Play and Navigate Audiobooks
Our reader plays audiobooks directly in the browser and inside the Fenice apps. Readers control playback, jump to any chapter, adjust speed, and pick up exactly where they left off across sessions. No download or external app is required.
Use this reference when a CS or support team member needs to explain a playback behavior, confirm what controls exist on a given platform, or diagnose a position-tracking issue.
Prerequisites
- The reader must be authenticated and have access to the audiobook product.
- An active internet connection is required. Audiobooks are streamed; offline playback is not supported.
- For preview products, playback is restricted to the sample duration (see Preview Mode).
Playback Controls
Our reader exposes the following controls for every audiobook.
| Control | Action | Keyboard shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Play / Pause | Toggle playback | Space |
| Rewind | Jump back 30 seconds | Left Arrow |
| Forward | Jump ahead 30 seconds | Right Arrow |
| Previous Track | Go to previous chapter | Up Arrow |
| Next Track | Go to next chapter | Down Arrow |
Previous Track behavior
- If the reader is more than 5 seconds into the current track, pressing Previous Track restarts that track from the beginning.
- If the reader is within the first 5 seconds, pressing Previous Track goes to the previous chapter.
- The control is disabled on the first track.
Next Track behavior
- Pressing Next Track advances to the next chapter.
- Our system automatically advances to the next chapter when the current track ends.
- The control is disabled on the last track.
Seek Bar
The seek bar lets the reader jump to any position within the current track by dragging the progress indicator.
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Current time | MM:SS (for example, "2:45") |
| Total duration | MM:SS (for example, "45:32") |
| Progress | Visual bar with gradient fill |
Playback Speed
Readers can change playback speed at any time. The current rate is always visible on the speed control.
| Speed | Label |
|---|---|
| 0.5x | Slow |
| 0.8x | |
| 1.0x | Normal |
| 1.2x | |
| 1.5x | |
| 2.0x | Fast |
Playlist
The playlist shows all chapters and tracks in the audiobook. Readers can jump to any chapter by clicking its row.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Chapter number | Chapter identifier |
| Title | Track name |
| Duration | Track length in MM:SS format |
| Active indicator | Volume icon marks the currently playing track |
The active track is highlighted. Tracks without an associated audio file are displayed but not clickable.
Accessing the playlist
| Platform | Access method |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Playlist button in the reader header |
| Mobile | Playlist button opens a full-screen modal |
Progress Tracking
Our system saves the reader's playback position automatically so they resume exactly where they stopped.
| Property | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Save interval | Every 5 seconds during active playback |
| On reload | Last saved track index and seek position are restored |
| Data stored | Current track index and seek position within that track |
Preview Mode
When a product is set to preview or sample mode, our system restricts how far the reader can listen.
| Restriction | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Seek limit | The seek bar cannot go past the preview boundary |
| Duration display | Shows "(preview)" next to the track duration |
| Auto-pause | Playback pauses automatically at the boundary |
Media Session Integration
Our reader registers with the operating system's media session API, enabling control from OS-level media panels (lock screen, notification tray, headset buttons).
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Play / Pause | Yes |
| Previous / Next track | Yes |
| Track title and artist | Yes |
| Album and artwork | Yes |
| Duration, current position, playback rate | Yes |
Platform Availability
| Feature | Web (Farfalla) | iOS (Fenice) | Android (Fenice) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playback controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seek bar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Playback speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Playlist panel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Progress tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Media session (OS) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No | No |
Limitations
- Audiobooks do not support text search. See Find Text in a Product for search availability by content type.
- Offline playback is not available. The reader must be online for all audiobook features.
- Keyboard shortcuts are available on web only; native apps use touch and hardware controls.
- Progress sync depends on connectivity. If the reader goes offline mid-session, the position saves locally and syncs when the connection is restored.
Related Documentation
- Find Text in a Product - Search availability by content type
- Reader Feature Overview - Full feature catalog with platform availability