Spotify Tests Audiobook–Print Sync Feature

Spotify seems to be developing a new function that would let listeners of audiobooks continue where they left off in the physical book. According to the press, code references to a Page Match beta functionality that can swiftly sync audiobooks on the platform with their paper and ebook versions with their audiobook counterparts can be seen in version 9.1.18.282 of the Spotify app.

In order to use Page Match, users must either own the paper or ebook version of the same book and unlock or buy the audiobook on Spotify. The feature uses the camera on your device to scan the page you are now reading. It then uses optical character recognition (OCR) to find passages that correspond to particular timestamps in the audiobook.

The goal of the feature set is to make it easy for consumers to transition between reading a physical edition and listening to the audio version without getting lost. Aside from this, the goal is also to avoid requiring you to manually fast-forward and rewind; it appears that Page Match may also function in reverse. 

According to code fragments, Spotify will also provide the page number that matches your current audiobook location, making it simpler for bookworms to switch between reading and listening. Spotify’s own description of the feature, which may “match your progress from the book page to the audiobook and back again,” supports this. However, different book editions may have different page numbers, which could lead to some issues.

Page Match has not yet been announced by Spotify, so there is no assurance that it will be made available to the general public. Additionally, the OCR for Page Match isn’t always accurate; according to Android Authority, if Spotify can’t recognise the part you’re reading, it will ask you to scan a neighbouring page.

With Page Match, the system scans to listen before applying text recognition and synchronizing the content instantly or in reverse through the below style.

• Scanning to Listen: Using the camera on their smartphone, users can scan a page of an ebook or physical book.
• Text Recognition: To identify the text on the page, the software makes use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology.
• Instant Sync: Spotify starts playing the audiobook at the precise moment it finds a timestamp in the scanned text.
• Reverse Sync: When a user pauses an audiobook, the app can show the matching page number for the printed version, enabling the reader to take up their physical book precisely where they left off.

The audiobook must normally be owned by the user or unlocked within the Spotify app via a purchase or a Spotify Premium membership in order to use Page Match.

The feature mostly depends on text matching to guarantee correctness across different formats because page numbers can fluctuate between different editions (hardcover, paperback, and overseas versions).

Whispersync for Voice, a similar function offered by Amazon, synchronises Audible audiobooks with Kindle ebooks; however, it is not compatible with paper books or ebooks on other platforms.

The functionality of Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice is comparable to that of Kindle ebooks and Audible audiobooks, but Spotify’s version is distinct in that it supports real paper books.

Recent Android app code (version 9.1.18.282) contains evidence of Page Match. There isn’t yet an official public release date because it is still in the testing/beta phase.