0x without pitch distortion
- Sleep Timer — auto-stop after a set duration or at end of chapter
- Bookmarks — mark positions for later reference
- Skip Forward / Backward — configurable skip intervals (5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds)
- Progress indicator — current position in chapter and overall book
DAISY player controls — play/pause, previous/next, speed slider, progress bar
Speed control — slider showing 0.5x to 3.0x range with current speed highlighted
Sleep Timer
Section titled “Sleep Timer”The sleep timer offers preset durations:
- 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute (for quick listening)
- 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes
- End of chapter — stops at the natural break point
The “end of chapter” option is particularly useful for bedtime reading — the narration completes the current chapter rather than stopping mid-sentence.
Sleep timer dialog — duration options including "End of chapter"
Player Settings
Section titled “Player Settings”Customize the DAISY player to your preference:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Skip forward duration | 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds |
| Skip backward duration | 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds |
| Auto-continue | Automatically play next chapter when current one ends |
| Haptic feedback | Vibration feedback when navigating |
How Streaming Works
Section titled “How Streaming Works”Traditional DAISY apps require downloading the entire book before you can start listening. TAB2Read streams DAISY audio on demand:
- Tap Play — narration begins within seconds
- No download progress bar — you listen, not wait
- Chapter navigation works immediately — jump to any section
- Works on mobile data or Wi-Fi
If you prefer, you can also download books for offline reading.
Streaming mode indicator — showing online streaming status with buffering progress
Offline Reading
Section titled “Offline Reading”To read without an internet connection:
- Navigate to the book’s detail page
- Tap Download
- The book downloads in the background
- Once complete, the book is available on your Bookshelf for offline access
Downloaded books include all chapters and navigation data.
DAISY Format Support
Section titled “DAISY Format Support”TAB2Read supports both major DAISY formats:
- DAISY 2.02 — the widely used standard, supported by most talking book libraries worldwide
- DAISY 3.0 — the newer standard with enhanced navigation capabilities
Both formats provide the same rich reading experience in TAB2Read.
VoiceOver Shortcuts
Section titled “VoiceOver Shortcuts”The DAISY player supports VoiceOver gestures for efficient, hands-free control:
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Magic Tap (two-finger double-tap) | Play / Pause |
| Escape (two-finger scrub) | Close player |
| Swipe up (on player) | Next chapter |
| Swipe down (on player) | Previous chapter |
| Custom action: “Add Bookmark” | Save current position |
| Custom action: “Open TOC” | Open table of contents |
| Custom action: “Change Speed” | Adjust playback speed |
These gestures work without needing to navigate to specific buttons — they are available whenever the player is focused.