Soon, Spotify may sync audiobooks with your physical book reading progress

Spotify is reportedly testing a new Page Match feature that could sync physical books with audiobooks by scanning pages using OCR to match reading progress with audio playback

Spotify is reportedly testing a page match feature that would sync your reading progress of a paper book with its audiobook and vice versa. According to a report by Android Authority, this feature will work by scanning the page a user is currently reading through the device camera and using optical character recognition (OCR) to identify passages that are then matched to specific timestamps in the audiobook.

 

As per the report, Spotify has said that this feature will work both ways, as it will also be able to tell you the exact page number to open in the book based on the listening progress in your audiobook.

 

The report added that page match appears to be available only after you’ve purchased or unlocked the audiobook on Spotify. If you haven’t purchased it yet, the app will ask you to buy it before you can use the feature. After a successful match, your listening progress is saved, allowing you to resume later. Spotify also acknowledges the limitations of OCR, so if a page isn’t recognised, the app may prompt you to scan a different nearby page.

There is one issue that may arise, though. When it comes to paper books, there can be several editions or variations. If the page numbering does not match the audiobook version, it is possible that the feature may not work as intended. Spotify has not yet made any official announcement about the feature; hence, it is possible that this aspect might be addressed in future testing.

Amazon syncs ebooks with audiobooks

Amazon has for years allowed readers to switch easily between an ebook and its corresponding audiobook, making it easier to continue a title across different formats. For instance, someone reading at home can later step out and pick up the same book in audio form without losing their place.

This smooth handover between reading and listening is enabled through Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice feature, which keeps progress aligned across devices. Notably, Amazon does not offer this functionality for paper books, which means Spotify is aiming to take a similar approach while going a step further.