Audiobooks vs Reading: Does Listening Count?

The Great Reading Debate

"Does listening to an audiobook count as reading?" If you've ever mentioned an audiobook in a book community, you know this question can start arguments. Some people say it absolutely counts. Others insist that if your eyes aren't on the page, it's not really reading. I've been on both sides of this, and my answer ended up being something I didn't expect.

When I first got back into reading, I tried audiobooks early on. I used my free Audible credits on Gary Vaynerchuk, the Elon Musk biography, and a handful of other titles. My plan was simple: listen before bed instead of scrolling. What actually happened was that I zoned out constantly. I'd wake up the next morning with no idea where I left off, then spend minutes scrubbing backwards trying to find the last snippet I actually remembered hearing. Even when I stayed awake, my mind would wander and I'd realize I'd missed entire sections. And whenever a thought or idea sparked while listening, the friction of pausing, reflecting, and then picking up where I left off felt clunky compared to just putting down a book for a moment. Out of everything I tried, I only finished "The Psychology of Money" as a standalone audiobook.

I gave up on audiobooks and settled on ebooks almost exclusively. For a while, I thought the format just wasn't for me. Then I stumbled onto something that changed everything for me.

What Research Says About Audiobooks vs Reading

Before we get into opinions, let's look at what the science actually says. A study from the University of Waterloo found that comprehension for narrative content is roughly similar whether you read or listen. Your brain processes the story either way. However, for complex or technical material, reading has an edge. When something's dense, you can re-read a paragraph, slow down, or pause to think. With an audiobook, the narrator keeps going whether you're keeping up or not.

Retention tells a similar story. For detail-heavy nonfiction, reading tends to win because you can highlight, annotate, and control your pace. I experienced this firsthand: when I listened to audiobooks before bed, I retained almost nothing. Not because the format is inherently worse, but because I couldn't engage with the material the way I needed to.

Then there's speed. The average adult reads at about 238 words per minute, while most audiobooks are narrated at around 150 words per minute. So reading is actually faster if raw speed is what you're after. But speed isn't the whole picture. Audiobooks shine when you're doing something else – commuting, walking, exercising, cooking. You can't read an ebook while jogging, but you can listen to one. That's time that would otherwise produce zero reading.

The takeaway from the research is clear: neither format is universally better. Each has strengths that depend on the context, the content, and how you personally engage with it.

Why I Do Both at the Same Time (And You Should Too)

Here's the thing that changed audiobooks for me: I stopped choosing between listening and reading, and started doing both at the same time. I was starting "$100M Offers" by Alex Hormozi, and right in the introduction he recommends listening to the audiobook while reading the text simultaneously. I still had a free Audible credit sitting in my account, so I grabbed the audiobook and tried it immediately. The effect was instant. My reading pace slowed down a little, but my comprehension went way up. I was genuinely more aware of what I was reading. That feeling stuck with me.

The setup is simple: open the ebook on your device, put in your headphones, and play the audiobook at normal speed while you follow along with the text. I use my iPad Mini with AirPods, which works anywhere – couch, bed, during a commute, even in noisy environments where reading alone would be difficult. If the narrator speaks very slowly, I'll bump the speed up slightly, but mostly I keep it at 1x. Here's why it works so well:

1. Two input channels reinforce each other. You hear the words AND see them at the same time. Your brain processes the material through two pathways simultaneously, which means it sticks better than either channel alone.
2. Your mind can't wander. This was the big one for me. When I listened to audiobooks alone, I zoned out constantly. With the combo, the narrator pulls you forward while the text anchors your attention. Both channels are active, so there's no space for your mind to drift.
3. Dense books become manageable. Nonfiction that would normally slow me down flows naturally when a narrator guides the pace alongside the text. Books I might have struggled through became genuinely engaging.
4. The narrator highlights what matters. Pacing, emphasis, and tone add a layer of meaning you don't get from text alone. You absorb concepts better because the delivery tells you what's important.

Since that first experience with Hormozi's book, I've used the combo on "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel, "Hooked" by Nir Eyal, and "Influence" by Robert Cialdini. I don't use it for every book – I reserve it for titles that genuinely pique my curiosity and where I want to fully grasp the concepts being discussed. For lighter reads or fiction, the ebook alone is perfect. But for the books that matter most to me, the combo is the best way I've found to read. I can't take credit for the idea, but I can strongly endorse it from personal experience.

Picking the Right Format for the Moment

There's no single best format. There's only the right format for the moment you're in. Here's how I think about it:

• Audiobook alone: When I don't have my iPad on me – during a walk, traveling, or doing something where my hands are busy. Think of it as a substitute for music during commutes or exercise. It's not my primary mode, but it turns dead time into reading time.
• Ebook alone: This is my default, roughly nine out of ten reading sessions. It's perfect for bedtime reading, focused study, and any time I want to highlight or take notes. Ebooks are where most of my reading happens.
• Audiobook + ebook combo: Reserved for books that genuinely pique my curiosity and where I want to deeply absorb the concepts. Dense nonfiction, idea-heavy books, titles I know I don't want to just skim through.
• Physical book: Very rarely for me anymore. I've gone almost entirely digital because having my full library on one device means I can always pick the right book for my mood.

Here's the key insight: format flexibility means more total reading time. If you only read physical books, you're limited to dedicated sit-down reading. Add audiobooks and you unlock commutes, walks, and workouts. Add ebooks and you unlock any moment you've got your phone or tablet. Combine them and dense books become lighter. That flexibility changes how many books you can read in a year dramatically.

It All Counts

So, does listening to an audiobook count as reading? Yes. It doesn't matter how a book's content enters your brain – what matters is that you engage with it. The experience is different between formats, and some formats work better for certain people and certain books. Audiobooks alone didn't work for me before bed, but that doesn't mean they don't work. It means I found the approach that fits me. Whether you read, listen, or do both at once, you're building knowledge, expanding your thinking, and maintaining a reading habit.

Track all your reading regardless of format – that's the only way to see your true progress. I built ReadingHabit to log every session, whether it's an ebook, an audiobook, or both at the same time. Curious how much you've already read? Try ShelfCheck to see your reading stats.