Do Audible Books Come With Read-Along Text? (Explained)

Audible is known across the world for its incredible selection of audiobooks and other audio content. However, there are users who are not simply satisfied with just listening to the books they love – they want to have the option to read along, too.

In this article, we take a look at whether Audible provides the option to ‘read along’ and how users can access this feature.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Audible’s Read-Along Text:

Immersion Reading is a feature available for Audible users on select titles in the Audible catalog. Only the Kindle App for iOS and Android and 2nd Generation Fire Tablets (or higher) support this feature. Audible does not offer captions, but certain titles may be available in PDF form in the app.

Do All Titles on Audible Include Text you can Read Along?

Immersion Reading is a feature available for Audible users on select titles in the Audible catalog. Not every title in the catalog will have text you can read along to.

Immersion Reading is a function that:

• Allows users to fully immerse themselves by reading and listening simultaneously.
• Allows Audible listeners to highlight text in real time.
• Increases listeners’ retention of information.
• Is only available on select devices.

We also have a Q&A with answers about voice narrating on Audible.

Is this Feature Available to Everyone on Audible?

Audible’s read-along feature is only available to owners of devices that support Immersion Reading.

These compatible devices are:

• Kindle App for iOS and Android
• Fire Tablets from the 2nd Generation or higher

Devices that do not currently support immersion Reading include:

• Kindle Oasis from the 8th or 9th Generations
• Kindle 8th Generation
• Kindle Fire devices with Fire OS4 or earlier operating systems
• Kindle Paperwhite 10th Generation

So if you are lucky enough to own a device that supports Immersion Reading, then take a look below to discover how to get this great feature enabled.

How do You Enable the Read-Along Feature?

Enabling Immersion Reading on your device will allow you to read along at the same time as listening to your favorite audiobook using the Kindle app.

You’ll be pleased to know that this feature is incredibly straightforward to set up.

As long as you have an Audible account and a compatible device, you’ll have no problem reading and listening together.

Before you start, you will have to ensure you have first purchased a Kindle eBook that supports Audible’s read-along feature.

To know whether your eBook has an Audible companion, simply look out for the headphones symbol that will be located in the right-hand corner of the book’s icon.

You should note that not all titles you want to download will have the Audible version, so it’s worth double-checking before you purchase.

How to use the Immersion feature:

1. Open up the Kindle app on your device.
2. Select and open the eBook that you wish to listen with Audible narration.
3. By tapping on the screen, you will see an option to download the ‘Audible Narration’
4. Select this, and the Audible audiobook will automatically begin downloading.

Once it is complete, simply tap ‘Play’ and you will be able to listen to the audiobook while reading the text on your screen.

Check out our article about Audible’s download and streaming options!

Do Audible Audiobooks come with PDF files?

Certain Audiobooks in Audible’s catalog will come with additional downloadable content in the form of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.

Audible uses PDFs because it is the most common format of files that can be easily shared or printed but not edited.

It’s worth noting that this function is separate from Audibles Immersion Reading, and you will not be able to highlight the text in real-time.

If you have downloaded an audiobook that has an additional PDF included, then take a look at these steps below to download the content on your desktop and also the mobile app.

It’s interesting to see the book buyer demographics also.

How to Download Audible PDF on iOS App

1. Begin by opening the Audible app on your iOS device.
2. Navigate to your ‘Library’
3. Next, tap the audiobook that has an accompanying PDF.
4. On the player screen that opens, select the 3 vertical dots in the top right.
5. Finally, tap ‘Accompanying PDF’

The file will begin automatically downloading and will be available in the ‘Downloads’ folder on your iOS device.

How to Download Audible PDF on Android App

1. Begin by launching the Audible app on your Android device.
2. Navigate to your Library.
3. To open the player screen, tap on the audiobook that has the PDF.
4. Select the 3 vertical dots in the top right of your screen.
5. Tap on ‘Accompanying PDF’
6. Select the arrow pointing upwards to download the file.

Your device will now begin automatically downloading the PDF file. This process shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Once downloaded, you will be able to find the file in your downloads folder, and you can open it with an appropriate PDF reader.

How to Download Audible PDF on a Desktop Computer

1. Begin by visiting the official Audible website.
2. Log in and go to your Library.
3. Scroll through your titles and find the audiobook you want to download the PDF for.
4. Click on ‘View PDF’.

Your desktop will now open the PDF, and you can choose to download or print as you wish.

How do I Know if a Title on Audible is Available as Text also?

There are a few ways in which you can find out if an audiobook is also available in text format, either as a PDF or an eBook on Kindle.

As mentioned above, if your Audiobook has the option to view ‘Accompanying PDF’, then there is a free text version available for you to download.

Additionally, Audible currently offers over 60,000 titles that are available for Immersion Reading and Whispersync for Voice.

Discovering whether your audiobook is available as text and compatible with Immersion Reading is straightforward.

1. Visit the official Amazon website.
2. Navigate to the ‘Kindle Books with Audible companions’ page.
3. From here, you will be able to browse through all of the eBooks that also have audiobooks available.

Another way to discover whether there is a matching eBook for an audiobook is to visit the Amazon matchmaker page.

Does it Cost More to Enable Captions on Audible?

There is currently no Captions feature available for Audible.

A couple of years back, Audible announced their upcoming new system, coined ‘Audible Captions’, that would transcribe text whilst you listen.

It was designed to be similar to the way YouTube presents text to those who want to use captions on videos or those listening to songs on Spotify while looking at the lyrics.

However, before the project could ever really gain traction, all of the major publishers filed a lawsuit claiming that Audible Captions:

“(…) would cannibalize their audiobook and eBook sales.”

[Source:Goodereader.com]

Therefore, as of current, there is no ‘Captions’ feature available to users besides a few works available in the public domain.

If you want to read along to your favorite Audible audiobook, then just try out Audible’s impressive Immersion Reading feature; you won’t be disappointed.

Are Audiobooks on Audible “Whispersync-Capable”?

Whispersync has allowed the seamless transition between listening and reading on different devices.

Whispersync ensures that all your devices know where you are in your audiobook and corresponding eBook.

Whispersync allows you to switch from listening on your phone, to reading on your Kindle, to switching over to an iPad, all without losing your place in the story.

Your devices need a WiFi connection to ensure that this sync is possible.

However, it is important that users understand that not every book in Audible’s library has the capability to employ Whispersync.

“We offer over 60,000 audiobooks that support Whispersync (…) This number is always growing, as we work to add more audiobooks to the Whispersync compatibility list.

[Source:Help.Audible.com]

60,000 audiobooks may sound like a lot, but it’s certainly not all of what Audible has to offer.

However, as Audible continues to increase compatibility into the future, it may not be too long until Whispersync becomes the new standard.

Please also read our article all about Audible and region-locked content.

Do People Normally Read Along on Audible?

Reading along with Audible requires you to buy both the Audible audiobook title and the matching eBook.

It’s true that Audible has made a huge leap forward in terms of functionality and features that make the choice of reading along more appealing to customers.

However, there’s no doubt that it is more expensive to read along whilst listening to an audiobook. This extra expense may be putting people off.

However, it’s worth considering why most people are using Audible in the first place.

The reason is simple – they’re looking for audiobooks.

Audible has enticed users to become more engaged with audio content; it’s what they continue to champion with their ever-growing selection of titles.

Their members are people who love listening to books and potentially don’t always have the option to sit and read them.

Audible’s read-along options are steadily growing, but for most of its user base, the ability to read along will be an added bonus and one that will cost them a little extra.

Sources

How Do I Download the PDF that comes with my Audiobook?

Are all Audiobooks Compatible with Whispersync for Voice & Immersion Reading?

The Audible Captions Audiobook Program is Dead

How do I Read & Listen to a Book in the Kindle App?