Audible moves away from audio-only model with ‘Read & Listen’ feature – Tech Digest

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Audible has launched “Read & Listen,” a feature that embeds “immersion reading” directly into its application.

This update moves away from a strictly audio-only model, allowing users to follow along with synchronized, highlighted text that stays in lockstep with the narrator’s voice.

While the ability to switch between Kindle and Audible formats has been available through Whispersync for years, this integration unites both experiences within a single interface.

Users can now toggle between “Listen” and “Read & Listen” modes without switching apps. As the narration plays, the corresponding on-screen text is highlighted in real-time, creating a unified sensory experience between sight and sound.

Audible’s Chief Product Officer, Andy Tsao, notes that the move aims to provide a way to “read with your eyes too,” effectively treating audio and text as equal partners.

Beyond convenience, company research suggests that combining auditory and visual stimuli improves cognitive retention and focus. Audible reports that users who simultaneously read and listen consume nearly twice as much content per month as audio-only subscribers.

These benefits make the tool especially relevant for students, language learners and individuals with different learning needs, claims Audible. The feature is available at launch for hundreds of thousands of titles in English, German, Spanish, Italian and French.

To use the tool, users must own both the audiobook and the corresponding eBook. To simplify this, Audible has added a “Read & Listen” library filter that automatically identifies matching pairs in a user’s collection.

While the feature is currently rolling out to US customers, it is scheduled to arrive in the UK, Australia, and Germany in the coming months.

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