Update 2/24/2026
The app is now available on the App Store. The link is here.
I’ve been acting for a little over three years now. In that time, I’ve done short films, features, commercials, and a lot of auditions. And through all of it, I kept running into the same problem: there wasn’t one app that had everything I needed to prep.
I’d use one app to run lines, another to time cold reads, a notes app to break down characters, and then scramble to find a monologue when one was needed for class or a submission. My phone was a mess of half-used apps and none of them were designed with actors in mind.
So I built one.
What Is SceneReady?
SceneReady is an actor’s toolkit. It has 10 tools that cover audition prep, scene practice, and daily training. Everything is in one place and it works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Here’s what’s in it:
AI Scene Partner — You paste in your sides, tell it who you’re playing and who your scene partner is, and it reads the other character’s lines out loud. You can pick from different voices and adjust the speed. It’s not going to replace a real scene partner, but when you’re running lines at midnight before an early morning audition, it gets the job done.
Teleprompter — Auto-scrolling script display built for self-tapes. You can adjust the scroll speed while it’s running, which was something that annoyed me about other teleprompter apps. You had to stop, go into settings, change the speed, and start over. In SceneReady you just tap the plus or minus button.
Cold Read Timer — This one is for practicing reading under pressure. You set the amount of time, paste in a script, and it counts down while you read. It’s a good way to train yourself to absorb material quickly.
Monologue Library — Over 50 monologues searchable by type. You can also upload your own, which I think is important because most actors have a go-to list they’ve built over the years and it’s nice to have them all in one place.
Character Builder — Deep script analysis. Objectives, obstacles, tactics, backstory. It walks you through the breakdown so you don’t miss anything.
Sides Annotation — You can upload your sides from a PDF and mark them up with beats, actions, notes, and emotions. Color-coded so you can see everything at a glance.
Self-Tape Toolkit — A step-by-step checklist for self-tape day so you don’t forget to check your lighting, your framing, or to slate.
Rehearsal Journal — Track what you worked on, what clicked, and what to focus on next time.
Daily Warm-Ups — Voice and body exercises to do before a session or an audition.
Industry Glossary — Because when I started, I didn’t know what half the terms meant and I was too embarrassed to ask.
Why I Built It
I wanted to build something that was actually useful for actors. And I wanted it to be affordable. If you look at most actor apps out there, they all charge a monthly subscription. Five dollars here, ten dollars there — it adds up. Actors already pay for headshots, classes, coaching, casting sites, union dues, and everything else. The last thing we need is another monthly fee.
SceneReady is $0.99. One time. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads. You pay once and you have it. And it will never be more than that.
I come from a tech background and I’ve been building apps on the side for a while now. When I realized that no one had built a simple, affordable toolkit for actors, it felt like an obvious thing to do. I use these tools myself. I built them because I needed them.
What’s Coming Next
I’m already working on the next updates:
- Networking & Community Hub — A way for actors to connect.
- Self-Tape Feedback Exchange — Get honest feedback on your self-tapes from other actors.
Try It
SceneReady is currently in beta testing through TestFlight. If you want to try it before it hits the App Store, you can download it here:
https://testflight.apple.com/join/s4khn3Ud
I’m looking for feedback — what works, what doesn’t, any bugs or issues you run into, and any features you think would be useful. This app is built for actors, so if there’s a tool you wish you had, I want to hear about it.
If you’re an actor who’s tired of juggling five different apps and paying monthly for all of them just to prep for an audition, I think you’ll like this one.
Simon Shih 