AR
Ananya Rao@ananya.reads
Finished The Remains of the Day on the 7:40 local. That last page undid me. Who else has cried on public transport?
24
8
Open beta · Now in India
The book club for people who underline.
Ballad is the book club that's always open. No set book, no meeting to miss: share what you're reading, follow people whose shelves you trust, and talk books with people who read like you.
- Free
- 18+
- No password: just your phone
Every kind of reader has a shelf here
Literary fiction to fantasy, Hindi poetry to cricket biographies. If you read it, there's room for it.
What's inside
Everything a reading life needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Share what you're reading
Your thoughts, a photo of this month's stack, the line that stopped you mid-page. Up to 2,000 characters and ten pictures, each kept in its own shape.
A feed with no tricks
The people you follow, newest first. Nothing pushed in from strangers, nothing shuffled to keep you scrolling.
Conversations you can follow
Comments with one level of replies, so a good argument about an ending stays easy to read. Changed your mind? Edit yours any time.
Save the good ones
Bookmark a recommendation for your next trip to the bookshop. Saves are private: only you see what you've saved, and nobody sees a count.
One like. That's it.
No menu of reactions to choose from. If a post made you smile, nod or reach for your to-read list, a single heart says so.
A profile that feels like a shelf
Your picture, a short bio, your posts and the ones you've loved, with your counts standing like spines on a shelf. Seen by members only.
How the feed works
“Your feed is the people you follow, newest first.”
That's the whole algorithm. You'll know you're done when you reach yesterday's posts, and then you can go and read.
Two reading lights
Read by sunlight, or by lamplight.
The app comes in two looks, and you can switch any time in Settings. Try them here: this page changes too.
House rules
A quieter, kinder corner of the internet.
The way a good library works: open to everyone who comes in, calm, and careful with what you tell it.
- No passwords. Sign in with your mobile number and a six-digit code. No email needed.
- Grown-ups only. Ballad is for readers 18 and over.
- Members only. Profiles and posts are seen by signed-in readers, not by the open web or search engines.
- Only what we need. Your phone number, birthday, gender and location are never shown to anyone. Pictures are cleaned of hidden details like GPS before they're stored.
- Free to join. No subscription to read, post or follow.
Questions
Before you pull a book off the shelf.
What is Ballad?
Ballad is the book club that's always open. There's no set book and no meeting to miss: you post about the books you're reading, with words and pictures, follow other readers, and talk books in the comments. It's in open beta in India and runs in your browser at app.balladclub.com.
Is Ballad free?
Yes. Joining and using Ballad is free.
Who can join?
Anyone 18 or older with an Indian mobile number. More countries will follow.
How do I sign in?
With your mobile number and a six-digit code. There's no password to create or forget, and no email needed.
Is there an app for iPhone and Android?
Ballad works in any phone browser today: just open app.balladclub.com. Apps for iPhone and Android are in the works.
Who can see my profile and posts?
Only signed-in members. Profiles and posts aren't shown to the open web or to search engines, and your phone number, date of birth, gender and location are never shown to anyone.
What are margin notes?
Our signature post, coming soon: a favourite line from a book with your own note written beside it, the way you'd scribble in a margin.
Your next favourite book is in someone else's margins.
Come and find it. It takes a phone number and a minute.
Join the book club