DialTale is a serialized audio drama network that delivers short stories exclusively over the phone. Each series lives on its own phone number. You call the number and a short episode plays, usually a few minutes. Call back and the story picks up where you left off.
About the business
DialTale is operated by DialTale, LLC. We produce original audio drama series and publish them through inbound phone lines rather than an app or a feed. Our series are Misfortune, a horror audio drama, and Dispersed, a science fiction audio drama, each on its own phone number. Episodes are pre-recorded audio; there is no live agent on the line. More about the company is on our About page.
Calls are free to place from most US mobile and landline plans, the same as any other domestic call. Your own carrier's rates apply.
What happens when you call
- A short hook and a series introduction play, including a content advisory for the series you called.
- Your episode plays. The line remembers your place by your caller ID, so your next call continues the story.
- When you're caught up, you hear a short message about when the next episode opens.
If your caller ID is blocked, the line can't hold your place, so you start from episode one each time you call. We say so on the call.
The first episodes of a series are free the first time you hear them, in order. Later episodes will take an episode credit, which you can buy at dialtale.fm/credits. During a call you can jump back to an episode you've heard to the end by pressing its number, then pound; a jump uses one episode credit, even to a free episode.
How the text alert sign-up works
Sign-up starts on the phone call itself, by keypad, or on a DialTale sign-up form in one of our social media ads or on our website. We only add a number that has opted in. On a form, you tick a box to agree to text alerts; a second, optional box is for promotional texts.
On a call:
- At the end of a call, callers who haven't signed up hear the offer: "Press 1 for texts when new episodes drop."
- Pressing 1 plays the full terms, start to finish: "By pressing 1, you agree to get recurring automated text alerts about new episodes and stories from DialTale. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. No purchase required. Reply HELP for help, or STOP at any time to end them. Terms and privacy policy are at dialtale.fm."
- Pressing 1 a second time, after those terms have played, asks us to send one text to your phone. Any other key, or no key at all, ends the call, and you are not signed up.
- Reply YES to that text and you're signed up. If you don't reply, you're not signed up and we send nothing more. The text also tells you how to get help and how to stop. After you reply YES, alerts arrive when new episodes open.
Promotional texts (special offers such as episode credits, merchandise, live events and sponsor deals) are separate and optional. Once you get text alerts, the line may offer them on a later call. Pressing 1 then asks us to send one text; reply OFFERS to that text to turn them on. If you don't reply, you get none.
Stopping alerts, and getting help
Reply STOP to any DialTale text to end every DialTale text. Reply HELP for help, or write to contact@dialtale.fm. Full details are in our SMS terms and privacy policy.
Contact
Email contact@dialtale.fm for anything: support, press, sponsorship, or privacy questions. DialTale is operated by DialTale, LLC.