Some stories don't live in the ingredients. They live in the voice telling them. The rhythm your grandmother used when she read a recipe out loud, the laugh your dad let out at the end of a phone call, the pause your mom took before she said "and don't forget the vanilla." Voice Recipes let you keep those voices in your cookbook. A small QR code prints on the page, and anyone with a phone camera can scan to listen.
Before you start
Voice Recipes are a Cookbook Plus feature. If you don't have Plus yet, you'll see an option to unlock it right on the Media tab — "Add a voice to this page — unlock with Plus."
You can add a voice to Story pages and Dedication pages. Recipe pages, photo pages, and dividers don't currently support voice but a Story page paired with the recipe is the typical way families do it.
How to add a voice to a page
1. Open your cookbook and go to the Story or Dedication page you want.
2. Open that page's Edit dialog and choose the Media tab.
3. Pick how you'd like to add the voice: Call & record, Record or upload, or Add a link.
Option 1 — Call & record the storyteller
This is the easiest way, and it's the one families come back to. We place the phone call for you, capture the story, and drop it straight into the book.
1. On the Media tab, choose Call & record.
2. Enter the storyteller's name (for example, "Grandma Rose") and their phone number.
3. Add a prompt if you'd like — the question you'd love them to answer, such as "Why did you start making this every Christmas Eve?"
4. Choose Call. We place the call right away.
What the storyteller hears: a warm greeting explaining who's calling and why, your prompt if you added one, and a note that the call is being recorded. After the beep, they start talking. When they're done they can press the # key or simply hang up. They'll then hear the recording played back and can press 1 to keep it or 2 to record it again.
Once it's saved, the recording appears on your page and you'll get an email letting you know it's ready.
** Tips for a great call:
- Some phones flag unknown numbers as "Scam Likely." Ask the storyteller to expect our call — or to save the number as a contact — so it doesn't go to voicemail.
- Recordings can be up to about 10 minutes, so there's plenty of time for a real story.
- Didn't go through, or want a better take? Just call again. Retrying is completely fine.
Call & record works with US phone numbers.
Option 2 — Record or upload audio
Already have the audio, a voice memo, a clip a relative sent, a file you saved from an old answering machine? Choose Record or upload and add it. Common audio file types are supported.
Option 3 — Add a link
If your audio lives somewhere else — a family Dropbox, a podcast episode, a memorial site — choose Add a link and paste the web address. The QR code will point people there.
After you add a voice
A QR code appears near the top of the page and prints in your book. It's small on purpose and made to scan reliably.
Use Replace to swap the audio behind the same code, or Remove to take it off the page. Removing doesn't delete the recording. It goes back to Your recordings, so you can place it again anytime.
The QR code is permanent. You can re-record or change what it points to whenever you like without reprinting your book. So if you catch a mispronounced name, or want to add a follow-up message a year later, you can.
Reuse a voice you've already recorded
Every recording you make is saved to Your recordings.
On the Media tab, choose Your recordings to see them, play them back, and place one on the page. This is how you put the same voice on two pages — say, a dedication and a recipe — or get a recording back if you deleted the page it was on.
Delete a recording for good
From Your recordings, choose Delete recording on the one you want to remove permanently. This is a one-way action. The audio is gone and the QR code that pointed to it will no longer play anything.
How your family listens
No app, no account, no download.
1. Open the phone's built-in camera (iPhone or Android — both work).
2. Point at the QR code.
3. Tap the notification that appears.
4. The recording plays right in the browser.
The audio lives at a private link tied to your cookbook. Anyone holding the physical book can scan and listen — no one else can find the recording online.
Common questions
1. Is Voice Recipes included in my plan?
Voice Recipes are part of Cookbook Plus. If you're on a Standard plan you'll see an upgrade option on the Media tab.
2. Which pages can have a voice?
Story pages and Dedication pages. If you want a voice with a specific recipe, the typical pattern is a Story page facing the recipe.
3. How long can a recording be?
Call & record supports about 10 minutes per recording. If someone has more to say than that, break it into a few clips and place them on different pages.
4. Does Call & record work outside the US?
Not today. US phone numbers only. If your storyteller is outside the US, use Record or upload with a voice memo they send you.
5. What if the scan doesn't work?
Make sure the phone's camera app is allowed to scan QR codes (iPhone: Settings → Camera → Scan QR Codes). Most cameras pick up the code from 4–8 inches away in decent light. If the code is on a shiny page, tilt the book slightly to reduce glare.
6. Can I use music instead of a voice?
Voice Recipes are designed for people, but any audio file that's yours to use is fair game. Please don't upload copyrighted music you don't have rights to.
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