How to Create an Audio Postcard..........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Audio postcards are an innovative way to add a rich layer of interactivity to your website. With an audio postcard, you can record your greeting, upload a photo, dress up your postcard with numerous styles and colors, and even add a stamp for an extra touch of realism.
You can also use audio postcards in business as well. Record a special offer for your best customers, give away a freebie to new users, or offer a discount code based on an event or holiday. Audio postcards are excellent tools for email campaigns and stand out in a way that boring text emails can't beat.
To create your postcard, you'll first need to make your recording. It can start out as a .wav file, as you can use the software tool below to convert it to a much faster-loading version. Once you have your recording, you'll need to select the photo to go with it. The software I use, Audio Postcard Creator (link below) lets you instantly add your photo and message and it takes over from there.
Using this software, you can select from many different styles and looks, including themed stamps to give it that travel-ready appeal. The graphics and HTML template used to actually make the postcard look are created for you automatically, so you don't need any website editing experience. Of course, if you know how to work with basic HTML, you can customize your postcard even more!
The most important thing to remember about using an audio postcard is that it must load quickly. No one is going to wait while a huge audio file is downloaded to their email inbox or browse your web page and wait for your offer to show up. Fortunately, the technology used to make your presentation guarantees that it will load within 10 seconds or less - even on dial up!
The software itself is actually a small part of six different audio programs called Total Web Audio, which are used to create and edit professional-grade audio on your website. Using this software suite, you'll never need another audio software program to convert, upload, mix and edit your audio files.
As you'll see, creating an audio postcard is a simple, 3 step process that anyone can do in minutes, even if you've never used one before.
What to Look For in Web Audio Software-------------
When it comes to adding audio to a website, there's no shortage of audio editing software packages out there. But before you shell out the big bucks on an overpriced multimedia suite, take a look at some of the top features you'll want in your audio software package. You could save $100 or more just by weeding out programs that DON'T have these options!
The first feature you'll want is fast streaming and downloading. Audio on a website is no good to anyone if all they hear is choppiness and static. People on dialup especially dread audio because it tends to clog up their connection - and everybody hates waiting. That said, you'll want to look for audio software which will play your recording within 10 seconds or less (no matter how long it is), on both broadband and dialup connections.
Secondly, you'll want web audio software that lets you easily manipulate your file. That means, with no prior audio editing experience, you should be able to convert to different formats, layer over professional music tracks or add introductory or exit music. You should also be given the exact code you'll need to place on your web page - as well as know exactly where to place it if you're not familiar with web page editing.
Speaking of web page editing, you'll also want the ability to customize the look and feel of your audio buttons. Nobody wants to be struck with massive audio buttons that stick out and clash with your website's design. Ideally, you should be able to tweak your buttons right down to the exact color of your website, so that you can have audio buttons that blend in seamlessly with your site's look and feel.
Lastly, you'll want software that will let you trigger specific events as they're happening. Lots of audio presentations are just that - presentations. They fail to truly engage the user and sound more like a university lecture than an appealing and attractive invitation or introduction. What if, for example, you could introduce your product via audio and then open a new window that gives the visitor more information as well as the opportunity to order. How many more sales might you make as a result? You'll never know until you try it - and few website audio packages or services offer this type of feature today.
Now that you know what to look for, take a look below for recommended software which does all these things and much more. You'll never need to buy another audio editing program to put audio on your website again!
----How to Add Audio to Your Website----------------
Have you ever visited a website - and heard voices? It's not in your head. Audio is quickly catching on to give websites a fresh, interactive feel that brings them in as participants, rather than casual observers, of your product or service.
So how do you add audio to a website? You'll need a few basic tools to start with, however they're very inexpensive and you can be up and running in an hour or less once you know what steps to take.
First you'll need to make a recording or have one made for you. Typically most recordings are saved in .wav or possibly .mp3 format. .Wav files take up heaps of space and take a long time to download on a website, especially for dialup users, so you'll want to make the file size as small as possible without losing sound quality.
Unless you know the ins and outs of audio editing software, editing wav files or mp3 files can be a pain. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be difficult to edit your files like a pro once you see the program I recommend (below).
Once you have your file edited and converted, it's time to place it on your web page. This can be tricky if you're not familiar with HTML files or FTP - the process used to put your files from your computer to the web. Some people hire web developers to add the audio for them, but it's incredibly straightforward and can be done in 5 seconds once you see how simple it is.
Then once the audio is actually on your page - there's the matter of customizing the player itself.
We've all see those gaudy huge play, pause and stop buttons on some websites - the kind that scream out and demand attention.
You don't want the audio to take away from your message but rather add to it. You might even consider an extra professional touch by adding intro or exit music to your presentation. The right audio software will not only let you choose from several different audio graphics, but will also let you customize your player to blend in seamlessly with your website.
One of the more recent benefits of adding audio to a website is the ability to trigger specific events. If you're talking about your newsletter and want to pop up a new window that lets people subscribe the moment you mention it in your audio, it's now possible to do just that - with absolutely no coding or technical experience. How many extra subscribers could you get with this one extra feature?
--How to Add Audio-Streaming and MP3 Music To Your Website-------
Do you have streaming-audio or music files in MP3 formats you like your visitors to listen, with a skinnable music player with can integrate nicely your website?
Experienced webmasters always know that a well-placed audio or music clip can increase sales and leads to their products and services.
There are many methods you can use for adding streaming audio and music to your website or blog site. One of the simplest and most effective ways is by using a flash music player, or mp3 player software.
Flash Music Player, or MP3 player software are often an easy to use software that allows you to add two or more mp3 audio files to a skinnable website jukebox player. This is so easy that even a beginner can do it, with no any programming or script knowledge required.
The software will display the music files you like to broadcast on your website in a play list (or a hidden play list), and then stream those files automatically for playing on your website. The advantage of audio-streaming is that your visitors can listen to the audio or music while the file is getting downloaded, without having to wait until the entire song is downloaded. If you have music files in WAV, MIDI file format, you should convert them into MP3 file format first for best streaming.
If you do not have your own hosting account yet, it is highly recommended that you setup your own domain name and a paid hosting account with sufficient bandwidth. Many free web host providers offers limited storage space for users' files. Once you upload your music files, you may find that you're running out of room on your account very quickly.
By adding streaming audio and a flash music player to your website, you can create your own radio program, broadcast interviews or your own music creations. Business website can use a website audio player to play customer testimonies, and musicians can play their latest music on their website with an instant BUY button.