Audible, owned by Amazon, has introduced a new feature called Read and Listen within its app. The feature synchronizes Kindle ebooks with their audiobook versions, allowing users to see the text displayed while listening to professional narration. Words are highlighted in real time as they are spoken.
The feature enables users who own both the ebook and audiobook versions to switch seamlessly between reading and listening across devices. During playback, on screen text is highlighted in sync with the narration. This creates a combined visual and auditory experience designed to enhance focus and immersion.
The Kindle app previously allowed switching between formats if both were purchased together. Moving this functionality directly into the Audible app indicates Amazon’s intention to position its audio platform as a central hub rather than a secondary extension of the ebook ecosystem.
The feature requires ownership of both the ebook and audiobook versions. Amazon stated that it will offer discounts on audiobooks to users who already own the ebook edition. The strategy encourages customers to purchase the same title in two formats instead of one.
For Amazon, the objective extends beyond improving user experience. It aims to increase average customer spending and strengthen the presence of a single title across both Kindle and Audible platforms. The integration reflects a commercial strategy built around format convergence.
Amazon stated that combining reading and listening can improve comprehension and concentration. The company cited industry research and internal data indicating that users who engage with both formats consume nearly twice as much content as those who listen only to audiobooks.
The feature is positioned as particularly useful for students, language learners, and individuals seeking to improve pronunciation or understand complex texts. Users can shift from reading to listening while driving or exercising without losing their place in the book. Real time word highlighting improves text tracking accuracy. Cross device switching supports continuous engagement. Multiple language support expands global accessibility.
The launch follows an announcement by Spotify regarding expansion in the book market, including synchronization of listening progress across audiobook and print formats. The timing reflects intensifying competition in the digital and audio book market, where platforms are moving toward controlling the full reader experience from discovery to consumption.