Amazon’s Audible today launched a new “Read & Listen” mode for its audiobook app, synchronizing ebook text with audiobook narration in real time. The feature, rolling out initially to users in the United States, allows listeners to follow along with a book’s text as it is read aloud, with the on-screen text highlighted to match the narration.
The new mode builds upon Amazon’s existing Whispersync for Voice technology, which enables users to seamlessly switch between reading an ebook in the Kindle app and listening to the corresponding audiobook without losing their place. Though, “Read & Listen” differs by offering simultaneous reading and listening within a single application – the Audible app itself. Previously, this synchronized experience was largely confined to the Kindle app.
According to Amazon, the Audible app automatically identifies ebooks in a user’s Kindle library that have audiobook matches. A dedicated filter within the app will then surface all available titles supporting the feature, eliminating the require for manual searching. The launch supports “hundreds of thousands of titles” across multiple languages, with expansion planned for the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany in the coming months.
“Audiobooks count as reading,” said Andy Tsao, Audible’s Chief Product Officer, in a press release. “But now at Audible, you can read with your eyes too.”
The introduction of “Read & Listen” arrives as the audiobook market continues to grow, and as competitors explore similar features. Just days before Audible’s announcement, Spotify announced its entry into physical book sales, including an audiobook feature designed to synchronize listening and offline reading progress, according to reports.
Amazon data suggests that users who engage with both reading and listening formats tend to complete more content monthly, and a majority report improved focus and retention. The company positions the new feature as a way to enhance engagement and comprehension for audiobook listeners.
