Audible has three new features to give you a deeper connection to your stories

After rolling out a rewards program earlier this year, Audible is back, giving listeners yet another reason to stick around. The company has a trio of new features that aim to make storytelling a little more immersive. However, these features won’t be available to everyone right out of the gate.

Audible has published a blog post, providing details on its upcoming features. These three new features are called Character Guide, Interactive Story, and Visual Explorer. Each powered by AI, these features take different approaches to deepen your connection to the story you’re enjoying.

Character Guide

If you’re having trouble keeping up with all of the characters in a story, Character Guide will help you keep track of the cast. This feature will show you who is talking in real time. On the player page, each character will have their own spoiler-free cards that also spotlight the performer behind the voice. You’ll also find the narrator’s headshots and bio here.

Character Guide is currently available for George Orwell’s 1984. It will also be available for Bram Stoker’s Dracula on October 1. Exoplanet from writer Benjamin Percy is also getting Character Guide on November 5. Audible says that down the road, users will be able to use this tool to ask questions about the production.

Interactive Story

Interactive Story lets you throw yourself into the tale you’ve been listening to. The first Interactive Story will be for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, turning the narrative into an interactive conversation. Dracula’s servant, Renfield, will speak and assign the listener a role, goal, and stakes. As you respond, the character will listen and react in real time.

Audible says that the feature is designed to stay “faithful to the creator’s vision all the way through.” The next Interactive story will be Exoplanet, which will become available on November 5.

Visual Explorer

As the name suggests, Visual Explorer is designed to provide visual context to the story. During key moments, relevant imagery will be surfaced. It’s almost like turning your audiobook into a picture book. For example, while listening to The Cultural Tutor’s Grand Tour: The Story of Europe in Six Cities, you’ll see “imagery and bonus information about key landmarks, figures and places featured in six European cities.”

Availability

As mentioned earlier, not everyone will have access to these features initially. All three tools are being rolled out in a limited beta and will only come to users in the US and UK. The company does not say when it plans to expand availability.