The new Kindle (as of 3/9/2018) DOES indeed support Audible books. It does not have a headphone jack, but it DOES have Bluetooth allowing you to use wireless Bluetooth headphones.
Kindle Paperwhite 4 can play audiobooks, but it's an entirely different experience than what you had in the iconic Kindle Touch. Kindle Paperwhite 4 doesn't have built-in speakers, Kindle Paperwhite 4 doesn't have headphone jack.
The Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite come with an experimental browser that allows for limited Web browsing. Without color, Java or other multimedia support, Web browsing on the Kindle is limited to viewing only text.
The Audible audiobook service has been integrated in the Kindle apps for iOS and Android by piggybacking on the Whispersync for Voice feature. Audible has a large collection of 45,000 books – all professionally narrated.
The Kindle app supports the iOS VoiceOver accessibility feature. With VoiceOver enabled on your device, audio support is provided for many books and features. From your iOS device Home, select the Settings icon. Note: You can also change other general settings for VoiceOver on this screen.
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 4 is going to be announced today and it features a waterproof screen and Bluetooth. This is the first Paperwhite with Audible Audiobook integration so customers can listen to them with a pair of wireless speakers or a portable speaker.
To transfer audiobooks to your Kindle, simply click the audiobook(s) you wish to hear on your device, then click Add to Device in the top right corner of the Audible Manager screen. Note: The Kindle supports audiobooks in formats 2, 3, or 4. The Kindle 2 and Kindle DX support audiobooks in formats 4 or Enhanced.
Listen to Audiobooks on a Mobile Device
- Android: Tap My Library. Tap Cloud. Tap any title to initiate the download.
- iOS: Tap My Library. Tap Cloud. Tap any title to initiate the download.
- Windows: Tap Library. Tap All Titles. Tap on any title to initiate the download.
How can I pair a Bluetooth device with my Kindle E-reader?
- Put the Bluetooth device into pairing mode.
- Tap the Quick Actions button on the toolbar.
- Tap All Settings.
- Make sure Bluetooth is set to On.
- Tap Bluetooth Devices.
- Tap on the device you want to pair.
- Tap Connect.
- The Bluetooth device shows as connected.
Many of the Kindle devices support reading e-books out loud using their built-in "text-to-speech" feature, allowing you to listen to an e-book rather than read it.
We'll discuss each in more details, but the best places to find free audiobooks online include:
- Librivox.
- Lit2Go.
- Loyal Books.
- Mind Webs.
- Open Culture.
- Overdrive.
- Podiobooks.
- Project Gutenberg.
This used to be known as the Kindle problem, because the same limitation exists in the Kindle app on Apple iOS devices or Android devices. The reason is the same for why you cannot buy an Audible book on these devices: money.
Are All Audiobooks Free on Kindle? Unfortunately, not all audiobooks are free on Kindle. However, thousands of Kindle titles come with a free audiobook companion. Should you choose to get these titles, you will also have access to their accompanying audiobooks.
To download and use your audiobooks in the Kindle for Android app, please follow these steps:
- Open the Kindle eBook.
- Tap on the screen.
- Tap the headphone symbol.
- Tap the downward pointing arrow to download the audiobook.
- Tap on Play. Tip: Tap on the Book symbol in the top of the app to return to your Kindle book.
So, if you want to be efficient then you should not read and talk with the telephone at the same time. It can be there for creating the atmosphere, but you should not listen to it attentively while reading. Therefore instrumental music is better for reading as there is no possibility for listening to the lyrics.
Audible memberships usually cost $14.95 a month, but Prime members new to the service can save 66% and sign up for a three-month trial for just $4.95 a month.
While many devices in the Kindle family support Audible, some are dedicated e-readers and don't have audio capabilities. As long as your Kindle works, you can continue to listen to audiobooks but just know that in the event you need support, Audible won't be able to provide it. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Whispersync is Amazon's technology that lets readers switch “back and forth between a Kindle book and Audible professional narration - without ever losing your place.” The way it works is that you first buy the Kindle book, and then for Whispersync enabled books you can add the Audibile audiobook to the purchase.
Best Audiobook Apps
- Listen to a Good Book.
- Audible (Android, iOS: $14.95 per month subscription)
- Audiobooks.com (Android, iOS: $14.95 per month subscription)
- Serial Box (Android, iOS: Free)
- Google Play Books (Android, iOS: Free)
- Kobo Books (Android, iOS: Free)
- Bookmobile (iOS: $3.99 after free trial)
Android Devices
- Launch the Play Store on your device, and search for "Audible".
- Enter "Audible" in the search bar at the top of the Play Store and tap the enter key on your device's keyboard.
- Tap on Audiobooks from Audible.
- Tap Install.
- After the app installs, open it.
Listen to Books with Text-to-Speech on Kindle Fire
- While reading, tap the center of the screen, and then tap Aa (Settings).
- Tap More Options, and then tap On next to Text-to-Speech.
- Tap the screen to show the reading toolbar again, and then tap the Play. button next to the reading progress bar to hear the text read aloud.
Now you get the e-reader that looks like the Voyage – for half the price. Most importantly, the new 4th-generation Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof. You can play both audiobooks purchased in the Audible Store and audiobook companions bought for Kindle books you already own.
Text-to-speech is one of the features that sets Kindle books apart from the likes of Kobo and Nook. But not all Kindle devices and apps support text-to-speech. Kindle ebook readers used to support TTS. The Kindle 3 (also called the Kindle Keyboard) and Kindle Touch were the last to support it.
How do I read and listen to a book in the Kindle App?
- Open your eBook.
- Tap on the screen to reveal a tray at the bottom of the screen that will say "Audible Narration".
- Tap on this section to begin downloading the audio version, or if already downloaded tap the play icon to begin playing and reading the book together.
Plug in a set of your favorite headphones, or a cable attached to the Aux output of your stereo, and you'll be ready to listen to a text-to-speech conversion of millions of compatible titles from the Kindle Store.
