Audible adds shortcuts to the 'good parts' of romantic audiobooks
Now you can skip the "flirty banter" and head straight to the "hot, hot, hot" stuff.
Sexy isn't what springs to mind when you think of big data. But, in Audible's case, it's providing a shortcut to the raciest audiobook passages on its service. The Amazon-owned firm is utilizing an algorithm as part of two features tied to its new romance subscription. With it, you can jump straight to the best bits from a novel (including the "hot, hot, hot" part). On top of that, it assigns a "steaminess" score -- ranging from "sweet" to "O-O-OMG" -- to the books, so you know exactly what you're in for. The playful terminology seems fitting for a genre that's as fun as they come.
Meanwhile, its algorithm is left to slog it out in search of keywords and phrases that help to categorize each title. That's how it arrives at its "steaminess" rank and serves up the so-called "good parts." Audible Romance costs an extra $6.95 per month as a membership add-on, and $14.95 as a standalone service. Aside from the lovey-dovey stuff, it also gives you access to the company's short-form original content.
