Spotify just launched Page Match, a computer vision feature that syncs your physical book reading progress with audiobooks in seconds. Point your phone's camera at any page, and the app instantly jumps to the matching audio timestamp. It's a direct shot at Amazon's Whispersync ecosystem, but with one key advantage: it works with physical books from any publisher, not just Kindle editions. The move signals Spotify's aggressive push into audiobooks as it battles to keep users engaged beyond music streaming.
Spotify just made switching between your dog-eared paperback and your morning commute audiobook effortless. The company unveiled Page Match at its Turn the Page event in New York, a feature that uses your phone's camera and computer vision to instantly sync your reading progress across formats. Snap a photo of your current page, and the app jumps to the exact moment in the audiobook. No more scrubbing through chapters trying to find where you left off.
The technology feels like magic in practice, though it's not perfect yet. During hands-on testing reported by The Verge, recognition times ranged from one second to ten seconds depending on lighting and text clarity. The reverse function - finding your place in a physical book from an audiobook timestamp - works too, but requires more patience. The app can't tell you an exact page number since editions vary wildly between hardcover, paperback, and international releases. Instead, it guides you with a progress bar and directional prompts, highlighting the exact sentence once you land on the right page.
What separates Page Match from Amazon's decade-old Whispersync for Voice is physical book support. Amazon's system only syncs between Kindle ebooks and Audible audiobooks within its walled garden. Spotify's approach works with any physical book or ereader (except ebooks on your phone, since the camera can't read your screen). That openness could be a decisive factor for readers who still prefer ink and paper but want audio flexibility.
