7 Ways to Use Website Audio in Your Marketing Arsenal

Most visitors to your website are using computers with audio capabilities. Recently introduced techniques make it easy to take advantage of this capability.

In the past, web audio was primarily decorative, consisting of musical fanfares or other clichéd sound effects. Now, you can use audio to multiply the impact of your message and create stronger bonds with your visitors.

Audio's power comes from its ability to engage more of your visitor's senses. The more senses you engage, the easier it will be to effectively communicate. Instead of just reading your words and looking at your picture, you can communicate with your voice – and the voices of your clients.

The power of audio can be appreciated by comparing the newspaper column version of Tom and Ray Magliozzi's Car Talk with the program aired each week on National Public Radio. Although the newspaper column and radio program address the same topics, it's far more fun to listen to Car Talk – where you can experience Tom and Ray's intonations and phrasing – than to read the same words.

Here are some of the ways you can employ audio on your website:

• Welcoming messages. You can create closer emotional bonds with website visitors by personally welcoming them to your site and introducing some of the features they should explore.

• Testimonials. Audio testimonials are far more powerful that written testimonials, especially if you include a photograph of the individual speaking the testimonial. The next best thing to a face-to-face referral is a recording of a client explaining their satisfaction with your product in their own words.

• Guarantees. Your satisfaction guarantees gain impact when you deliver them in your own voice. Place them on your order form, at the point of sale. People are inherently cautious about ordering products and services from the Internet. Reassure them that their credit card and personal information are safe with you.

• Seminars and teleconferences. Short excerpts about upcoming events can make your event even more appealing. Snippets from past seminars can whet visitors' appetites for more.

• Tips. Add interest to your site by describing an audio ‘tip of the day' or ‘tip of the week' in your own words. Be sure to offer access to previous tips, too.

• Audio postcards. You can include audio invitations and testimonials as links in email sent to clients and prospects. To arrange an audio testimonial, simply provide your client with a phone number and password, and invite them to call up and express their satisfaction with their purchase from you. Audio postcards are a great way to stay in contact with your clients and prospects with an announcement of an upcoming product or service. They are also a quick way to acknowledge a special occasion.

• Streaming audio can be used to allow visitors to playback longer events, like seminars or teleconferences.

When you add audio to your website, allow your visitors to maintain control. Don't begin playing your message when the webpage loads. Instead, invite visitors to ‘click here' to hear your voice. Keep your messages as short and concise as possible.

And avoid ‘scripting' your introductions and guarantees. Write down the key ideas you want to communicate, but deliver them in your own words as conversationally as possible.

Web audio is no longer a futuristic luxury. Web audio is here now and it's as close as your telephone. It is an affordable and easily added feature that can set you apart from the competition and help communicate your message with added impact.

A Brief Guide to Audio Conferencing Services

Audio conferencing provides a way for businesses and other groups to interact, without having to travel to each other's offices. The savings in time and travel expenses quickly make up for the cost of audio conferencing services and equipment. Audio conferencing usually involves other types of teleconferencing technology, such as video and collaborative software. Collaborative software is software that one user may send to other users for simultaneous viewing and modification. For example, if the group wants to work on a diagram, it can be seen and drawn upon by anybody in the conference via a special electronic whiteboard.

An audio conferencing system can be rented, bought from a vendor or reseller, or hired as part of a full audio conferencing solution. Such full-service packages include human support services like management, marketing, and tech support.

When audio conferencing services are rented, the communication is routed through the vendor's server software. The client is charged according to the number of users or “seats” who will be participating, the length of time each seat will be participating, and any initial equipment rental or purchase costs. The vendor can charge a per-seat and per-minute fee (for example, $0.15/seat/minute). Alternatively, a client can rent the service by the week, month, or year, with a maximum allowed number of seats per conference or session. For example, a one-week service for five seats could cost $100 a week, while a one-year service for 100 people could cost a few thousand dollars. Rental audio conferencing services are best for small to medium sized businesses where the initial equipment purchase costs would far outweigh the savings on travel.

When audio conferencing services are bought, the communication is routed through the client's server software, which is bought and licensed from the vendor. The client chooses how small or large a package he or she wants. For example, the client can buy software that allows for 100 seats, 1000 seats, or much more. The client can decide whether to include any of a number of high-tech add-ons such as whiteboard capabilities, and whether expandability is important. The client buys all the necessary equipment and software to run the system. The initial cost can be tens of thousands of dollars, so these are best suited to larger numbers of seats over the long term. However, tech support will always be a necessity, so the client should subscribe to the vendor's expertise.

Adding audio to your web site

What do you do with your intranet or internet site once you've added words and pictures? How about adding audio as well?

Audio is friendly, direct and ideally suited to getting complex messages across in a short space of time.

It's now getting easier to add audio to the net, thanks to increasing bandwidths and innovative new ways of compressing data.

The problem has been that CD-quality audio has traditionally been the preserve of ISDN- and ADSL-equipped users. Basically, there has been too much data to fit down the pipe.

But, borrowing on the same techniques that are used to compress digital photographic images, it is now possible to compress sound to make it fit down a standard dial-up 56KBps modem line.

The trick is to compress the audio in a way that doesn't sound offensive to the ear, but can still pass along the line at about 3 kilobytes per second, given that a dial-up modem downloads at about 4-ish kilobytes per second.

The next trick is to use streaming technology that can start to play the audio while it is still downloading. As a long as it is downloads fast enough you don't get annoying stops and starts. You should also end up with a “buffer”. In many cases, the whole audio file will have downloaded long before the user has finished listening to it.

The volume of online streaming audio grew by 118 per cent last year, according to market researchers US-based AccuStream iMedia Research and the top ten internet radio stations received an average of 137.5m tuning hours in the same period, up from 63m in 2003.

Typical audio formats are Real's Radio Player (as chosen by the BBC), the ubiquitous MP3 (as featured on thousands of youngster's personal hi-fis) and Macromedia Flash.

MP3SoundStream (http://www.mp3soundstream.com/cgi-bin/cppro/go.cgi?snichols1)uses Flash and works well as 98% of computers already have the Flash plug-in and the rest can easily download it. Flash takes the MP3 file, combines it with an audio controller button and streams it for you off any server, which means low-cost and ease of use.

So once you have the technology in place, what can you record? The answer is anything. Adding audio to an intranet lets you record a weekly message from the CEO or a sales message. Or why not have a weekly news round-up?

The audio can either be recorded straight into your PC via a microphone and soundcard, or recorded on a Minidisc recorder and then digitised into the computer. Once there you can add music, voiceovers, cuts and fades with a program like Adobe Audition or Sony Soundforge. Music can be bought online for just a few pounds and you can even use free audio editing programmes, like Audacity.

What was once the preserve of the BBC and other high-end radio studios is now available on a desktop computer near you – but only if you have the skills to match.

FAQs (291 words)

Q. What is streaming audio?
A. It is audio delivered to your computer that can be listened to while it is still downloading.

Q. What's the advantage over other audio formats?
A. You don't get an annoying delay while the whole file downloads.

Q. What do listeners need to have on their computer?
A. A soundcard and speaker(s) or headphones, their normal browser software and a so-called plug-in – a small piece of software that converts the data into sound.

Q. This all sounds expensive – is it?
A. Not really. You can get free programs to record your sound, a computer microphone costs less than a tenner and there are free audio editing programs available on the net. You then need to convert the audio file to a streaming format, but there is an increasing amount of software available to do that too. You also need to think about a MiniDisc recorder as these have superseded cassette tape for most applications. Royalty-free background and intro music is available on CD and via the web for a small fee.

Q. What is the quality like?
A. Judge for yourself – visit www.infotechcomms.co.uk/info10.htm and listen to the demonstration programmes. The trick is to get the quality as high as you can, but still make it playable on an average modem-equipped home computer. Once everyone has broadband it will be CD-quality for all.

Add streaming audio to your website

Adding streaming audio to your web site can help you enhance the message you send to your customers and can serve as a wonderful confidence-building tool. In the past, audio was used primarily as a decorative effect, but advances in technology and the increased use of the internet by consumers have made it easy for you to add streaming audio to your web site and create a personal bond with your clientele. You can also add streaming audio to your newsletter or blog for a personal touch that will keep the interest of your readers and subscribers.

Streaming audio can be used in welcome messages placed on the first page of your web site. Adding a personal welcome message to your readers and explaining some of the features they can explore on your web site is an excellent way to enhance the experience of the customer. You may also want to add streaming audio to your web site in the form of testimonials from satisfied customers. Most computer users have the capability to hear audio messages and will find it a refreshing change from monotonous text that may or may not hold their interest. Your newsletter or blog will benefit from the use of streaming audio as well. You may want to add a new helpful tip in audio form each day to your blog, or include audio product updates in your newsletter.

Adding streaming audio to your web site, newsletter, or blog is no longer a frivolous addition. It is not difficult or expensive to add audio to your web site and you will find that your customers enjoy this new feature. The audio content should be conversational and pleasant, and sound as natural as possible. You can write down the topics and points you would like to cover in your streaming audio message, but record your message as if you were speaking to friends and family. Adding streaming audio to your web site, newsletter, or blog is the perfect way to give your customers a personal message that will give them confidence in your sincerity and integrity.

Audio and E-book Opportunties

I joined a Christian Writers' Group a few weeks ago,
and the email exchanges of those members is quite
exhilarating. Browsing and skimming them last night I
came to one where a writer who has vision trouble and
can't read regular print books challenged the others
to produce more e-books.

E-books are read on the computer, and the greatest
thing about them, as I've discovered myself, is that
one can enlarge the text so it is easier to read. For
those who find even that too difficult, it is possible
to get software in your computer which will read the
text to you. I'm not sure how digital it sounds, but
I believe in many places that software is free to any
who are legally defined as blind.

What shocked me about the exchange was that a number
of writers had admitted a bias against e-books when
this other member first asked who all offered their
books in this form. The mindset still seems to be, a
book is not really published until it comes out in
paperback or hardcover.

I confess I've learned too, that fiction doesn't sell
as an ebook yet, though all kinds of marketing manuals
and self-help books do.

Fortunately, when this writer explained herself, the
others rallied around with offers to help out. One
said she'd gladly offer her books to be read on tape
if anyone could be found to do it. Another urged that
we all consider producing our books in digital at the
same time as in print.

Thinking about all this today, I suddenly see wide
open doors of opportunity for ministry and perhaps a
business.

Here in Canada, I believe the Canadian National
Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is on the lookout for
volunteers to read books on tape. They have a lending
library by mail. The US has similar organizations.

All you would need is a good clear voice for reading
without stammering or hesitation, and with a lively,
instead of monotone voice. It wouldn't matter if you
sat in a wheelchair, or had no use of arms and legs.

The same reading could be put on tape or CD. Besides
the audio, the CD might have a graphics or flash
movie version as well.

If you know, or could learn some web design skills,
you could volunteer or make small paying arrangements
with various authors to turn their books into e-books.
If they have a website they might be happy to pay you
a small commission on each downloadable copy sold
alongside of their print book.

If they don't have a website - guess what - you have
the skill, so offer to build that author a simple one
or two page website to sell her books. All it needs
to be is a terrific sales letter with ordering links
at the bottom. You'd think the writer could write up
that effective sales letter, right? You'd just copy
and paste it into the web page.

Should it happen that you have more advanced skills,
or they grow on you, why not set up a library, or
bookstore of ebooks? Market it specifically to those
who need the benefit of being able to read a book on
their computer.

Hey-hey, before too long even those with 20-20 vision
will come snooping around, praising the advantages of
digital books. You'll be a trend-setter.

The whole publishing world is like it's just had an
earthquake, and the after-shocks haven't all hit yet.
The dust hasn't settled on all the changes coming.
Be a Mover and a Shaker.

Audio Marketing Comes of Age: Educate First and Sales Will Follow

"Podcasting" is one of the newest and most popular marketing formats that have taken a strong foothold on the internet over the last several months. The word "podcasting" is actually a derivative of Apple's "iPod" and "broadcasting". It actually refers to the ability of RSS 2.0 to automatically deliver audio and video files over the internet by subscription.




Often times, podcasts are actually delivered via MP3 files that can be played from an iPod, a MP3 player, or a home computer. You can learn more about this technology here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
http://www.ipodder.org/whatIsPodcasting
http://www.itgarage.com/node/462


Ironically, a couple months ago, I had done a telephone interview. All of the people listening to the show dialed up into a remotely hosted phone bank to listen to the show. Although that program was delivered through a standard telephone system, a few listeners who later contacted me had said that he heard my "podcast". It seems a lot of people automatically applied that term to the phone interview, although the interview was not available in a computer format or even accessible from a computer.


A BIG FAN OF TALK TELEVISION AND RADIO

I have always been a huge fan of talk radio and talk shows. I still am.

When my wife is not in the room, I listen to lots of educational television and political talk shows. When my wife is not in the car, I primarily listen to AM radio. My primary focus in the car is politics and news, unless it is late at night and then it is Art Bell I listen to the most.

Of course, my wife hates that kind of thing, so that is why I only listen to it when she is not around and when she is asleep. I would rather enjoy the show than to listen to her nag about why I listen to that "crap". ;-)


LOOKING TO THE HORIZON

I have always felt that there would be a place in internet marketing for content delivered via an audio format.

Back in early 2000, I had explored the possibility of bringing some of my own content to the internet in a streaming audio format. Unfortunately, at that time, I really did not have the time or resources to seriously pursue the idea. I was forced to shelf the idea in 2000, because of the high cost of the bandwidth required for delivery of streaming audio programming via the internet.

By the end of 2004, "podcasting" had come of age, and marketers the world over were offering audio formatted business information online. I guess that five years ago, I was just a bit ahead of the curve.


AUDIO PROGRAMMING IS STILL A GOOD SELL

Like I mentioned before, a couple of months ago, I had done a live telephone interview with a mentoring program, and we had several hundred listeners to the program. From that one interview, I managed to pick up a couple of thousand in new business and several new and regular clients, and that was a really small listening audience.

All I can say about that event is that it sold me on the idea of using audio programming to sell my online services.


SOME PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CANNOT BE SOLD DOOR-TO-DOOR

I am in a unique business. Often times when I speak with people, who are not running an online business, they will ask me what it is that I do exactly. Here is where the challenge enters the equation.

You may have never logged onto the internet or you may be a regular internet user, but if you are not engaged in the business of selling goods and services online, you may not understand my service. I can't tell you how often I talk to non-marketers and get a blank stare when I try to explain my business to them. Even my wife's aunt and uncle get the "deer in the headlights look" when I try to explain to them the nature of my business. He runs a successful offline business, but it does not bring him any closer to an understanding of my business model.

Many of you who know me, understand precisely what it is that I do and can understand why I make a good living doing it. You can understand the value offered to my clients through my business model.

Those of you who don't know me do need to understand a bit more about me before I continue.

At this very moment, you are either looking at someone's website or reading their online newsletter, and you are reading this article that I have made available for free to publishers and webmasters.

In this article, it is my goal first to educate you about something of interest to "you". My hope is that when you get to the end of the article, you will be quite taken with me, and you will want to know more about me. Then, when you read the About the Author information at the bottom of this article, and you will visit my website and review my products and services with interest.

That makes sense, right? You have come farther than most people I talk to about my business model.

With my primary service, I am the "go-to man" for getting your articles delivered to the highest numbers of publishers and webmasters who are interested in finding content that they can use with their ezines and websites.


EDUCATE FIRST, AND SALES WILL FOLLOW

When using free-reprint articles to market your online business, you are often more successful in getting your article reprinted and in getting traffic to your website, if you take the attitude of educating your reader above all else. If you get lost on the idea that you are using this promotion method to promote your business, then you will have missed the key to your success.

Remember what I said above, "it is my goal first to educate you about something of interest to you." You are the reader, and you will only be willing to read what I have written, if I am providing information to you that is of interest to "you".

Many marketers make the mistake of thinking their article is intended to sell their products or services, instead of themselves.

When you are willing to address the concerns of the reader above all else, then you will have provided a service of value to your reader. In doing so, you sell your reader on "you". And, your About the Author information serves as the teaser/lead/ad to take your reader to your website, where you will get the chance to sell your reader on your business, products and services.

Educate your reader first, and sales will follow.

This system works for hundreds of my clients and for myself.


THE LONG FORM, PERSONAL, INTERVIEW

When most people think about radio advertising, they think about 30-second and 60-second ads. This is fine for people who sells cars, hot tubs, groceries, and other products that are already well-understood by the listening audience.

But, if your business were like mine --- difficult for the average person to understand, then a 30- or 60-second radio spot would be a total waste of your advertising budget!

On the other hand, it would be different if I could get 15, 30 or 60 minutes to explain to my listeners what my business is and how it would be beneficial for the listener to use it for the promotion of their own business, then I would have a good chance of getting my listener's business.

In my phone interview, we actually spent one hour and twenty minutes talking, and that interview generated a couple thousand dollars in new business. It was the most profitable one hour and twenty minutes I had ever spent.

Can you imagine how much more business I would have picked up if the audience were coast-to-coast, and I was reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners instead of hundreds of listeners? And, can you imagine how much more business I could have generated from that interview, if it had been simulcast live on the internet and archived in MP3 format for me to make available later to visitors to my website?

I can imagine... That is why I got so excited when I was able to strike a deal with a nationally known, radio personality to make this kind of service available to my clients.

Audio On The Web - How To Do It With Ease

It always amazes me at how many bands and musicians don't have audio on their web sites. Doing so increases sales of your album and makes it easier to get people to come out to gigs, so why wouldn't you?

There are usually two reasons:

1. People are scared to giveaway their music because "people don't buy what they get for free."

This isn't true and the best example I can think of to illustrate the point is bottled water. People can get water for free, of basically free, but they pay a premium to have it in a nice container.

Why wouldn't they do the same with your music?

2. People don't have the technical skills to do it.

If this applies to you, get Audio Generator because you simply upload your music to their servers, they give you a snippet of HTML to add to your site, and you'll be up and running within a couple of minutes.

Another great thing about Audio Generator is that you can call in a message via telephone and then send out an "audio greeting" to your mailing list. This is VERY powerful for getting people to take action.

For example, you could record a message which said, "Hey, this is Dan from Band X and we're playing tomorrow night at Club Z. Mention this message and I'll buy you a beer."

Whatever... You get the idea.

Audio is a powerful way to strengthen your relationship with your audience.

Thanks to Music Business Radio and the audio books I've released, a lot of people know what my voice sounds like, but before I had all of this, I had to work twice as hard by hitting people face-to-face.

Don't work so hard! Use technology to help you create and expand your customer relationships.

And speaking of voice stuff, I highly recommend Audio C4. This book has excellent instruction on how to create audio messages that sell. In addition, you'll come off like top voice talent, rather than some guy who has never spoken to a crowd before.

Boosting Your eBay Auction Profits: Just Add Audio

Are You Getting The Highest Possible Profits From Your Ebay
Auctions? Here's a tip: Add audio to your auctions.

According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay
auctions could increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions
without audio.

A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the
addition of an audio clip. The clip is a personal message by
the author or the website owner encouraging you to take
advantage of what they offer.

The psychology behind this technique is really Marketing
101. It's called personalization. An audio clip added to
your eBay auction allows you to personally tell the
potential bidder about the product. Using your own voice
allows you to make contact with the bidder on a personal
level that written words cannot. Because, that's what your
eBay auction really is...It's just a long written classified
ad asking the bidder to make an offer to purchase your
item.

Prior to the advent of the telephone the only reliable way
to communicate long distance was by writing letters. It was
not unusual back then for lovers to write each other daily
or weekly. The decline of letter writing is a well
documented event that coincides with the advent of the
telephone.

With audio you can describe the item, tell the bidder why
you are selling it or even communicate with them about your
refund policy or provide your contact information. The
possibilities are almost unlimited as a way to establish a
rapport with the bidder.

But, the most important reason to add audio clips is that it
makes it easy to convey excitement and invoke emotion,
giving you a really powerful selling-edge.

How to add audio to a web site:

The simplest way is to upload a .wav or Mp3 file to a
website and provide a link to the file. When the bidder
clicks on the link his or her computer will automatically
recognize the file and play it with the audio player on the
bidders computer.

There are some drawbacks to this method. If the bidder's
computer doesn't recognize the file it won't play. The
overall effect is not as professional as it could be and it
distracts the bidder. If you are a reasonably tech savvy
type you can easily deal with the drawbacks of this
approach.

For the rest of us, there are a number of software solutions
and websites that will simplify the task of adding audio to
our eBay auctions.

Here are two:

Audio Maker Pro - (The one I
use and recommend)

Sound Streamer - (Less
expensive)

Different programs and websites range from charging a one
time fee to monthly fees for the use of the program. The
good news is that many will let you test them for as little
as $1 for a trial basis or let you download a demo version
to see how well it will work for you.

Mike Nalbone is an author, editor, publisher and webmaster
who earns a living full-time on the Net.

Boost your web sales with streaming audio

What do you do with your intranet or internet site once you've added words and pictures? How about adding audio as well?

Audio is friendly, direct and ideally suited to getting complex messages across in a short space of time.

It's now getting easier to add audio to the net, thanks to increasing bandwidths and innovative new ways of compressing data.

The problem has been that CD-quality audio has traditionally been the preserve of ISDN- and ADSL-equipped users. Basically, there has been too much data to fit down the pipe.

But, borrowing on the same techniques that are used to compress digital photographic images, it is now possible to compress sound to make it fit down a standard dial-up 56KBps modem line.

The trick is to compress the audio in a way that doesn't sound offensive to the ear, but can still pass along the line at about 3 kilobytes per second, given that a dial-up modem downloads at about 4-ish kilobytes per second.

The next trick is to use streaming technology that can start to play the audio while it is still downloading. As a long as it is downloads fast enough you don't get annoying stops and starts. You should also end up with a "buffer". In many cases, the whole audio file will have downloaded long before the user has finished listening to it.

The volume of online streaming audio grew by 118 per cent last year, according to market researchers US-based AccuStream iMedia Research and the top ten internet radio stations received an average of 137.5m tuning hours in the same period, up from 63m in 2003.

Typical audio formats are Real's Radio Player (as chosen by the BBC), the ubiquitous MP3 (as featured on thousands of youngster's personal hi-fis) and Macromedia Flash.

MP3SoundStream (http://www.mp3soundstream.com/cgi-bin/cppro/go.cgi?snichols1) uses Flash and works well as 98% of computers already have the Flash plug-in and the rest can easily download it. Flash takes the MP3 file, combines it with an audio controller button and streams it for you off any server, which means low-cost and ease of use.

So once you have the technology in place, what can you record? The answer is anything. Adding audio to an intranet lets you record a weekly message from the CEO or a sales message. Or why not have a weekly news round-up?

The audio can either be recorded straight into your PC via a microphone and soundcard, or recorded on a Minidisc recorder and then digitised into the computer. Once there you can add music, voiceovers, cuts and fades with a program like Adobe Audition or Sony Soundforge. Music can be bought online for just a few pounds and you can even use free audio editing programmes, like Audacity.

What was once the preserve of the BBC and other high-end radio studios is now available on a desktop computer near you - but only if you have the skills to match.

FAQs (291 words)

Q. What is streaming audio?
A. It is audio delivered to your computer that can be listened to while it is still downloading.

Q. What's the advantage over other audio formats?
A. You don't get an annoying delay while the whole file downloads.

Q. What do listeners need to have on their computer?
A. A soundcard and speaker(s) or headphones, their normal browser software and a so-called plug-in – a small piece of software that converts the data into sound.

Q. This all sounds expensive. Is it?
A. Not really. You can get free programs to record your sound, a computer microphone costs less than a tenner and there are free audio editing programs available on the net. You then need to convert the audio file to a streaming format, but there is an increasing amount of software available to do that too. You also need to think about a MiniDisc recorder as these have superseded cassette tape for most applications. Royalty-free background and intro music is available on CD and via the web for a small fee.

I recommend MP3SoundStream (http://www.mp3soundstream.com/cgi-bin/cppro/go.cgi?snichols1). Its great, very easy to use and only costs $39.95. Another alternative is Sound Streamer at $34.95 (http://hop.clickbank.net/?snichols/soundstrmr).

Q. What is the quality like?
A. Judge for yourself - visit www.infotechcomms.co.uk/info10.htm and listen to the demonstration programmes. The trick is to get the quality as high as you can, but still make it playable on an average modem-equipped home computer. Once everyone has broadband it will be CD-quality for all.

Q. How do I find out more?
A. There is a great ebook available called Audio C4 (http://hop.clickbank.net/?snichols/audioc4). It only costs $29.95 and is worth its weight in gold. There is a list of useful links at http://www.infotechcomms.co.uk/info11.htm

ENDS

Q. This all sounds expensive - is it?
A. Not really. You can get free programs to record your sound, a computer microphone costs virtually nothing and there are free audio editing programs available on the net. You then need to convert the audio file to a streaming format, but there is an increasing amount of software available to do that too

I recommend MP3SoundStream (http://www.mp3soundstream.com/cgi-bin/cppro/go.cgi?snichols1). Its great, very easy to use and only costs $39.95. Another alternative is Sound Streamer at $34.95 (http://hop.clickbank.net/?snichols/soundstrmr) or Audio Maker Pro (http://hop.clickbank.net/?snichols/audiomkr).
You also need to think about a MiniDisc recorder as these have superseded cassette tape for most applications. Royalty-free background and intro music is available on CD and via the web for a small fee.

Q. How do I find out more?
A. There is a great ebook available called Audio C4. It only costs $29.95 and is worth its weight in gold.

Q. What is the quality like?
A. Judge for yourself - visit www.infotechcomms.co.uk/info10.htm and listen to the demonstration programmes. The trick is to get the quality as high as you can, but still make it playable on an average modem-equipped home computer. Once everyone has broadband it will be CD-quality for all.

Break through the clutter with audio banners

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course, his name is
Mister Ed!" Do any of you remember that silly jingle
from the television show?

That's not really important anyway. What IS important
is that Ed, the talking horse, was quite a phenomenon
back in the 60's. Ed talked, reasoned and displayed
traits unlike any of his animal brethren.

There is a lesson here, of course. Millions of people
watched Mr. Ed every week just because he WAS
different. And that leads us right smack-dab into a
discussion about your banner advertising campaigns.

Those poor maligned banners. Once the darlings of
Internet advertisers, they've really been getting
bad-rapped lately due to their failure to lure web
surfers into clicking-thru and creating sales. But is
it the fault of the banners or have they become so
ubiquitous that the surfer hardly notices them? Why
don't we make those banners so inviting and
entertaining that users won't be able to click fast
enough?

I think that content providers are too focused on
consumers as "sets of eyeballs." We need to look at
these people first as users and, secondly, as members
of our online audience. And audiences have come to
expect advertising wrapped in a very entertaining
package. An essential part of that package is
streaming audio.

Streaming audio has become a whole new industry for
the Web. As more and more people listen to music
online and web-based radio, advertisers are taking
notice. These listeners, fondly called "streamies,"
are devoted Internet users and active online
shoppers. They are a valuable audience as they're 70
percent more likely to have made an online purchase
than a non-streamie. Arbitron Internet Information
Services says that streamies are quite ready to accept
web advertising in exchange for free programming, and
they're more receptive and influential targets.

How can we begin to use these statistics to leverage
the effectiveness of banner ads?

Java based audio presentations can be fully integrated
into your banner advertising. Why Java based, you
ask? Most important is the fact that no plug-in or
complicated player installation is required on the
part of the viewer. (The "impulse to click" is not
thwarted by the user having to take additional
actions.) The size of Java files are relatively small
as well thereby minimizing the page load issue. And,
because Java is cross platform, you can be comfortable
knowing that the majority of visitors will be able to
enjoy the presentation. Java is versatile and works
well with almost any application.

What can be done with these banners? Audio can be
synchronized with your banner images and text to
deliver eye and ear pleasing messages. Slide shows
can be placed within the banner. Relevant product
information can be imparted quickly and effectively
before the visitor is ever asked to click through to
the website. Special offers and promotions can be
referenced to entice the shopper. No longer are
viewers merely spectators; they are active
participants.

Interactive audio banners provide the consumer with
the ability to listen to more detailed information and
even to initiate the buying function directly from the
banner itself. This really helps to capture that
"impulse" buyer right at the time he's most anxious to
buy. Because it's interactive, a web visitor can
directly respond to it.

The power of audio should not be underestimated.
People would still rather hear about something than
spend time reading or sorting out passing images.
Keep in mind that museums and other institutions have
offered tours for years that are accompanied by audio
scripts designed to educate the visitor yet allowing
the eye to roam freely and absorb the creative on an
individual basis.

Audio banners can also add a personal appeal to the
visitor. Use the banner to tell a story about the
product or service that invokes an emotional
response. Talk about the product's benefits to the
consumer and how the product will improve his
life/work/relationships. Use the banner to whet
people's appetites for additional information. Never
lose sight of the fact that people make buying
decisions based on emotional reasons and design your
banner presentation accordingly.

It is far too early for any of us to dismiss the
banner ad as an idea whose time has past. We have to
step back, take an objective view, and start thinking
about how we can make them more than just billboards.

As the Internet leaves its infancy and enters the
"toddler" stage, we need to remind ourselves that
we're still dealing with a new medium. And that this
new medium is still largely unexplored.

Broadcasting Mp3 Audio Via Computer, The Looney Tune World Of Podcasting

Podcasting Is A New Form Of Fun Stuff

To Do On The Computer.

The Ipod Was Made For Music Downloads,

But The Reality Is That It Has Created

A Launch Of Mini Shows,

That Are Uncut And Cheap To Produce.

Every Event You Can Imagine Is A

Potential Contender As A Reality Radio

Broadcast Show From Rio To Cape Cod,

And From Boston To Broadway.

CB Radio,i.e. Ham Radio, Was Developed

As Radio For The People, But

Now Another Page In The Consumer Notebook

Of Modern History Has Turned.

Any Music Concert Can Become An Mp3,

Whether It's By Players Like Eminem

& 50cent Or Country Music And

Guitar Songs Dedicated To Andy Griffeth.

Mp3 Audio Can Include A Report From

A Reality TV Show To A Las Vegas Show,

To A Looney Tune Review,

And It Can Range From Humor To Commentaries

On The Weather, Oprah Winfrey & American Idol,

The Titanic, The Da Vinci Code,

Or Even A Live Sex Show In Harmony Hall.

They're All Now Available As A Downloadable

Music Composition, A Video Or Even A Slide Show

On Your Computer,

And I Wouldn't Be Surprised If

Some Of These Shows Show Up On Sirius Radio,

XM Radio Or Other Satellite Radio Shows,

Conventional Radio Or Even On TV.

The Ipod Is A Creative Way To Download

Digital Music Automatically Via Computer

Around The Clock, By Virtue Of Podcasting.

This Is Not About Downloading Online Music

Onto Your Computer Via Music File Sharing.

This Is About The Bone Thug Across The Street

Writing A Music Lyric On His Computer

Calling It A Skin Tune

By Frankie J & Lil Jon Luny Mas,

And With No Harmony Or Melody,

Having A Ball, Because Some Stranger

In Central Louisville Looking For

Cheap Music Downloads Records It

To His Mp3 Player While Waiting

For A Pizza Delivery.

The Apple Ipod Is Not A Technology

Whose Life Is Limited To A

Trade Show Display.

It's In The Hands Of The People.

Podcasting Is Way Bigger Than

Two Way Radio Or Any Online Computer Game,

And It's Not Limited To The

Ipod Mp3 Player Or Even The Rio Sport

Mp3 Player.

Newer Models Are Creating Competition

And Getting Cheaper, Just Like All

Computer Technology Always Does.

Just Look At The DVD Player.

Ipod Is Getting The Credit,

But Adam Curry, Former Music Video DJ

And MTV Host In The 1980's,

Is The Central Player In RSS

(Real Simple Syndication).

A Music Download To A Mini Portable

Mp3 Player Is Not New, The Ipod Buzz Is.

Podcasting Is Going To Be Big.

I Feel Lucky To Have Gotten In On It

At An Early Stage,

With My Daily Podcast Sunny Thought Of The Day.

It Supplements My Free Affirmations By E-Mail.

So Now You Have 2 Free Ways To Get

Positive Thinking From Me.

I Was Interviewed Last Month

In The Honolulu Star Bulletin,

Who Told Me I Was The Only Daily Podcaster

In The State Of Hawaii.

Since Then I've Found Out I'm One

Of Only A Handful Who Podcast Daily

In The Entire World.

And My Radio Interviews – I Was Interviewed

By Positive Purpose Radio Host Kevin Mcdonald,

On KLAY AM Radio In The Seattle Area,

5 Times – 1 Hour Each – Those Shows

Were All Podcast Internationally, Too.

Welcome To The Future!

It's Evolving One Day At A Time.

Why Not Hit The Computer Airwaves Yourself?

And Start Podcasting Today!

Don't Use Web Audio The Wrong Way...

Have you ever wrestled with a set of instructions, but then got so frustrated with it all that you threw them aside in a fluster and tried to figure out how to do it… yourself?

Resulting in…Making a great big mess of it all?

Similarly, if you really want to use Web Audio the right way, the way that WORKS, then you need to know what DOESN'T work.

Here's what many people do, pretty systematically… to hinder their marketing and audio responses:

1. Speaking into the microphone without a care for what they're saying, how they're saying it and, without any regard to who's listening! That's pretty scary. Mumbling along without paying any attention to the small details. It's what could sink the hopes of many… FAST!

SIMPLE SOLUTION - Write out a little script. Then, rehearse it. After that, record it several times. Finally, choose the best of the lot and use it. See, I told you it was pretty simple.

2. Some feel that hiring a 'PROFESSIONAL' or 'DJ', to record the voice audio, is the way to go. Now, for some, that may seem a reasonable way out, but what's likely to happen is that the websites' PERSONALITY loses its authenticity. Somehow, most of us can detect when things seem out of sync. When things seem a little too… SLICK!

SIMPLE SOLUTION - If you really want to get someone else to do the voice audio for you, then make sure they've got a warm, natural personality that shines through in their voice. It'll win people over.

3. Sending the recorded audio message to your website, and then… FORGETTING ABOUT IT! Have you ever dialled a phone number, got an answer machine message that was either way out of date or just plain irrelevant? What an unprofessional image to portray. Well, that's why NOT attending to what's on your messages, could cripple you more than you'd know!

SIMPLE SOLUTION - Keep your audio updated! I'm not saying that you have to micro-manage it and change it every other day. But, keeping your messages fresh, alive and full of valuable, useful and usable information that addresses the needs of your audience… is what'll keep them loyal, attentive and eager to receive your future messages!

4. Leaving your audience mentally floating, not knowing what to do next. Have you ever experienced a scenario similar to this one: Whilst waiting on a train platform, an announcement is made to the waiting passengers as follows,

"due to a fault on the line, please expect further delays".

I'm in no doubt at all that this announcement would have left the passengers feeling concerned, confused and wondering what to do next. What the announcer should have taken the time to add is as follows,

"as we have not received any information from our control centre indicating the expected length of delay, you may like to consider hopping on bus number 19, leaving the bus stop adjacent to the station entrance in 7 minutes time. Otherwise, please continue to listen for further announcements, which we will endeavour to make every five minutes. Please also accept our sincere apologies for the delay and any inconvenience this may have caused you".

SIMPLE SOLUTION: People are silently begging to be told what to do next. If you can lead them to a specific outcome, they'll be putty in your hands! Whether it's instructions to go to a specific toll free number to get more information, or something they have to activate, like a membership number, whatever it is… tell them PRECISELY how to do it.

Web Audio, used correctly, will have a dramatic impact on the way in which your customers respond to you. They'll be so 'stuck' on your website and addicted to your audio messages, that you'll soon be sending out birthday cards to them!

FLASH AUDIO WIZARD has a simple in-built technology that'll give you the website personality you've always dreamed of. It's simple to use. It's easy to get started. Why not get your website 'speaking', today.

Eight Reasons Why You Must Add Audio To Your Website

NUMBER 1 : INTERNET USERS REMEMBER WHAT THEY HEAR

Did you know that Internet users remember only 20% of what they read while remembering an amazing 70% of what they hear? Audio on your website will help your message stay with fresh your visitors for longer.

NUMBER 2 : AUDIO INCREASES SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Using audio to convey a personal message to entice visitors to subscribe to your newsletter will result in up to 400% more subscribers than using traditional subscription marketing methods.

NUMBER 3 : AUDIO WILL KEEP VISITORS ON YOUR SITE FOR LONGER

Using audio on your website helps to keep visitors on your site for longer. The longer visitors stay the more informed they are about your product and services and the more likely they are to buy your product or service.

NUMBER 4 : AUDIO ADDS CREDIBILITY TO YOUR WEBSITE

Adding your own voice to your website helps prospects identify with you personally, warming them to your products and services in a way that cannot be achieved by any other existing marketing technique and converting more prospects to buyers.

NUMBER 5 : AUDIO PUTS YOU MILES AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITORS

While your competitors still hang around in the dark ages of Internet marketing, placing audio on your website gives you an enormous competitive advantage. Visitors will trust you more than your competitors and trust is the number one vital ingredient for making visitors part with plastic.

NUMBER 6 : AUDIO EHANCES EMAIL AND NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS

Used in emails and ezines, audio allows you to communicate personally with your clients and subscribers, creating rapport and warming your market in a way not possible with text and graphics.

NUMBER 7 : AUDIO IS CHEAP

Basic streaming audio buttons can be put on your website for as little as $19.95. Even the most advanced solutions cost around the $97 mark! Considering the uumph these little audio buttons give your site, a once off payment of 97 bucks is not a lot to part with!

NUMBER 8 : AUDIO IS SIMPLE TO USE

You don't have to be a techie geek to put audio on your website. Most of the solutions out there require no html or flash know how at all. They are designed to be user friendly so even the technophobe should have no problem getting the job done quickly and easily!

Here's Exactly What Makes Web Audio So Powerful

Have you ever tried to communicate with another person using just actions and sign language? It gets pretty frustrating, doesn't it? Especially when you know that if you could just SAY a few words, they'd get the picture, almost instantly.

Well, imagine if the website you've put up on show... could "speak". If it could sparkle with the spoken word. What do you think the effect could be?

You see, what the smart website marketers have realised, is that they need to move beyond just written words and striking graphics. They're looking to giving their website… a 'personality'.

BUT… in the cold hearted, faceless world of the internet, being able to reach the audience you want, with sincerity, warmth and with a 'face', doesn't come easily to most.

That is unless you happen to have the skilful knack of knowing what to write, when to write it and are able to string words together to help paint a strong emotional picture in readers minds for your product, service or idea.

Getting all the help we can via other means is crucial in giving us that slight edge.

There's possibly nothing more intimate, more convincing, more realistic for the reader, than to hear a 'voice' behind the website. What it adds, is satisfying helpings of…

LIFE and… CREDIBILITY!

Imagine being able to connect at regular intervals with your customers and clients! How do you think they'll feel when you're able to inform them that there's an exciting offer about to happen and you make sure the message reaches both their eyes, and their ears!

What about using this simple technology to help create a stampede of sales, an abundance of new subscribers, a fleet of qualified prospects, a herd of new referrals!

What about being able to tell your customers that you messed up on the last bit of information you gave them and that you're really sorry. Won't you be able to convey this message better using real live words, than by using written text?

Won't your sincerity, conviction and heartfelt emotion, reach them INSTANTLY, where it matters most… THEIR HEARTS!

How to Capture Streaming Audio

Streaming audio is all over the web these days. There are live radio broadcasts, video and audio streams, and many music vendors use streaming audio as samples of their products. You can listen to the song, but unless you buy it, it can't be stored on your computer. Or can it? The simple answer is “Yes”! We'll take a look at a few methods for recording streaming audio.

First of all, we should examine what streaming technology is and what it is used for. The traditional method of listening to music or watching videos on your computer was to download the entire file and play it from your hard drive. Streaming works in real time – you can view the video or listen to the music as it is being downloaded. The data arrives in a “stream” of bits from the server to your computer.

The obvious advantage of streaming is saving time – you can listen to the stream a few seconds after the download is started. Streamed audio and video can also be protected from copying by Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology. This is often done by commercial vendors of video and audio to control distribution of their content.

Even with DRM, however, all audio and video streams can be recorded. The simplest way to record streaming audio is to attach a recorder to the output jack of your soundcard. Any recording device – portable MP3 player, cassette deck, MiniDisc etc. can be used. The problem with this method is that you have to convert the digital stream into analog, and there will be some loss in sound quality.

If you wish to keep the audio stream in the digital domain, you need special software to capture it. Most audio capture software works by emulating a sound card. You feed the output of the emulated sound card to a file, and as the audio is streamed to your computer it is captured to file. Any kind of audio stream can be captured this way no matter whether it is played with Windows Media Player, Real Player, Quicktime, or any other audio streamer.

How to Create Your Own Streaming Audio With a Few Simple Clicks

Discover right now how to quickly and easily create "streaming audio" like a pro and make your web site stand out from the crowd ... for just cents on the dollar!



Streaming Audio has always been available to the large corporate sites and techies. Now you can use the MP3 Sound Stream software to produce your own streaming audio just like the professionals with no knowledge of programming required.



A Message from MP3 Sound Stream



Best of all no monthly fees or additional costs....



With the web surfer becoming much more "web savvy" than they were a year ago, they are expecting not only information but an entertaining web experience.



You do not need any technical ability. Our program is so easy to use that anyone can add streaming audio to their website and stand out from the crowd.



Marketers and business people have always known that a well-placed audio stream can increase sales and signups to their products and services. The problem has always been that the average person could not afford the high cost of special servers or programmers to be able to use this technology.



This has all changed with MP3 Sound Stream …



With a few clicks, you'll be able to create an unlimited number of streaming audio files….. and instantly upload them to your Website/s. Host them on your own server - you're in full control.



Most other programs will require you to create the streaming audio file yourself. This however is the hardest part of streaming audio and MP3 Sound Stream is one of the few software programs that will take your audio file and compress it into a streaming audio format for you. Download the trial copy and try it for yourself and see how it works.







MP3 Sound Stream will help you establish credibility to your site visitors.



No more plug-ins for your visitors to download. Just click and listen!



MP3 Sound Stream is so simple to install on your computer and add audio to your web pages. We can provide you with a complete a set of tutorials for full, easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. It's as easy as 1-2-3 with MP3 Sound Stream software. (Download a free fully functional demo.)



You've seen them on web sites, you've heard them and thought to yourself, "Wow! This is really professional! I wish I could have something like this on my web page!" It's always been too expensive or too hard or too inaccessible... until now.



So what are you waiting for? Click here to order now!



Streaming Audio even over a modem connection!

Produce as many files as you like.

Host them on your own server - you're in control.

Greatly reduce the size of your audio file.

Streams over most modem connections

Easy to use interface

Added components for more variety

Pay only once instead of a monthly service

Receive our Streaming Audio workshop with your purchase.




Create up to 4 1/2 hour audio messages, MP3 Sound Stream is designed to play the moment you click the "Play Button" … even if you're on dial-up.



Creates Streaming Audio In 4 Simple Steps
By now you realize how easy it can be to boost your sales or highlight your service or products by harnessing the selling power of the human voice on your Website.



This remarkable breakthrough in Internet marketing technology instantly injects the power of the human voice into your Websites and emails … even if you have no technological skills whatsoever.



All that's required is these 4 steps:



How To Make Your Websites Talk


STEP 1 - Choose or create your own mp3 or wav file.

STEP 2 - Decide what Options you want! (Graphic of Software interface --->)

STEP 3 - Copy and paste text into your web page!

STEP 4 - Click go! Upload to your website.




Video Tutorials Create the audio

Embed and Upload



For the busy webmaster who doesn't have a lot of time on their hands, MP3 Sound Stream is the solution to creating audio files and codes in an instant. Just enter the sound file name, choose the options and select the controllers and colours to use. Easy!



So are you ready to click here and order now?



Fully customize with the controller buttons



MP3 Sound Stream not only allows you to produce excellent quality streaming audio, the program will also provide you with over a hundred different buttons to attach to that file. This allows for a personalized look and fit for your website. We started with 65 that come with the program and we have added 3 new sets you can download free. Have a look at the standard ones now.



6 uses for Streaming Audio



1) Musicians - One of the greatest problems musicians have is a way to present their music. Rather than offering a few songs why not create a mini radio show with highlights of each song with some commentary. Mp3 Sound Stream lets you stream music with ease.



2) Create Products – Many people do interviews or can use the phone to ring some one special. Why not record these and create a product. Ready to click here and order yet?



3) Personal – Create audio cards for special occasions. Christmas, birthdays or just say high to mum and dad on the other side of the world!



4) Ezines - With many servers prohibiting long emails, ezine owners are posting their newsletters online and just sending a link. This enables you to add interviews, testimonies, music and so much more.



5.) Training - Coaching is on the rise and it is so easy to produce a coaching audio to teach people about your product, encourage team members, network marketing training. Colleges can record lectures, churches can record sermons and they can all be streamed over the internet using MP3 Sound Stream.



6.) Marketing - Marketers and business people have always known that a well-placed audio stream can increase sales and signups to their products and services. The problem has always been that the average person could not afford the high cost of special servers or programmers to be able to use this technology. That is now changed with the development of MP3 Sound Stream.



Summary!

Quite simply MP3 Sound Stream is the only product of its kind on the Internet today, for the price, that will allow you to add as many streaming audio files to your web site/s as you like for the one low price of $39.95.



You can create as many streaming audio files as you like. You can make them for friends, family or business associations. In fact we have a few people who use the program to make streaming audio files for businesses at a small charge.



Of course there are other programs around that will allow you to create streaming audio files however most of them require a monthly fee or are simply not as diverse as MP3 Sound Stream.



Audio files are very similar to graphics in that the ratio between size and quality are crucial. Many of these programs require you to prepare the audio file in the correct format before you can stream it. Mp3 Sound Stream does all this for you.



Now that you have heard the quality and experienced the streaming audio why not download a free trial copy and try it out for your self. It is very easy to use. The trial copy has some embedded audio in the output however when you come back and purchase the full version they will be removed.



Now that your ready to start adding streaming audio use the link below to order your copy of MP3 Sound Stream Now. Once your payment has been processed you will be directed to a secure download page where you can access your unlock key and also some added bonuses. If you have any problems with the download we also send out a confirmation email of your payment with all the links and information within 24hrs of your order. You can always contact us at any time if you have any problems.

Make Your Website Talk: How To Install Streaming Audio On Your Site

One of the most important tasks in online selling, and indeed in all selling, is to convince the prospective buyer that you are someone who can be trusted. A nice picture of yourself in your “about” section is helpful, but even more convincing would be a heartfelt audio message in which you explain yourself and introduce your product or service.



If you are thinking that installing a sound capability on your website would be beyond your technical or financial means then I think you will change your mind after you finish reading this article.



There are some online services that provide full audio support but they charge monthly fees and this may be more than you want to invest. However, if you want to add sound with flash buttons to your site on a limited budget then there are several moderately priced downloadable software packages that allow you to do everything, without any technical know-how. They range in price from $40 to $100. Visit the websites of audiomakerpro.com, flashaudiowizard.com or soundstreamer.com, and you will see how these programs work.



Now, if you are like me, a real cheapskate, and you don't want to spend any money at all but would like your website to talk, then you can use the following method to install a streaming audio file on your website.



First you have to record your message. I was able to use an old software package (CoolEditPro) to record an mp3 message directly on my computer. If you have an MP3 player with a recording capacity you can just record your message and then save it to your computer.



Suppose the message is saved as myintroduction.mp3. If you just upload the file to your server and make a link to that file, it will not stream but will download when someone clicks on the link. In order to make it stream you have to do the following. Open a text file and type one small piece of text: http://www.yourwebsite.com/myintroduction.mp3 (give the location where this file will be) then save this text file with a name such as audiointro.m3u . It is only a text file but it has an extension that makes it look like a sound file. Now, upload the actual audio file myintroduction.mp3 and the text file audiointro.m3u to your server.



In the place where you want someone to listen put a text link or a graphic button linked to the file audiointo.m3u . When someone clicks on this link they will hear the file myintroduction.mp3 streaming from their speakers. It will be played on the default MP3 player of that particular computer, such as Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc.



This is poor-person's streaming audio, but it works. The advantage of the moderately priced packages or the higher priced audio services is that the buttons are nicer and have pause, stop and start functions.



Some audio services claim that adding audio to a website increases conversion rates by 300%. Audio is a tool, if you use it correctly it may indeed be just the thing you need to improve the performance of your website. So choose the method that is convenient for you and try it out.

Podcasting: Internet Radio On Demand... and MORE!

If you haven't heard the term "podcast" yet, you will.



It's about to blow the world of online audio through the roof as every Tom, Dick and Shirley can now operate a high powered Internet Radio station providing on-demand audio (and shortly, video) with nothing more than a microphone, simple software, and a little imagination.



Just like cable TV in the 1980's gave smaller networks and individuals a voice on television, podcasting gives individuals a voice (literally) through online audio.



Podcasting is actually the audio form of "blogging," where individuals share their thoughts in writing over time on a dynamic webpage known as a "blog."



With blogging, subscribers and other blog publishers subscribe to and cross promote each other's content by linking to and writing about each other.



With podcasting, the author shares his or her thoughts in audio form (MP3) and subscribers download and listen to the audio either on their computers, burn the files to CD, or transfer the files to one of the increasingly popular portable MP3 players.



In fact, the term "podcasting" draws its name from the iPod, created by Apple Computers.



Initially you might think the only people podcasting are geeks and computer nerds, but that's not the case.



If you imagine "talk radio" meets "free cable access" then you have and idea of what pocasting is now and how it could evolve in the future.



Right now, any idiot (like me) with a microphone and something to say can create an online radio show.



This type of access to media that reaches a world-wide market enables smaller, niche publishers to develop a world-wide following that just isn't monetarily feasible in traditional mass-media.



That means talk shows like "Chihuahua Breeding" or "Motorcycle Fashion Weekly" that could never hope to afford air time in a local market, can now develop an audience on the Internet.



Log on to PodCastAlley.com to peruse a wide range of available shows on everything from dog training to wine selection and tasting tips (one of the most popular).



Despite all this potential power, podcasting remains in an infancy stage right now.



But, the Internet has always proven in the past that a powerful but simple technology will always find a way to make itself felt quickly.



All it needs to explode is a few people to lead the way and show exactly how to use the technology to entertain and educate subscribers.



I also think two worlds will evolve for podcasting program publishers, just like cable vs. network television.



Some content will remain free (network TV), while some subscribers will gladly pay for more specific "niche" or pay-per-view content (cable TV).



As the quality of the programming increases along with more widespread acceptance of the tools necessary to consume the content (MP3 players and portable video players), podcasting will grow to stand beside other mainstream media.



It won't happen overnight, and it won't penetrate every market, but as members of the "global village" seek to find and feel a connection with like-minded individuals, regardless of their physical location, podcasting provides a cheap, powerful, and innovative solution for that basic human need

Put Audio & Video on Your Web Site

As a company that sells streaming media services for a living, we get questions everyday about what needs to be done to make an audio or video presentation that will stream well over the Internet. Most of these inquiries come from small businesses with limited budgets for marketing and advertising. They are always pleasantly surprised when we tell them that they can do it themselves!

Let's start with an audio only presentation:

·Write out your script first! Focus on two to three points that you feel are essential to explain your products or services. Keep the script simple. If your site offers a wide variety of goods or services, you might consider several different messages with each one keying in on one or two important areas.
·Have someone who is not familiar with your business review the script and your site. Be sure that they understand your message. If they don't, rewrite it!
· Practice reading the script until you feel completely familiar and comfortable with it. (You can hire professional voice talent for reasonable rates if you'd prefer not recording the audio yourself.)
·Use the best quality tape recorder available to you. A cassette recorder is fine.
·Use a high quality brand name audiotape.
·An external microphone that plugs into your recorder is preferable to the one that comes built-in. They are very inexpensive and produce a better recording.
·Do your recording in a quiet place with as little background noise as possible. (That one seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?)
·Speak naturally! It can help to have a friend or colleague act as an audience to give you focus.
·Record your presentation several times. Select the one that will sound the most natural and inviting to your site visitors.
·Send the tape to the encoding (streaming) vendor. They'll take it from there!

A video presentation takes a little more time and effort, but you really can do it yourself. Your home video camera will work just fine! All of the same rules you used to make your audiotape apply here including the use of an external microphone. Good quality videotape is essential. The following suggestions will help you prepare a video presentation for your site that should stream very well:

·Keep the camera steady! Put the camera on a tripod or brace it against something solid like a table or a wall. If you must pan or zoom, do it very slowly. (Too much motion can cause a “blurry” stream.)
·Simplify your frame. Think about where everything is going to be. People coming in and out of the frame can create movement that may cause confusion.
·Stay focused. A lot of auto-focus cameras can't focus properly if you are too close to your subject. Five or six feet away is a good distance. Don't try to shoot through a window; the camera will focus on the glass.
·Good lighting is essential. Try to light your scene from the front. Don't stand in front of a window; the backlighting will cause you to be in silhouette. Try shooting outside if possible.
·Use the fastest record speed. This will insure the best video quality.
·Record in a quiet place. Hold the mike close to your mouth to cut down on external noises.
·RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF! It really shows. Practice until you feel comfortable.

If you have additional questions or concerns, your streaming vendor should be ready and able to assist you.

Early adopters of Rich Media techniques, streaming being one of them, have already started to reap the rewards of higher click-through rates and increased conversion rates. If your message is meaningful and relevant to your site visitors, your streaming presentation will add to their enjoyment of visiting your site and encourage them not only to buy but also to return and buy again!

Real Audio and Real Video, streaming media for your web site

Anybody interested in creating RealAudio and RealVideo content on
their sites will find it's a great deal easier than they might have
initially imagined.

The instructions given below are for RealAudio on a Windows 95/98
computer, but the process is almost identical for RealVideo and other
platforms. I tentatively suggest you print out this tutorial for easier
reading, by copying the text and pasting it into Wordpad or Word
then printing it out. Or if, you prefer, you can download the text as
a zipped document from here. Netscape users please press shift as
you click to save the file to disc.

Before you start, be sure you:

1: have an audio or video file in one of the following
formats: AVI, MOV, WAV, or AU format. If your file is
not in one of those formats, you will need to convert it
before starting this tutorial.

2: check with your internet service provider or the people
who provide your web space that they support streaming
media. This is the one sure thing that will guarantee that
you'll never get this technique to work on your site. Save
your self a lot of time and effort by finding out before
you start this tutorial.

3: are not violating any copyright laws by placing
copyrighted material on your web site. It goes without
saying that the best files to put on your web site are files
you've created yourself. A snippet of the Spice Girls may
titillate a few but it won't encourage people to stick
around or even come back to see how your site develops
and it may make you vulnerable to prosecution.

Step 1: Download RealProducer encoder
The current version is RealProducer 7.0. To get the encoder, click
here, fill out the form and download the encoder. I've been through
this process myself a few times and I can guarantee that Real won't
send you annoying bumf. After you finish downloading, you will
need to execute the file you downloaded and install RealProducer.

Step 2: Preparations to encode your music file
Double click the icon on your desktop or from the start menu called
" RealProducer." In the dialogue box which pops up choose 'record
from file'

Now you need to enter the name of the file that you want to encode.
Click "Browse" and browse for the file. Once you have found the
file, click "Open" then "Next".

In the next screen, enter the title, author, copyright and a brief
description of the track to inform your listeners of the kind of thing
they can expect to hear when they play it. Then click "Next". Now
you need to select the target audience. Select "Multi-rate SureStream
for Real Server G2" and click "Next". Then choose 56k Modem as
a target Audience stream format. Most PCs, browsers and modems
should be able to handle this.

The current screen asks for the audio format. Select the appropriate
type based on the type of file you are encoding and click "Next".

Now you will be asked to enter the output file. You can choose to
enter it anywhere on your hard drive but you should be able to
remember exactly where you placed it. Then you should click
"Next". Please ensure at this stage that you avoid any spaces in a
file's name. Most servers are still susceptible to file names which
aren't continuous so a file like 'wake free zone.rm' would be more
easily recognised as 'wakefreezone.rm'.

Finally, RealProducer allows you to confirm your choices. If there is
nothing wrong with your choices, click "Start". If you wish to change
something, hit 'back' and change what you need to in the appropriate
dialogue boxes.

Step 3: Encode the file
In the "RealEncoder" screen, click the "Start" button in the lower left
corner of
the RealEncoder window. It may take a few minutes to encode the
file, depending on the length of the original file. The blue bar in the
lower right corner of the RealEncoder shows your progress. When
encoding is finished, a "Recording Complete" box will pop up. Here
you are given the choice to upload the destination of your file to Real
Server Janus where, if you're lucky, someone may stumble across
your musical offering via their web site. You simply connect to the
internet and fill out the form at Janus to inform them where they
might find your music. Then you should close RealProducer .

Step 4: Upload the file
To upload the file to your Web site, you will need to use an FTP
program or Site Manager. You can upload to any directory, just be
sure you remember the address of the file. If your program asks, this
file should be uploaded in "Binary" mode.

Step 5: Make a text file linking to the Real (*.rm) file
Click your Start Menu and go to "Run." Type "Notepad" and click
"OK". In Notepad, type only this line of text:
http://www.server#/username/directory/file.rm. # is the server that
you are on, username is your domain username, directory is where
you've uploaded the rm file to and file.rm is the actual file that you
uploaded. For instance the file wakefreezone is at:
'http://www.eidosnet.co.uk/donkit racks/wakefreezone.rm'

Here's the rub. There should only be one line of text in the Notepad
window. When you are finished, click "File" and go to "Save As." In
the "Save as Type" selector, select "All Files (*.*)". Select a
directory you can remember, and in the "File name:" box type a
name with an ending of .ram. (For example, sound.ram.) Click
"Save." This is extremely important. What you've done here is to
create a kind of sign post to the .rm file which then, when your
visitor clicks on to the link, points their copy of RealPlayer to the .rm
file which the application will then play.

Step 6: Upload the text file
Use an FTP program or Site Manager to upload the text file to your
web site. You can upload to any directory, just be sure you
remember the address of the file. If your program asks, this file
should be uploaded in "Text" or "ASCII" mode, however most FTP
programmes worth their salt will know what type of file you're
uploading and change the mode automatically.

Step 7: Link to the text file on your web site
You will need to edit one of your HTML files on your Web site and
place a link to the *.ram file. This link should be to your web site,
not to the file on your hard drive. Then you will need to re-upload
the HTML file.

Step 8: Test your RealAudio file
Go to your web site and click on the link to the RealFile (the *.ram
file). Your browser should quickly download a file, and RealPlayer
should open and play the RealAudio file. If anything does not work
correctly check the addresses you used and make sure they are
accurate. If your file refuses to play but no other error messages pop
up, you should check that you uploaded the files with the proper file
type.

RealVideo
To make RealVideo, use the same method but be prepared to wait
while the file encodes as video is far more memory hungry than
audio.

Have fun!