- Audible has launched a new reading tool that gives users the option to use text sync to follow audiobooks
- It is rolling out now in the US and will be available in the UK, Australia and Germany in the coming months.
- Despite its focus on accessibility, users must own the audiobook and e-book versions of a title to use the feature.
Amid the growing popularity of e-reading, Audible’s position as one of the best audiobook providers has not changed and is now redefining the way you immerse yourself in your favorite audiobooks.
Audible’s new ‘Read and Listen’ tool, launching today (February 18) for customers in the US and for those in the UK, Australia and Germany in the coming months, is a new way to follow audiobooks by combining reading and listening in the Audible app. Previously, use of this feature was restricted to the Kindle app as part of the Whispersync for Voice tool.
Using text syncing, Read & Listen gives you the option to read while listening to an audiobook, presenting another way to interact and enjoy your favorite books, but it’s much more than that, according to Audible Chief Product Officer Andy Tsao.
“Audiobooks count as reading,” Tsao says in a press release announcing the feature. “But now on Audible, you can also read with your eyes. Read & Listen gives book lovers the best of both worlds. Whether you’re learning a new language, studying for school, or lost in the world of a story, you’ll no longer have to choose one format over the other.”
In addition to the new Read & Listen tool, Audible revealed that it has been testing another feature that weaves together digital and physical reading, apparently taking inspiration from Spotify’s audiobook update that lets you purchase physical books directly from the app. As it stands, select customers in the US have access to Audible’s version of the feature, which includes direct links to physical book listings on Amazon’s site.
You can enable Read and Listen with a touch of the toggle button, switching between that and the standard “Listen” mode, as well as including hundreds of thousands of titles in a multitude of languages. This isn’t Audible’s only goal with Read and Listen: accessibility is another key factor, but it has a drawback that I can’t overcome.
An accessibility feature or a new business model?
Reading to Listen isn’t just about giving book lovers more ways to enjoy audiobooks, it also opens another door for those with accessibility needs to immerse themselves in new ways of reading like everyone else.
As Audible says; “Read & Listen serves as a powerful tool for differentiated instruction. Research indicates that reading and listening simultaneously improves comprehension and retention, benefits that are particularly valuable for students, language learners, and people with dyslexia, ADHD, or low vision.”
It all looks great on paper, but there’s one problem I can’t get past: you need to have both the e-book and audiobook versions of a title to take advantage of Read & Listen, which is a bit complicated.
Audible hasn’t shared the reasons behind this, and it could simply be that Audible hasn’t mastered the full potential of Read and Listen, and is starting small before expanding, but the obvious answer is that it’s a business model, as it means users will have to spend more money to buy multiple versions of their favorite titles through Audible and Kindle if they want to try what Read and Listen has to offer.
We’ve reached out to Audible for comment on why this is the case and will update this story once we receive more information.
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