Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
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Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
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Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#2The silence removal and speed adjustment should be an integral part of audio content consumption, available in any application, be it a podcast app or a watching YouTube in a browser. The UX matters, if I can't speed up a slow source or it takes too much effort, I'll go listen to something else.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#3I like to read and listen at the same time, so this feels quite needed. Any plans to add .mp3 as input?
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#4As someone who listens to most audio books at between 1.5x and 2x I'm interested to try this. Although I think it will be problematic for me.
I would like the silence between words removed. But the silences betweens higher level structural blocks are necessary. You need a pause between chapters to signal the change of topic. Or depending on the books structure, sometimes between paragraphs too, when they indicate a switch of topic/perspective/thread.
One of my annoyances with some narrators (directors?) is that the gap between sentences and chapters is equal length, which often makes a confusing jump of context. I like it when each new chapter is announced as it comes.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#5"This tool won’t be appropriate for all audiobook listeners. For many, the silences matter, and removing them would degrade the quality of the book. For many, listening at 2.5x would also degrade the quality of the book. So use this tool with caution."
It's nice that this was also brought up. At least for me, even though I don't listen to audiobooks, it's too easy to become too "performance-oriented" when reading something. Meaning that ticking the box "achievement unlocked, read another book" becomes more important than what you really get out of the book. Did you now retain as much information as possible? Did you savor the work of art or just gulp it down? Ironically, if you don't use tools like these carefully, listening to books may end up being even a bigger waste of time.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#6Overcast already does this for podcasts, and I really like it. I turn it on 100% of the time.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#7A great way to absorb even less than the 5% of information you were going to absorb in the first place when listening at 2.5 speed.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#8"Aaron Mayer aims to listen to 100 audiobooks in a single month. He intends to listen to these audiobooks at 2x - 3x speed"
I listen to more than 1000 audiobooks per week at 600x speed. And I have a lot of free time left. And I like this sound "bzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhzhazzzzzzz".
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#9Meanwhile, I am slowing down the pace of my life a little bit every day. I plan to build a little cabin in the woods, taking my time, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the forest. I listen to podcasts and audiobooks, yes, but I do it slow. I do not want to rush anymore. Life is too short to rush.
Re: Fastbook: Listen to audiobooks faster (2020)
#10I use audible quite a lot, and I like the 1.2x-1.4x range because I feel like sometimes they slow down the original audio and it just doesn't feel... real, but it depends entirely on the books. One time I tried getting it up, I just wasn't sure what was going on and was lost. Sure, after a couple of minutes the brain kind of adapted and I was hearing it but I wasn't actually listening.
I feel like the pursue for speed/efficiency kills the time our brain needs to actually absorb and digest what it just listened. If after a week you don't remember anything, what was the point?
But hey, if it works for you it works.