Spotify tests cool new audiobook feature that syncs reading and listening
Page Match could be Spotify’s latest audiobook feature, making the transition between audiobooks and paper books seamless.
Spotify has been steadily expanding its audiobook offering since it first launched over two years ago. Now, the platform appears to be testing a new feature designed to make switching between physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks almost frictionless.
Page Match is the new tool reportedly being tested, and was found within the Spotify app’s code by Android Authority. If it rolls out publicly, it could make it far easier for users to move between reading a book and listening to its audiobook version without losing their place.
How will Page Match actually work?
Page Match is designed to sync where you’re reading with where you’re listening, and vice versa. Want to switch from reading to listening? Simply scan the page you’re reading with your device camera. From there, Spotify takes you to that same spot in the audiobook.
Behind the scenes, Page Match utilizes something called optical character recognition (OCR). It’s OCR that helps identify what you’re reading, and lines it up with a specific timestamp in the audiobook. If it can’t quite identify your page, Spotify will ask you to scan a nearby page instead.
According to reports, the process will also work the other way around. If you’ve been listening to an audiobook and want to switch to reading, Spotify will tell you the exact page you should turn to. Page numbers can vary between different paper editions, and it’s not yet clear how Spotify will handle this.
Who can use it?
Based on what’s been uncovered, it appears that Page Match will only work if you already own or have unlocked the audiobook on Spotify. You’ll be prompted to purchase it before using the feature if you don’t.
Once everything is matched, progress is saved to your library- just like any other audiobook on the platform.
It remains to be seen where Page Match could be available. That said, it’s likely to be in markets where Spotify already offers audiobooks like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and many other supported regions.
Useful for book lovers
For readers, this is a genuinely useful upgrade. It’s perfect for reading at home, listening on the move, then picking up the book again later without losing your place.
It also places Spotify in a competitive place when it comes to the audiobook space. Page Match closely mirrors Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice feature, which lets users move between Kindle ebooks and Audible audiobooks. Spotify is taking that idea further, by also bringing physical books into the mix.
What happens next?
As with any feature that is in its testing phase, nothing is guaranteed. Page Match may change before launch, and that’s if it even gets a public release at all. But if Spotify does pull through, this could be a game changer for those who like to mix between audiobooks and their physical copies.