You may already know Amazon has bundled some classics of literature in both Kindle and Audible audiobook formats, both formats for free, in order to let owners of the latest Kindle Fire models try out Immersive Reading Technology and Whispersync for Voice (more on that below).
What you may not realize is that regardless of whether you’ve bought a new Fire device or not, you can still get these featured books in both Kindle and Audible audiobook formats free of charge, and enjoy either or both on your first-generation Kindle Fire, too. On the first-generation Kindle Fire you won’t be able to use the Immersive Reading or Whispersync for Voice features of the newest Kindle Fire models, but you can still add some beloved childhood classics to your digital library for free, and enjoy them in either text or audio format.
Get the Kindle And Audible Audiobook Formats, Both For Free!
Just “buy” the Kindle version of the book for free, then:
First Generation Kindle Fire Owners: return to the product page for the free book (you can easily find it through My Account > My Orders) and click on “add the professional narration at a reduced price of $0.00” link to get the Audible audiobook edition for free (see screenshot below).
Latest Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD Owners: after “purchasing” the free Kindle book, on the “Thank You” confirmation page, you will be prompted to also “purchase” the Audible audiobook for a price of $0.00; click the link to add the Audible audiobook for free (see screenshot below).
Note that if you’re not yet an Audible member you will be prompted to set up a free account, but since Audible is an Amazon company you can just login with your Amazon account username and password.
Kid-friendly titles included in this free promotion are:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer’s Comrade
Immersive Reading Technology and Whispersync for Voice
We recently presented a video post on these features of the latest Kindle Fire devices; you can view it here.
In a nutshell, Text to Speech (TTS) is a feature that enables your Kindle Fire (latest model only) or Kindle Fire HD (all models) to read any of your TTS-enabled Kindle books aloud to you via an automated, computerized voice.
Immersive Reading Technology (IRT) works pretty much the same way, but it plays the Audible audiobook narration instead of using a computerized voice. It also highlights the text in the Kindle book as the narration goes along. You must own both the Kindle book and the Audible audiobook in order to take advantage of IRT, and this feature is only available on the latest Kindle Fire models (both the standard model that’s currently priced at $159, and all the new HD models).
Whispersync for Voice (WFV) allows you to switch back and forth between the Kindle and Audible audiobook formats, and each format “remembers” where you left off in the other format. For example, you can read chapters 1-3 in the Kindle book, then turn on the Audible audiobook and it will pick up where you left off, at chapter 4. This is not limited by chapter bookmarks, however. Both formats will “remember” the page you left off on, anywhere in a given chapter.
Freebies For All!
So whether you’ve invested in a new Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD, or have decided to stick with your first-generation Fire for the time being, you (and any young readers in your household) can still reap the benefits of this free Kindle book/Audible book bundling promotion!