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Spotify is working on a new feature called Page Match that will allow users to quickly switch between audiobooks and physical or eBooks. The feature will synchronize reading and listening progress in both directions. The principle of operation is quite simple. The user opens the Spotify app, scans a page of a paper book with the smartphone camera, and then the service automatically transfers it to the corresponding moment in the audiobook. This is done using optical text recognition technology, which identifies a fragment of the page and matches it with the timestamp of the audio track.
Page Match also works in reverse. If the user is listening to an audiobook, Spotify will be able to show the page number in the physical book that corresponds to the current playback segment. This allows you to quickly jump into the reading without having to manually search for the right place.
In Spotify’s internal materials, the feature is labeled as a beta. It is described as a tool for synchronizing progress between a book and an audiobook, with the ability to save the position for later return.
According to the available information, Page Match will only work with audiobooks that have been purchased or unlocked on Spotify. If the user does not have access to the required audiobook, the service will offer to purchase it before using the feature. In case of a page recognition error, the system will offer to scan the neighboring page for a more accurate match.
Page Match support is expected to be available only in those regions where Spotify already officially offers audiobooks. This includes the US, UK, Canada, most European countries, Australia, and a number of other markets.
The feature is similar to Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice solution, but has an important difference. Amazon’s technology works only between Kindle e-books and Audible audiobooks, while Spotify plans to support synchronization with physical paper books.
So far, the company has not announced the timing of Page Match’s launch for a wide range of users. However, in the case of a full-fledged release, this feature may become one of the most practical and technologically interesting novelties in the audiobook segment in recent times.
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