Heard

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Heard is a macOS-native voice interface and intelligent audio summarization layer designed for AI-powered coding agents and autonomous workflows. It operates as a system-level audio bridge between developer tools like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor and the user.
2. Core Value Proposition: Heard exists to provide developers with a hands-free, eyes-free method of monitoring complex, parallel AI agentic workflows. It transforms verbose, multi-terminal text output into concise, project-level audio summaries, enabling continuous workflow awareness without screen dependency and alerting users only when human intervention is required.

Main Features

1. Intelligent Audio Summarization: Heard processes the raw text output from connected AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) and uses natural language processing to generate succinct, spoken summaries. It filters out routine log noise and synthesizes the core status, progress, and outcomes into human-audible speech.
2. Context-Aware Notification Modes: The software offers configurable audio profiles. "Full Commentary" provides continuous narration for complete situational awareness. "Silent Mode" mutes all output until a specific trigger—such as a build error, test failure, or a decision point requiring user input—is detected, at which point it delivers a targeted audio alert.
3. Project-Level Parallel Agent Synthesis: When multiple AI agents or terminal processes run concurrently, Heard does not stream disjointed audio from each. Instead, it aggregates and analyzes all outputs at the project repository level, creating a single, coherent audio summary that reports on the overall state of the work, preventing chaotic "terminals talking over each other."
4. System Integration & Mobility: As a macOS application, Heard integrates directly with the operating system's audio and accessibility layers. Its "pair your phone" feature allows audio summaries to be streamed to a user's mobile device via local network or Bluetooth, enabling developers to stay informed while away from their primary workstation.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Cognitive overload and context switching caused by constantly monitoring multiple terminals or IDE panels for AI agent output. It eliminates the need for developers to visually poll their screens for status updates, reducing distraction and preserving deep work focus.
2. Target Audience: Software engineers and developers utilizing AI-powered coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot) for complex tasks; DevOps engineers monitoring automated build and test pipelines; researchers running long-running computational or data analysis scripts with agentic components.
3. Use Cases: Monitoring a multi-agent system refactoring a codebase; listening to test suite results while reviewing documentation on a second monitor; receiving an immediate audio alert when a deployment script fails during a coffee break; keeping track of a background code generation task while attending a virtual meeting.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike simple terminal text-to-speech (TTS) tools that read lines verbatim, Heard provides synthesized, context-aware summarization. Compared to dashboard or notification-center monitoring, it offers a purely auditory, non-visual channel that is less intrusive and more portable.
2. Key Innovation: Its core innovation is the project-level synthesis engine for parallel agents. This abstraction layer, which intelligently merges disparate data streams into a unified status report, is what transforms it from a read-aloud tool into a true workflow companion. The open-source model and freemium licensing (free for personal use) also lower adoption barriers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Heard work with AI coding agents like Cursor and Claude? Heard acts as a passive listener or hook into the output streams of these AI coding tools. It captures the text they generate, applies NLP summarization, and converts the key information into a spoken audio summary through macOS's speech synthesis, without interfering with the agents' primary operation.
2. Is Heard compatible with Windows or Linux operating systems? No, Heard is currently a native macOS application. Its development leverages macOS-specific frameworks for system integration and audio processing, and there is no official support for Windows or Linux platforms at this time.
3. What is the pricing model for Heard for commercial use? Heard is open-source software and is free for personal use. For commercial or team use within an organization, you should check the official repository or website for specific licensing terms, which may require a paid license or subscription.
4. Can I customize what triggers an audio alert in Silent Mode? Yes, the application is designed with configurability in mind. Users can define alert triggers based on keywords (like "ERROR," "failed," "approve"), regex patterns on output, or specific exit codes from shell commands run by the agentic workflow.
5. Does using Heard require an internet connection for speech synthesis? Typically, no. Heard likely utilizes the built-in, offline-capable text-to-speech voices provided by macOS (like Siri voices), meaning the audio generation happens locally on your Mac without sending data to the cloud.