Define the role of audio in your guide

When you think about a digital guide to arts and culture, you probably think "audio guide." The same is true for visitors. They're often eager to hear voices and perspectives that enhance their experience.

You can use audio to create immersive, evergreen audio tours and to supplement other interpretive material in your guide. The prompts in this article will help you figure out how to use audio to support your goals.

Brainstorming prompts

As you start thinking about how interesting and insightful audio can enhance your visitors’ experience, use the following questions to spark ideas. For more concrete ideas about how to use audio in your guide, see Audio tour concepts and inspiration.

Understand visitors’ needs

• What are your visitors' expectations?
• Why have your visitors come, and what do they want to know or learn?
• Who would your visitors like to hear from?
• Do you want to focus on developing content for specific audiences or use cases (e.g., families, multilingual visitors, accessibility)?

Consider the physical space

• Where are your visitors listening? What is the environment like?
• Will people be standing or walking while using the guide? 
• Can visitors clearly view the object while engaging with the audio?

Encourage visitor engagement

• How many pieces of audio make for a realistic, satisfying, and successful visit?
• How do you maintain someone's interest?
• Would layers of audio content allow visitors to explore an object more deeply?

Connect audio to on-site programming

• How can your audio support the themes in your current or upcoming exhibitions, installations, gallery hangs, collection works on view, or high season?
• While mapping your visitor journey, consider the items or artworks you're spotlighting. How can you gather diverse voices and stories about those items (e.g., curatorial, conservation, preservation, community, interesting storytellers or subjects, artists reflecting on other artists' works)?
• What audio do you already have available in your archive or past projects that might be useful for new or repeat visitors? 

For more insights, sign up for a virtual audio training and best practices call. These calls are open for partners at any stage of their guide development.

When to use AI audio

Bloomberg Connects recommends recording audio with people whenever possible. If that is beyond your resources, consider whether the AI audio tool is a good fit for your content.

Here are a few examples in which it might be the right choice:

• You’re making audio content that gets updated frequently.
• Many pieces of content need a single, consistent voice over a long period of time.
• Your deadline doesn’t give you enough time to record and edit audio sessions.
• You want to hear a rough cut of a script before committing to a human recording.
• You need audio in a second language, but don’t have fluent speakers on staff.

AI audio might not be the best choice in the following scenarios:

• You and your team are already well equipped to produce audio.
• Your audio file needs to have multiple speakers.
• The speaker needs to be a specific person, like an artist or historian.
• You need fine control over tone of voice, intonation, or specific pronunciation.