Do audiobooks count as reading, and how should you track them?

Do audiobooks count as reading?

It depends on what you mean by reading, and nobody can settle that for you. If your goal is to take in books, follow stories and learn, audiobooks count. If your goal is the habit of sitting with printed text, they do not. Neither answer is wrong, and many readers split the difference by counting both and labeling the format.

The question matters because goals and streaks need a rule. A reader who says audiobooks count and then feels guilty about it has not decided. A reader who says they do not count, and keeps a separate listening list, has a clear system. The Wikipedia article on audiobooks shows how long the format has existed: recorded books have been used in libraries and schools since the 1930s.

What does the research say about comprehension?

Studies comparing listening with reading for adult comprehension of narrative text generally find that people understand and remember the story at similar levels. Differences appear in details. Readers tend to do better with complex or technical material they can reread, and listeners can drift when they multitask. Attention matters more than the format.

Keep that in mind when you listen. An audiobook played while you cook and scroll is a different activity from one you hear on a walk with nothing else going on. If you want the book to stick, give it the same attention you would give a printed page.

How do you decide what counts for you?

Ask three questions.

If you want a habit of reading print, keep audio in a separate column. If you want to know how many books you got through, count everything. The only dishonest approach is one that changes the rule mid-year to look better.

1. What is the goal: finishing stories, learning facts, or building a habit of reading text?
2. Does the format change how well you take it in?
3. Would counting audio make your numbers misleading to you?

How does Bookstub handle audiobooks?

Bookstub is an iPhone reading tracker in development that logs by page number. When you add a book by hand, you enter a page count, so an audiobook can borrow the page count of its print edition and you update the page as a percent of the way through. Another option is the Read, did not count pages choice on the log sheet. It marks the day as a reading day without changing the page, which keeps a streak honest on evenings when you listened and never looked at a page number.

The timer can also attach minutes to a log, and the weekly ledger shows pages, minutes and days read. The log a page guide covers both. Whether listening counts toward a streak is for you to decide, and the app does not restrict it.

Should audiobooks count toward a streak?

A streak is a habit tool, so count whatever habit you are building. If the habit is some contact with a book every day, audio qualifies. If it is specifically screen-free time with print, audio does not. Streaks also depend on rules that forgive misses. The guide to a streak that survives a missed day explains why a low daily bar works best.

What are the practical tips for audiobook listeners?

Keep them short and concrete.

• Use the sleep timer so you know where you stopped, and note the chapter when you do.
• Save a line you liked as soon as you can. A quote typed later at a desk takes seconds and is easy to forget on a walk.
• Slow down for dense material. A playback speed that works for a thriller may be too fast for a history.
• Do not count the time the app played while you were asleep.

What about reading along with the text?

Some people listen while following the print or an e-book. This combination is slower than either alone, but it can help with difficult texts, long names or a second language. If you do it, count the session once. Log the pages if you are looking at them, and note the format as both so that your list stays clear.

What do you lose and gain with audio?

Audio gains time. Chores, commutes and walks turn into reading minutes that you could not use for print. It also adds a performance: a good narrator can bring out humor and rhythm that you would miss on the page.

What audio loses is control. You cannot glance back as easily, skim a boring stretch or slow down on a beautiful sentence. Maps, tables and footnotes get lost. For books with those features, print or an e-book is usually better, and a hybrid approach covers the gap.

How do you keep a mixed list tidy?

Add a Format field and use the same three words each time: print, e-book, audio. At year end you can see how many books came from each. If a title spans two formats, pick the one you used most.

For people with an app, a note on the book is enough. If your tracker is a spreadsheet, a dropdown column keeps the spelling consistent. The guide to a book tracker spreadsheet shows how to set one up.