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Spotify's Camera Feature Syncs Audiobooks and Text
20 Jan
Summary
- Spotify is testing a 'Page Match' feature for audiobooks.
- The feature uses device camera and OCR to sync book progress.
- It aims to bridge the gap between physical books and audio.
Spotify is reportedly developing a novel feature called 'Page Match' that seeks to synchronize audiobook progress with physical and digital books. This upcoming functionality, spotted in a recent app version, is designed to allow listeners to pick up precisely where they left off in their reading material.
To utilize Page Match, users will need to own both the audiobook on Spotify and a print or ebook version of the same title. The feature employs a device's camera to scan the current page. Optical character recognition (OCR) technology then identifies the text, matching it to the corresponding point in the audiobook, thereby avoiding the need for manual seeking.
This technology could also work in reverse, displaying the page number relevant to the current audiobook position. While Spotify has not officially announced Page Match, its development suggests a move towards a more integrated reading and listening experience. This could offer an advantage over existing solutions like Amazon's Whispersync, which does not support physical books or cross-platform ebook syncing.
