Spotify is testing a feature that will sync audiobooks with paper editions

Spotify appears to be working on a new feature that will allow audiobook listeners to pick up where they left off in the physical book. Robot body Spotify version 9.1.18.282 reportedly includes code references for an experimental Page Match feature that can quickly sync audiobooks on the platform with their paper and eBook counterparts.

Using Page Match will require users to open or purchase the audiobook on Spotify, and own the paper or electronic copy of the same book. This feature works by scanning the page you’re currently reading with your device’s camera, using optical character recognition (OCR) to identify clips that are then matched to specific timestamps in the audiobook.

The goal is to relieve you from having to manually fast-forward and rewind, but it seems that page matching can also work in reverse. The code snippets indicate that Spotify will also display the page number that corresponds to your current audiobook position, making it easier for book lovers to quickly switch between listening and actual reading. This is backed up by Spotify’s own description of the feature, which can “match your progress from book page to audiobook — and back again.” Page numbers can vary depending on the edition of the book, which may cause complications.

Spotify has not yet announced the page match, so there is no guarantee it will go public. Optical character recognition (OCR) technology for page matching is also not always reliable Robot body Reporting that Spotify will ask you to scan a nearby page if it cannot determine which track you are reading.

Amazon has a similar feature called Whispersync for audio It syncs Audible audiobooks with Kindle eBooks, but this solution does not support syncing with paper books or eBooks on other platforms. Page Match doesn’t have those restrictions, which might make it easier for people to put down their paper books and continue listening while driving, cooking, and doing other hands-on activities — something I do regularly to stay productive.