eBook readers
Kindle Audio Books Canada
An audiobook is a recording of the text of a book that you listen to rather than read. Kindle audio books are usually narrated by a professional actor. Audible website offers the largest selection of audio books in Canada.
First audio books were available in the 1930s and were primarily used in schools and public libraries. Since then, audio books were available in many different formats including tapes, cassettes, and vinyl records.
The popularity of audio books have increased significantly with the invention of the internet. Audio books become available in a digital form. The new compressed audio formats were developed as well as new portable audio players.
Many people like to listen to audiobooks during long travel, yard work, meal preparation or while relaxing on the beach. Whatever the reason, it is hands-free enjoyment in a book.
Kindle Audio Books Canada are especially popular among children and seniors.
Users can listen to Kindle Audio Books in Canada on many different electronic devices including e-book readers, smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Kindle That Plays Audiobooks
Earlier models of e-book readers were used only for reading text books. The only function of e-book readers was to display text on the e-ink screen. Many of the recent models of e-book readers are able to play audio books in addition to displaying text on the screen.
All four latest models of Kindle e-readers currently available in Canada have audio capabilities. Therefore the following Kindle e-book readers are able to play audio books via Bluetooth feature:
Users can listen to audio books using Bluetooth headphones or speakers. There is no audio connector on the Kindle device neither cables between Kindle device and headphones. All connections are done wireless via Bluetooth technology.
Bluetooth headphones or speaker needs to be paired with the Kindle device. When you buy a Kindle ebook reader, it does not include Bluetooth headphones or speakers. Bluetooth headphones and speakers are sold separately on Amazon’s website.
Kindle e-book readers do not play music and movies – they play audio books only.
Audio books Canada
Audio books Canada are available from public libraries and a few websites such as Audible. Canadian users can borrow, download or stream audiobook depending on the service they are using.
You can access the large selection of audiobooks as a member of a particular provider or a public library. Audiobooks can be purchased separately as well, you do not be a member to buy the audiobook. Some places offer free audiobooks as part of the membership.
Companies that produce audio books usually hire a professional actor to narrate a book. Each company offers audiobooks in different formats.
Before you purchase an e-book or audiobook from a particular service provider, you should check what formats your device supports. Each electronic device supports different book formats and can play only e-books or audiobooks in those formats.
For example, Kindle devices do not support Overdrive in Canada. Overdrive is a service that allows you to access and borrow e-books from public libraries and read them on your device. Overdrive feature on Kindle devices works only for public libraries in the USA, and not in Canada.
However, Kobo readers come with a built-in Overdrive feature and can easily borrow e-books from public libraries in Canada.
On the other hand, Kobo e-book readers are not compatible with e-books from the Kindle Store. Kobo e-book readers do not support AZW file which is the format of e-books from Kindle Store.
Kindle Audio Books
The first place to look for Kindle audio books in Canada is Audible. Audible is a company owned by Amazon and offers one of the very best audiobook services.
Audible Canada has a large selection of audiobooks for download or streaming. Some books are written by Canadian writers and narrated by Canadian actors. Audiobooks are available in English and French language.
Many audiobooks from the Audible are Whyspersync for Voice and Immersion Reading enabled. Whispersync for Voice feature allows you to continue listening to any Audible audiobook across different devices without losing your place.
Audible Canada is a subscription-based service. The cost of membership is 14.95 Canadian dollars per month. You can purchase audiobooks from the Audible even if you are not a member.
Can You Listen to Audiobooks on Kindle Paperwhite
You can listen to audiobooks on the most recent version of Kindle Paperwhite. That is the 11th generation of Kindle Paperwhite released in October 2021.
If you have an older version of Kindle Paperwhite it is still possible to manage your Paperwhite read to you. You will need to purchase an additional piece of hardware on the Amazon online store – Kindle audio adapter.
The price of the Kindle audio adapter is $20. Kindle audio adapter was initially designed to help the visually impaired persons use Kindle e-book readers.
All you need to do is to plug one end of the Kindle audio adapter to the micro-USB connector on your Kindle device. Then you plug your headphones to the other end of the adapter. And you will be ready to listen to a text-to-speech conversion of thousands of compatible titles from the Kindle Store. You do not need to download any supporting software to enable this feature.
However, the audio you will hear in headphones won’t be the same quality as audio of audiobooks from the Audible. This audio is a text-to-speech conversion while Audible hires professional actors to narrate audio content for each audiobook they produce.
Kindle Audible Canada
Many of e-books available via the Kindle Store can be synced with their audio companion available on the Kindle Audible Canada.
In order to use this feature, you need to have both versions of the book in your library – audio book and text e-book. That means to enjoy this feature you need to purchase an e-book from the Kindle Store and audiobook from the Audible Canada.
It is easy to switch between listening to an audio book and reading a text book thankfully to Whispersync for Voice feature. Whispersync feature automatically sync your Kindle devices to the furthest point listened to in your audiobooks or read in an e-book.
Whispersync feature works among all Kindle devices (Kindle ereaders and Kindle Fire) and Kindle reading apps registered to the same Amazon account.
You can start reading an e-book on Kindle e-book reader, continue reading on a smartphone via Kindle App, continue further reading on Amazon Fire tablet.
You can switch between reading a textbook and listening to audiobook any time you wish.
When you open the same book on another Kindle device or on smartphone or tablet via the Kindle app, you will be given the choice to go to the furthest page read across all your devices which are registered at your Amazon account.
Kindle Audible Canada is the biggest audiobook subscription service available in Canada.
It offers over 550,000 titles.
Read and Listen to Book at the Same Time
On a few electronic devices you can read and listen to book at the same time.
Immersion Reading feature allows you to read Kindle e-book and listen to narrated Audible audiobook at the same time with real-time highlighting.
Immersion Reading highlight the words in the text of the e-book as it reads aloud.
Not all e-books support the Immersion Reading feature. To enjoy the Immersion Reading feature you need to choose one of the e-books from Kindle Store which supports Whispersync for Voice. In addition, you need to purchase its companion audiobook from Audible.
The Immersion Reading feature is available on Amazon Fire tablets. The Immersion Reading can also be enabled on other tablets or smartphones via Kindle App for iOS or Kindle App for Android.
Updated: January 05, 2024