What the Tech App of the Day: Bibliobeats
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Tech Reporter
Some people need total silence when they read. Others can read just about anywhere. But for a lot of people, background noise can ruin the whole thing.
You pick up a book, start reading, and someone is talking in the next room. The TV is on. A dog is barking. Suddenly, you’ve read the same paragraph three times and still have no idea what happened. So you put on music. But that can be just as distracting.
That is the problem Bibliobeats is trying to solve. Bibliobeats is a new app that pairs books with music. Think of it as a soundtrack for whatever you are reading. The idea is pretty simple.
Open the app, search for a book title or author, or scan the barcode on the back of the book. Bibliobeats finds the title in its library and then matches it with a playlist that fits the mood of the story.
A mystery may get something darker and more suspenseful. A romance may get something softer. A fantasy novel may get a more cinematic playlist. The point is not to blast music while you read. It is to create background music that fits the book instead of fighting with it.
Bibliobeats says it has tens of thousands of books in its library. You can browse titles, read reviews, add books to a reading list, and keep track of what you have already read.
One thing to know: you do not actually read the book inside Bibliobeats. This is not an e-book app, and it is not an audiobook app. You still read the physical book, a Kindle, or whatever device you normally use. Bibliobeats is more of a companion app.
There is also a progress feature. When you take a break from reading, you can enter the page number where you stopped. When you come back, the app can pick up the playlist where you left off.
There is a catch. Right now, Bibliobeats appears to be built for Apple users. It works on iPhones and iPads, and the music integration is with Apple Music. So Android users and Spotify listeners may not get the same seamless experience.
Bibliobeats is still new. It previously went by the name Book Beats, so the app is clearly still evolving.
And it will not be for everyone. Some readers want silence, period. They do not want a playlist, mood music, or anything else competing with the words on the page. But for people who read in noisy homes, dorm rooms, coffee shops, airports, or anywhere else with distractions, Bibliobeats is a clever idea. It is not trying to replace the book. It is trying to make the book easier to disappear into.
In other words, it is not an audiobook. It is not a reading app. It is more like mood lighting for your brain. Bibliobeats is free to download, with optional paid features available inside the app.
