Do audiobooks count as reading?

What research says

In one experiment, 91 adults took in the same chapter of a non-fiction book in one of three ways: as an audiobook, as text on a screen or both at once. Then they answered the same questions about it, right away and again two weeks later. The three groups understood and remembered about the same.

It was one study with a single chapter of one book, and the participants were listening carefully, not driving or cooking. Still, it fits what many readers notice: the story and the ideas reach you either way.

Where listening is weaker

Some things are harder with your ears than with your eyes:

• Going back. On a page, you glance back at a sentence without thinking. With audio, you have to rewind, so you are more likely to let a missed point go.
• Dense material. Arguments, numbers and textbooks are easier to follow when you can slow down on a hard paragraph.
• Divided attention. Listening while you do something demanding means you will miss parts. Easy chores are fine; a tricky drive in traffic is not.
• Notes and quotes. It is harder to keep a passage you want to remember.

Where audiobooks are at their best

Audiobooks give you time you would not otherwise have for books: commutes, walks, housework, a long drive. They suit novels, memoirs and books you are rereading, and a good narrator can bring a story to life. If the alternative is no book at all, listening wins.

Get more out of listening

• Keep the speed where you still follow comfortably; faster is not always better.
• When you hear something worth keeping, pause and note the chapter and a few words, so you can find it later.
• Save demanding books for times when you can give them your full attention, or switch between audio and print.
• After each chapter, try to say in a sentence what happened. The guide on how to remember what you read explains why this helps.

Count it however you like

Your reading goal is yours. Many readers count audiobooks in their yearly total, and some keep them on a separate list. Either is fine.

Pagetime has no separate audiobook format: a session is simply time with a book. You can time listening with the same timer and skip the page at the end; without pages, Pagetime will not estimate your pace for that book. If you listened without the timer, use “Add a session without the timer” on the book screen. Listening time counts toward your daily goal and streak like any other session. Notes and quotes work as for a paper book, and the page field is optional.

The free version holds up to 5 books and includes 20 page scans with text recognition in total. Deleting a note does not restore a used scan. Notes and the timer work offline without an account; sync is free after signing in. A subscription removes the book and scan limits and unlocks your full stats history, year in review and folder export. Pagetime is coming to iPhone and Android; you can leave your email below to hear when it is available. Until then, an audiobook on your next walk counts.

This independent guide is published by Pagetime and is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Google LLC.