If you’ve ever found yourself rewinding an audiobook because you got distracted mid-sentence, Audible has a new feature that can save you the frustration. The platform calls it “immersion reading,” which is basically a fancy term for a reading and listening mode.
As the name suggests, this mode allows you to read the text on the screen while the audiobook narration is playing. In addition, the text is highlighted word by word, synchronized with playback. Think of it as karaoke, but for books (you don’t have to sing, of course).
Read and listen for a distraction-free experience
Audible’s new feature requires both the audiobook and eBook versions of the same title. Once you have both, the new Read & Listen button will appear at the top of the playback controls or eBook.
Tapping it makes the experience much more immersive because it makes it harder for your brain to wander, especially when both your eyes and ears are busy. Whether you are a student, language learner, or avid listener, the feature can help you consume more content in a given time.
You can switch back to audio-only mode at any time without losing track of progress, ideal for pretending to be working when you’re really trying to finish another chapter of this interesting audiobook.
No more app hopping
The platform even states that customers who listen along “consume almost twice as much content per month as audiobook-only customers.”
Audible says “hundreds of thousands of titles” will support the new feature at launch, including those in English, German, Spanish, Italian and French. For multitaskers or chronic repeat offenders, Amazon’s new feature could be a sure-fire productivity hack.
