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If you’re browsing the Audible or Kindle storefronts, you might have seen some listings marked as “Whispersync for Voice-ready.” While Audible does give a quick rundown on how the feature works, it doesn’t tell the full story.
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Whispersync for Voice (sometimes called WSV) is a feature that allows you to sync your progress between an audiobook and a normal eBook — should both be in your Amazon library. You can think of it how the Kindle and Audible apps are able to sync your progress across devices, but instead the two book types are syncing with each other. If you only have the eBook, oftentimes you can purchase the Audible audiobook at a discount, allowing you to take advantage of this feature.
It’s a handy feature, especially if you enjoy switching between audiobooks and eBooks often, as you’ll never lose your place. But there’s also more to Whispersync than this.
Can you simultaneously read and listen to an eBook?
While Whispersync seamlessly syncs progress between an audiobook and eBook, it doesn’t quite let you read and listen to an eBook simultaneously. If that’s what you want, the feature you’re looking for is called Immersion Reading.
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Only with an Immersion Reading-enabled title can you follow along with the eBook while you listen to the audiobook, as the feature will highlight sentences and passages as they’re being read. It’s important to note that not every Whispersync for Voice title is also an Immersion Reading title – however, most of them are. And Audible lists immersion as a facet on the Whispersync page. Chances are still high that if you have a Whispersync-enabled audiobook and eBook, it will also have Immersion Reading.
Immersion Reading is also different from the scrapped Audible Captions feature, which has machine-generated captions to follow along with, as opposed to the eBook itself.
Do I need a Kindle eReader to use Whispersync for Voice?
Whispersync for Voice works with Kindles, all versions of the Kindle app, and even the browser version of Audible. You do not need a Kindle device to use Whispersync for Voice, though it is available for it.
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However, all modern Kindle devices are compatible with Audible, so if you wish, you can use Whispersync and Immersion Reading with your Amazon eReader. Better yet, you don’t need to install anything extra to use Audible with your Kindle — you just need to find the audiobook in your Library and download it. Then, you’ll have access to your audiobook and — with Immersion Reading or not — can listen to it when you plug headphones into the Kindle.
Also, if you have another type of eReader, such as a Kobo or Nook, you won’t be able to install Audible (even if it is audiobook compatible), and, by extension, you won’t be able to use Whispersync for Voice. However, it also works on Kindle apps on phones and tablets.
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