New Delhi: Spotify has recently reported that they are testing a page match feature that would sync users’ reading progress of a paper book with its audiobook and vice versa. According to some sources, this feature will work by scanning the page a user is currently reading through the device camera and using optical character recognition to identify passages that are then matched to specific timestamps in the audiobook. Spotify has stated that this feature will work both ways, as it will also be able to tell users the exact page number to open in the book based on the listening progress in their audiobook.
The report also suggested that the page match appears to be available only after users have purchased or unlocked the audiobook on Spotify. If users haven’t purchased it yet, the application will ask users to buy it before they can use the feature. After a successful match, users’ listening progress is saved, enabling users to resume later. Spotify also acknowledges the limitations of optical character recognition, so if a page isn’t recognised, the application may prompt users to scan a different nearby page.
There is one issue that may arise when it comes to paper books, there can be several editions or variations. If the page numbering does not match the audiobook version, the feature may not work as intended. Spotify has not yet made any official announcement about the feature; this aspect may be addressed in future testing.
