Understudy is a mobile app that lets actors import scripts and rehearse lines with an AI‑driven scene partner. The app uses real‑time speech recognition to detect spoken lines, generates synthetic voice responses for other characters, and provides line‑by‑line accuracy feedback. It supports over 30 languages, customizable synthetic voices, and collaboration tools, with unlimited rehearsals available through a paid Pro subscription.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Actors often struggle to find reliable rehearsal partners, record or source audio for other characters, and receive precise feedback on line accuracy, which slows memorization and limits practice flexibility.
Solution
Understudy delivers a mobile AI‑driven scene partner that lets performers import scripts, select a character, and rehearse by speaking their lines aloud. The app’s speech‑recognition engine detects line completion and automatically generates high‑quality text‑to‑speech audio for the remaining characters. After each run, it provides line‑level off‑book detection, allowing users to pinpoint exact moments they deviated from the script. The platform supports over 30 languages and dialects, offers a library of 50+ synthetic voices with customizable direction, and lets users adjust countdown timers and playback speed. Users can also browse public script collections or share scenes with collaborators, all while keeping their content private and securely stored.
Target Audience
The primary users are professional actors, acting students, voice‑over artists, and theater companies that require flexible, on‑demand line rehearsal and precise performance feedback.
Features
- Multi‑format script import (PDF, image, manual entry) with automatic character detection and private library management
- Real‑time speech recognition that identifies line boundaries and triggers AI‑generated TTS for other roles
- Line‑level accuracy feedback indicating off‑book moments after each rehearsal
- 50+ selectable synthetic voices with adjustable tone and direction for each character
- Support for 30+ languages and regional dialects with near‑perfect transcription accuracy
- Customizable rehearsal settings, including countdown timers, playback speed, and alternative reading modes (pause/skip)
- Public collections featuring complete works (e.g., Shakespeare) and sample monologues for instant practice
- Collaboration tools for sharing scenes and rehearsing with peers, with role‑based access controls and encrypted data storage