Hi, I think it's my first time posting in this forum, I have posted in many other places like Audiogames but not here.
Anyhway I am posting it here because developers are not supposed to put their own apps in the app directory, but I am a totally blind developer and maybe someone here can try it out and post the app in the directory if you find that it is useful for you.
I made a new app called EchoBox player (Ecobox is its original name in Spanish) that serves as a media player (mp3s, m4a, m4bs with chapters, etc) and now it has Daisy support.
One of the cool things and useful for blind people I guess is the relative volume slider which lets you set the volume for the media relative to the system instead of the volume slider lowering/raising the system volume.
Another things that are useful are the scroll gestures for voiceover which, with 3 finger scroll left/right it seeks by indicated time which you can configure with scroll up/down (of course these are available via buttons also).
You can then have effects like an EQ, reverb, etc though these have been less tested and there might still be some bugs in these.
I'd appreciate feedback. Here is the description fromo app store.
Echobox player is an elegant, privacy‑minded audio player built for everyday listening. It respects your library, keeps folders as folders, and adds smart features that make long‑form audio a joy—chapters, effects, transcripts, and more—without getting in your way.
Whether you’re listening to audiobooks, podcasts, lectures, or long mixes, Ecobox balances reliability with power. It runs great on‑device, handles big local libraries, and even plays live Internet radio.
- Preserve folder structure: Import entire folders and keep your organization intact. EchoBox mirrors your file tree instead of flattening it.
- Per‑file Relative Volume: Dial in the loudness of each file without permanently altering audio. Normalize your library tastefully—ideal for podcasts and audiobooks recorded at different levels.
- Chapters done right: Fast chapter detection for m4a/m4b and MP3 (ID3 CHAP). Jump quickly via a clear, accessible chapter list and dedicated button.
- Effects when you want them: Optional EQ, low‑cut, reverb, and a smart compressor powered by a robust AVAudioEngine path. Effects are off by default and won’t destabilize normal playback.
- Storage awareness: A tidy footer shows used and free space so you always know when it’s time to declutter.
- On‑device transcription: Generate timestamp‑aware transcripts from your audio using Apple’s Speech framework. Prefer on‑device models when available, with a clear live progress view.
- Internet Radio (.radio): Save and play live streams with a simple .radio file. EchoBox optimizes controls for live playback and gets out of your way.
- Swift, fast, and private: No accounts. No trackers. Your library stays on your device.
What’s New
Version History
8 Oct 2025Version 2.0
- Fixed missing localizations
- added Daisy book support (audio)
- New feature: create marker on pause which does just that, can create a marker when you pause.
If any daisy book fails, let me know.
Link:
https://apps.apple.com/co/app/echobox-player/id6751859578?l=en-GB
Comments
Interesting
Does EchoBox player support DAISY books in a zip archive?
When I download DAISY audio books from my library they download as a zip bundle archive.
Smooth, but can EchoBox play these directly?
WMA support?
I wonder if support for WMA files is possible? Using this app to listen to music LOL.
Support for DOCX, RTF, TxT files
Hello, very exciting to see such an app because I watch all my audio describe movies and TV shows in MP3 format. Is there anyway to add the ability to store and read text files? I’ve listed three very common ones in the subject line where the first one is a Microsoft Word extension. Thank you.
my request
I'll try and explain my request.
When you plug your phone to a computer and you go to either iTunes or the apple devices app, you have a files section.
There you have a list of apps you can transfer files and folders to, VLC Media Player is one of those apps that has this option.
If your app had this option, I could just grab a folder that contains an audio drama and quickly transfer it over.
Daisy books in a zip
Hi,
Yes, EchoBox supports zip
and WMA?I don't think so. Is this something you need? It seems like an old audio file format.
file sharing, book support
Hi,
EchoBox should support file sharing from the files app, for zip, audio files, and folders. If not, let me know, as it may be a bug. You should just enable it in the apps section of your share sheet.
As for rtf and docx and epubs and such, no. EchoBox isn't a book player. This is being done by someone else, I am on the beta team and it should be out soon.
thank you
I will check this out! I love a lot of your other programs! Thanks for doing what you do!
Re: WMA
Yeah, I got a few old, yet high quality instrumental music with WMA format. so, if you can, it will be nice.
Suggestions and Feedback
Thank you for putting so much effort into creating this little gem. I have been experimenting with it over the past day and I really love it. It’s definitely something I will use frequently, and it’s always wonderful to see app design that considers accessibility. So, a big thank you for that.
After using it for a day, I have a few observations and suggestions I would like to share for you to consider.
In several areas, it would be helpful if you could improve the English translation. For example, when I am playing something, there is an option to see how many minutes are left, but the remaining time is displayed in Spanish. The same issue occurs with the Equalizer in the Settings, where the presets are all in Spanish as well. Correcting the English translation would be great if possible.
Another point and a question: when creating a folder and naming it, the Create button is in an unusual location. It’s not a deal breaker, but could it be moved to the upper right, with maybe a Cancel button at the top left corner? This is typically where I would expect to find these buttons as a blind user with VoiceOver, instead of having to swipe left and right to locate them. Currently, the Create button is about a quarter of the way down from the right side, which is unusual. Additionally, I noticed that when creating a folder, there is no option to cancel or at least a physical button for it. I know you can use a two-finger scrub to exit, but some users might prefer the option to tap the upper left if they change their mind.
Another suggestion—there might be a way, but I haven’t found it—how to rename a file or folder after adding a file or after creating a folder. Renaming the folder or file no longer seems possible. As a bonus, it would be great to be able to move files into folders without having to delete the file and add it again, as sometimes I want to rearrange things and I haven’t found a way to do this.
Lastly, I sometimes have issues with bookmarking. I can’t quite pinpoint the problem, but it behaves oddly at times. For example, once I used the Make a Bookmark feature and it didn’t save the spot, or sometimes the remaining time doesn’t update. For instance, I might be 20 minutes into something, but the time still shows 12 minutes and doesn’t progress, and the Make a Bookmark feature doesn’t work in those cases either. Have other users of your app experienced this? I could try to reproduce the problem and record it if that would help, but the bookmarking and remaining time features can be inconsistent at times.
Again, thank you so much for this wonderful app. I will definitely be using it often. Keep up the great work.