Why Listening to Audiobooks at Normal Speed Is a Waste of Time
I was scrolling through Threads when I read a post that said “Once you listen to audiobooks on 2x speed, you can never go back.” I sat in my car and just screamed out “literally” and I gave that post the biggest thumbs up of my life. Going back to normal speed on audiobooks is like walking behind a slow walker in a one person walking lane. You’re eager to get passed them but you’re stuck walking their speed. Frustrating if you’re trying to get any where on time. All I could think to myself was “will I ever be able to return to regular speed again?” The answer is no. I will never be able to listen to an audiobook at normal speeds again haha. I started wondering if there were any real benefits for a typical listener to listen to speeds greater to 1x speed. Im here to explain to you why you should consider speed listening through your books and a few tips to get you started!
Let’s start with a bit of research. Research into time-compressed speech dates back to the late 1950s and focused on how well people could comprehend material at increased playback speeds. A study published in the Journal of Speech and Hearing Research found that it’s participants can effectively process and comprehend audio content at accelerated speeds. The average adult can readily comprehend spoken audio at about 2x speed, corresponding to approximately 275 words per minutes. This is notable because typical conversation speech rates range from 120 to 150 words per minute. The scientific literature supports the efficacy of speed listening and provides a robust foundation for accelerated consumption.
Benefits of Speed Listening:
Consume More Books: This is one of the more obvious benefits of speed listening. The average American reads a little over 4 books per year and listens to about 8 books per year. By consuming books at 2x speed, your going to increase your reading capacity significantly.
Enhanced Focus and Engagement: Research from the University of California showed that moderate increases in playback speed actually improved comprehension due to heightened listener engagement. Listening at higher speeds means you need to pay more attention and avoid distraction to be able to retain more information. A few seconds of distraction and you could miss some valuable information.
Better Comprehension Over Time: Your brain adapts quickly. Neuroplasticity plays a key role in this. Repeated exposure to fast speech enhances neural processing efficiency which makes comprehension progressively easier.
Maximizing Efficiency: Accelerated audio consumption integrated effectively into multitasking contexts. Get the most out of commuting, chores, and even exercise by fitting in more valuable content into your day. This is a really great way to integrate learning seamlessly into your daily routines.
Now, I’ll be honest, Im not at the top of the food chain when it comes to speed listening. I listen to most of my books at 2x speed except anything that’s nonfiction. I find that listening to information dense content requires a lot more active listening for me to retain any useful information so I keep the speed at around 1.25x to 1.5x. According to research, the optimal speed seems to hover somewhere between 1.5x - 2x without any notable comprehension decline.
Tips for Transitioning to Higher Speeds:
Incremental Adjustment: Gradually increase your speed to help your brain adapt comfortably. From 1.2x to 1.3x, then to 1.5x. Slowly train for it. And yes I do mean TRAIN for it. Like any other muscle in your body, your ear can be trained. Think about it like this: Actively listen to an audiobook at 1 setting higher than your comfortable with for about 15 minutes. Then go back down to your normal speed for a little while. After about another 15 minutes, go back to the setting that was a bit out of your comfort zone and try to listen for about 30 minutes. Then come back down. Consider these reps. Do this for your next 2 or 3 books and you'll soon realize you've established a new “normal” for yourself. Comprehension is critical. Bringing up the speed is pointless if can’t understand anything that’s being said.
Choose the Appropriate Genre: Begin with familiar stories and genres where comprehension will be easier. Information and instructional content is typically structured in an organized and clear way which makes it a bit easier to listen to at higher speeds. Stay away from complex or new topics until you get to the point where your new reading speed is normal for you. Once your comfort level has increased, experiment more with narrative-driven audiobooks. Fantasy is a genre that’s particularly difficult to get used to at first because of the extensive world building and lore dump found in the beginning of these stories.
Read while you listen: An average reader can read at about 300 words per minute. Audiobooks are typically narrated at 150-160 wpm. Listening at about 1.5x or 1.75x will match your reading speed. Looking at the words and following along with the audio will help train the comprehension aspect of speed reading incredibly well.
Listening to audiobooks at higher speeds isn't just a hack. It’s scientifically supported as an effective tool to improve your reading lifestyle. Once you adjust to faster speeds, regular speed feels frustratingly slow. You'll find yourself wondering how you ever tolerated the slow and leisurely pace of traditional audiobook narration.