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Audible & Page Numbers: 8 Common Questions (Answered)

Audible has one of the biggest selections of audiobooks available in the world of audiobook streaming.

You may be an avid reader and are wondering if Audible shows or reads out the page number of the book you are on as you listen.

In this article, we take a deeper look at Audible and page numbers.

Can Audible read out page numbers:

Many Audible users are content with the app showing the ‘Percentage Completed’ of their book. Audible cannot read out page numbers as audiobooks generally only record the length of the book in minutes and hours. Select Audible books are available in PDF in the app, which comes with page numbers.

Smart phone with headphones and the paper books. Concept of listening to audiobooks.

Can Audible tell you what page you’re on?

Audible does not record specific page numbers. Rather, audiobooks are calculated according to hours and minutes.

In other words, the ‘percentage completed’ is a mark of how much you have listened to rather than the number of pages read.

Some select Audible books are also available with a PDF version of the title. If you have the PDF version of a particular audiobook from Audible, you can read which page you’re on.

Remember, not all audiobooks on this platform have a version available in PDF format. You need to check that first before downloading, especially if you prefer this format.

To check if an Audible book has a PDF version on iOS and Android:

  1. Open the Audible app and go to the catalog.
  2. When browsing the catalog for a new book, check that a title has a PDF version.
  3. For books you’ve already downloaded, go to your library.
  4. Click on the audiobook that has a PDF, to open the player screen.
  5. Then, click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner.
  6. Click on ‘Accompanying PDF’
  7. Open the PDF.

How to figure out what page you’re on in the physical book?

If you’re wondering whether there is a way to work out what page you are on in the written version of your audiobook, this is possible by using an Audiobook Time to Page Calculator.

You can find this calculator by searching online using a search engine.

By inputting page numbers and total book audio time, the calculator will generate an estimated page number.

Here’s how to use an Audiobook Time to Page Calculator:

  1. You will need the hardcopy text available.
  2. Go onto the abovementioned calculator.
  3. Enter in your current ‘percentage completed’ and ‘End Reading Time’
  4. Then, input the last page number of your text copy.
  5. This should automatically calculate the current page number you would be on.

This calculation is based on the average word per minute of audio narration. And, most people will finish an audiobook faster than it will take them to read the same book.

How does “percentage completed” relate to page numbers?

The ‘percentage completed’ section of an audiobook is linked indirectly to the page numbers of a book.

The general rule of thumb is to convert the minutes’ length of the audiobook by dividing this number by the actual number of pages of the book. You then subtract that figure from the initial minute’s number to find the page number.

If this math is too tedious, we suggest searching for the calculator mentioned above.

However, it is almost impossible to calculate the exact page number as audiobooks don’t come in standard font and margin sizes.

This then affects the estimated words per page, thus, providing an inaccurate number of words read per minute. Here, it is important to note that different narrators will read at different speeds.

Another contributing factor in this equation is the fact that some audiobooks are abridged or unabridged versions.

The abridged book is the shortened version – the main story without the finer details. Whereas the unabridged version is the whole book jam-packed with all the juicy extras.

Either way, audiobooks will always provide the ‘Percentage Completed’ no matter whether the book is shortened or not.

Bear in mind that Audible also offers users the option of speeding up the narration time of audiobooks. 

Audible narration speeds range from 0.5x to 3.5 x.

This would then throw out the estimated calculation of the page number you’re on in the hardcopy text.

Why do Audible chapters not always match the written version?

Sometimes, users find that the written version of a book has, say, 12 chapters, and the audiobook has over 50 or more. 

There is no clear answer as to why this is the case, but based on our research, some older audiobooks were originally recorded for CD.

Audiobook narrations used to be split up at 3-minute intervals, thereby making different ‘tracks’ on a CD. This is why sometimes an audiobook narration may be cut rather randomly. 

Additionally, not all audiobooks have chapters. And this then would result in audiobook and hardcopy chapters not matching.

If you’re listening to a more recently recorded audiobook and the Audible chapters do not match the written version; unfortunately, we were not able to find an authoritative source that explains the reason for this.

The best solution we could find is called WhisperSync.

Amazon came out with an Audible and Kindle feature called WhisperSync. This clever feature allows you to sync your place between the eBook and audiobook versions of a particular title.

Unfortunately, to make use of this, one must purchase both an Audible membership and a Kindle.

It’s important to note that while Audible is suitable for most Kindle devices, not all devices have audio capabilities. Be sure to check your device has this before making your Kindle investment.

The upside to having an Audible subscription and a Kindle device is that you can listen to the audiobook while driving or exercising and still read off the Kindle from exactly where you left off later on.

How do you keep track of where you are in an audiobook?

You can keep track of where you are up to in an Audible book by using the ‘bookmarks’ feature.

While your chosen audiobook is open, tap the clip icon found at the bottom right of the player.

To go back to where you left off: 

  1. In your Audible App, tap the three dots on the screen
  2. Then, choose ‘clips and bookmarks’
  3. Now, tap ‘Go to bookmark’

This will allow you to carry on listening from where last stopped. 

‘Clips’ which enables users to save their much-loved audiobook passages. This is similar to that of ‘bookmarks’ and can be utilized the same way on the audiobook app. ‘Clips’ also lets you make notes wherever you need to in the book.

Quite a handy hack when conducting research projects and the like.

Stats and Badges on Audible are a helpful way of keeping track of how many books you’ve listened to. This includes whether you’ve listened to your book for a period of time at a particular moment of the day.

All your information, such as your stats and badge tracking and account details, are also stored on the Amazon cloud in the event technology has a rough day and crashes.

This is helpful if you have had to uninstall the app for any reason. You can try it out and take a look on the Audible app:

  • Open the Audible for iOS and Android app, select the ‘Profile’ button on the bottom right corner. Then open ‘Badge Collection’.
  • Open the Audible for Windows 10 app, open ‘Stats’ from the menu.

Are Audible books word-by-word exactly like the written version?

Audible has the option of choosing PDF versions of select books for certain devices but at an extra expense.

Audiobooks are not always exactly like the written versions. As mentioned earlier, Audiobooks are available in abridged and unabridged versions of the hardcopy.

Audible developed a Captions feature in 2019, allowing users to access their literary content to read a selected number of machine-generated texts while listening to the audiobook. Unfortunately, the Captions feature is no longer available.

Does Audible give you the text version to read along?

Audible and Kindle have partnered together once again, and users can make use of a function called Immersion Reading.

If you are an Audible member with the correct supporting device, there are select titles in the Audible catalog which allow the user to read along in Kindle as they listen to their Audible book.

However, only certain iOS and Android apps support it.

Immersion Reading is useful if you prefer to follow the text version while enjoying the audio experience simultaneously.

Here’s how to use Immersion Reading on Kindle:

  1. Before purchasing a Kindle eBook, ensure the book supports the read-along feature.
  2. Additionally, ensure you have the same version of this book in your Audible Library (check the edition or date of publication).
  3. On the Kindle app, eBooks that have a matching audiobook will show a headphones icon in the upper right corner
    Open the Kindle eBook.
  4. Tap on the screen to show a pop-up at the bottom of the screen that will say ‘Audible Narration’
  5. Press this sign to begin downloading the audio version of the book, or if already downloaded, tap the play icon to begin playing and reading the book together.
  6. The audiobook play via your Kindle app and the words on screen that are playing will be highlighted so you can read along while you listen.

Sources

How do I read and listen to a book in the Kindle App?

Audiobook Time To Page Calculator

Audible Clips: How to Add, View and Export Audible Bookmarks and Notes

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