Literacy is a key value for us here at HereComeTheGirlsBlog. We enjoy reading at least 2 books a night to our two little ones. Our eldest, who’s 5, is now able to read a few pages for herself. There’s nothing better than cuddling in bed reading to stir the imaginations and get the kids off to sleep.
What is the Cloudaloud audio app and who is it for?
Cloudaloud is an audiobook discovery engine and audio player all rolled into one. It’s designed specifically for kids and young teenagers to use. The content is curated and there are parental controls so kids can use the app on their own, giving them a sense of independence. Subscription costs £3.99 per month.
Getting started
Download the app from the Cloudaloud app store, or Google store sign up for a subscription and away you go.
To being with you can browse through books groups by categories. Some books are included in the subscription price but others need to be purchased separately. We were impressed with the vast quantity of books available. It took quite a while to decide which books we wanted to read.
Buy the physical book as a companion, right from the app
A neat touch is the ability to purchase the physical book right from the information page. I didn’t try this but I image that’s a wonderful way for a child to experience a favourite of theirs.
Listening to audiobooks is a lovely way to spend time as a family
The family road-tested that app several different ways. The first was in the car. It made a long journey lots of fun and because quite a few stories are quite short – especially some of those aimed at younger kids – each of use took it in terns to choose a story. Sort of like a story mix-tape.
Next we had it on in the background when crafting. This was perfect. The combination of concentration with a fun story beautifully read in the background was bliss!
What the creator says
How did Cloudaloud come about?
Cloudaloud was founded in 2018 by Nic Jones, the owner of Strathmore Publishing, which has been producing children’s audio for over 20 years. Nic saw how the decline of the CD was affecting the children’s audio industry, and making it more difficult for children to access the stories, so Cloudaloud was born!
What need is the app and book library addressing?
In terms of the app, there are wonderful physical audio players out there, but we are focused on bringing stories to everyone. We chose our price point carefully to ensure that we were as accessible to as many family as possible. But the real beauty of Cloudaloud is how user-friendly it is to even very young children. We designed it to be used by them independently, to help them find stories they wanted to try. Parents can feel safe popping Cloudaloud on their 6-year-old’s tablet in a way they may not with other digital content apps. The bookshop follows the same logic. Rather than “children’s” being a genre, the entire site is for children’s books, and we break things down into categories like Animals, Space, and School Stories, so they know just where to look for what they want!
Will you be bringing the app to Alexa and other smart speakers?
Absolutely! Our goal is to make children’s audio as accessible as possible, and to bring the joy of listening into people’s everyday lives. Understanding how people use tech in their homes is a big part of that – and we understand the power of Alexa!
How has the library of books on the app been selected?
We’ve got partnerships with 40+ publishers, literary agents, and media aggregators who are some of the best in the biz, and every audiobook on the app must both offer a positive benefit to children (for example, is it educational, or does it address an anxiety?) and be a high-quality recording.
Which came first, the audiobooks or the bookstore?
Audiobooks! Audio will always be our primary focus, but in fact we believe audiobooks ARE books, that they’re just another form of reading. Audiobooks aren’t in competition with physical books as far as we’re concerned!
What future plans do you have?
You’ll have to wait and see!
Conclusion
We love audiobooks. The Cloudaloud team have created a wonderful kid friendly app and have curated a brilliant selection of books. If there was room for improvement we’d say that the back catalogue needs to be increased a little bit. Some of our favourite bedtime stories aren’t yet available such as those of Rob Biddulph.
Disclaimer: We were given a year’s free subscription. As with all our reviews it is an honest and unbiased opinion. Consider links to be affiliated.
