Welcome to today’s lesson:
How to Add Audio to Your Blog.
Adding audio to your blog is a great way to provide a personal touch without actually being face-to-face with your audience. Your voice will be working for you, 24-7, to introduce your visitors to all you have to offer. Use audio to introduce your topic, guide users through your site, make offers and invite them to join your list.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com
Before we get into some nitty-gritty on how to actually add audio to your site, let’s discuss audio formats and files so you know what you’re dealing with.
When you record an audio for online consumption it must be saved in a specific format. Your listeners won’t be able to open your audio file if it’s not in the right format.
What are the most common audio formats?
.mp3 – This is the standard audio format to work in because it is most commonly used for storing and downloading audios. We’ll be working in MP3 so you can use software programs to host your audio and you can easily allow your visitors to download your audio files.
.WAV – A wav file is most often used on Windows software.
.WMA – Stands for Windows Media Audio, and it is again a Microsoft audio file.
How do you record audio for your computer?
You’ve got a great idea for audio but no clue on how to record it. There are a number of ways you can get your audio recordings online quickly and easily. Remember, each audio file needs to be in a specific format (mp3), and we need software to capture and save it in that format. The software you use is up to you. Here are some options:
Audacity – This is a free audio program that allows you to save your files in mp3 format. This program lets you record your voice live and then go back and edit. You can also use Audacity to mix voice with music, cut or splice audio together, and crop an audio that you want to break into pieces. Audacity is available free online; you simply download it to your computer, boot it up, and record your audio using a good microphone or headset. I recommend a Snowball Microphone from Blue Microphones or a Plantronics headset. Download Audacity for free here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Free Conference Call Lines – You can also use free conference call lines to call in and record an audio for your blog. These lines are actually intended for 100 or more people but even if you call in alone you can typically record an audio file and then add it to your website for download as an mp3 (this will depend on the features of the program you decide to use). http://www.freeconferencecalling.com is one I’ve used.
Audio Acrobat – While this program is not free, it’s packed with so many features that it’s well worth the monthly payment. If you’re looking for the easiest way to get audio onto your blog, today, then Audio Acrobat is your choice. There is no learning curve or coding knowledge needed with Audio Acrobat. You just call into a special phone number, enter in your code, record and you’re done. Then when you log back into your account you have a large selection of ways to publish your audio. Next you grab the code to place on your site. Then you have a web-player ready to go and a download link if you choose. There are just too many features to cover here so check out the free 30-day trial to find out more: http://www.audioacrobat.com
Unless you’re using Audio Acrobat, recording the audio is just the first step. After it has been recorded you will then need to add the audio to your blog. Again, the exact software you use to do so is your choice, but if you want people to click a ‘Play’ button on your site to hear audio, then you need a script that creates a ‘player’ for you.
Here are some options:
Podpress – This is a free plug-in that you can use with WordPress. Podpress can take an mp3 file you’ve uploaded and put it into a player that visitors can click and listen to online. It can also allow your visitors to download the audio to listen to anywhere they like (on their computer, on their iPod or other mp3 player, on a laptop, etc.) http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/podpress/
Audio Player – This is a WordPress plugin that acts as a simple mp3 player for your audios. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/audio-player/
Audio Acrobat – If you’re looking for an easy way to add a web player then check out the Audio Acrobat trial mentioned above.
Teleseminar/Conference Call Lines – Earlier I mentioned free conference call lines. Depending on the service, you may be able to create a player from your phone recording and add it to your site. Instant Teleseminar (www.instantteleseminar.com) is one such service that allows you to do so.
If you want to start out simply, you may want to just let your blog readers download the mp3 audio file without having an audio player on your blog. To do this, you’ll need to upload your audio file to your website, get a link to its location, and then share that link with your readers. That way they can download it to play in whatever manner suits them best.
Yes, adding audio is a bit of a ‘techy’ thing to do. And yes, you can do this!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, then I recommend going with the simplest solution and choose an all-in-one program like Audio Acrobat. Over time things that once sounded foreign and confusing will start to sound familiar and even second-nature. Take a deep breath and know adding audio to your blog is another way for you to create a solid connection with your audience and build your brand long term.
That’s worth the extra effort!
See you on our next lesson when we talk about how to add video to your blog.
Joanne
