Audible Blends Reading and Listening with New In-App Highlighting Feature

Audible is expanding how readers experience books by introducing a new feature that merges audiobooks with on-screen text. The update allows listeners to follow along visually as an audiobook plays, with the text highlighted in real time—bringing a familiar Kindle experience directly into the Audible app.

The feature, called Read & Listen, marks Audible’s first in-app rollout of synchronized text and audio. While Kindle users have long been able to combine ebooks and audiobooks, this enhancement removes the need to switch devices or apps, offering a more seamless, flexible reading experience.

According to Audible’s chief product officer Andy Tsao, the goal is to recognize reading in all its forms while expanding how users engage with books. “Audiobooks count as reading,” Tsao said in a statement. “Now readers can also engage visually, making it easier to learn, study, or stay immersed in a story—without choosing one format over the other.”

The feature is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers, including language learners, students, and anyone who benefits from reading and listening simultaneously. Highlighted text moves in sync with the narration, helping users track dialogue, absorb complex material, or simply enjoy a richer storytelling experience.

At launch, Read & Listen is available to U.S. users for select titles in five languages: English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. Audible has confirmed plans to expand availability to additional markets—including the U.K., Australia, and Germany—in the coming months.

This update reflects a broader trend in digital reading, where publishers and platforms increasingly blur the lines between formats to meet evolving reader habits. As audiobook consumption continues to grow, features like Read & Listen suggest that the future of reading may be less about choosing a format—and more about combining them.