How to Create Professional Audio Books from Scratch

My name is Alan Twigg and I'm writing this article to offer advice to anyone thinking of creating their own professional audio books.

In the New Year I came up with the idea of creating professional children's stories and offering them for download on the internet. The thing was, however, while I had someone to write the stories - my mother - and someone to market the stories ? me, I knew nobody who knew about how to record the stories professionally. I knew it must be reasonably easy, since I only wanted to create an audio book containing speech.

I started doing research on Google - but all the articles I found contained so much technical gobbledygook ? I was soon put off. So I went to my local music store for advice on what to buy. I decided to use my computer to create the audio books and this is what I bought:

1 microphone stand

1 pop-screen (that's a piece of material that is placed just in front of the microphone to stop your "Ps" from popping)

1 studio microphone

1 software program (Wavelab)

1 USB Audio/MIDI interface (TASCAM US 122 with phantom power)

1 pair of heaphones

It all came to 650 euros (800) dollars.

I connected my Audio/MIDI interface (this is basically a really good sound card in an external case) to my computer using the USB cable provided. I then set up my microphone and attached the microphone cable to the MIDI interface. After installing the software, I was ready to go.

The results have been great and I find Wavelab software powerful and incredibly easy to use.

Some Audio Book recording tips

I first get my entire copy ready before starting the recording. I pin the sheets of paper with the text that I am going to read in front of me onto the wall. Then, at about 8 inches away from the microphone, I start to talk. The more natural you can be the more interesting you will sound to your listeners. I found that the best thing to do is to stand in front of the microphone and make gestures in the same way as you would when talking to a close friend. If you stand there stiff like a statue, you'll come across in the same way in your recording.

Another thing that I like to do before starting the recording is to get myself into a really good mood. Again, this will add to the impact of your recording. I always listen to a few uplifting songs and get enthusiastic before starting. You should also try to make sure that you keep the same distance from the microphone.

And that's it ? I hope that this article will save you a little bit of time setting up your own home recording studio and I wish lots of success with your audio books.

The author of this article is Alan Twigg. My business is Playtime books, which offers new and contemporary audio books for the 3 to 10-year-old age group. You will find this site at <a target="_new" href="http://www.playtime-books.com">http://www.playtime-books.com</a>.

Why I Hate Flash Audio and What I Did About It

I love spoken-word audio. I've been listening to seminars, lectures, and books on tape for years.

I love downloadable audio. Missed that teleseminar you signed up for? Just download the MP3 (or Real Media, or Windows Media, or QuickTime) file and it's almost as good as being there--maybe better.

But I really dislike streaming audio of the kind you can't download, and I find the new trend to use Macromedia Flash to provide audio clips online particularly irritating.

Why? Because I don't want to have to sit in front of my computer screen to listen to something. The only time I might want to do that would be if I were taking notes, or if the recording were a set of instructions on how to do something with a computer program. When I'm at my computer, I'm usually busy doing something that requires concentration (like writing).

I want to do my listening when I'm away from my computer and doing something that occupies my hands but not my full attention. In my case, that's primarily when I'm driving and when I'm cooking. And while I could theoretically prop my laptop on the passenger seat while I drive, I can't (yet, anyway) get a connection to the Internet while going 65 miles an hour. Besides, the car stereo has much better speakers than the laptop does.

The whole point of podcasting, after all, is to allow people to download and listen at their leisure, the same way RSS news aggregators let you collect blog headlines and other news at your own convenience. These streaming-only audio clips (.ram as well as Flash) don't give you that option. And that snarks me off.

And yes, I do realize that people want to protect their intellectual property and that's one reason they use non-downloadable streaming audio. I respect that. But I don't want to sell or otherwise redistribute their material. I just want to listen to it on my time. To users of streaming audio I pose the question: would you rather I just didn't listen? Would you really prefer that I just miss your marketing message altogether?

Because that's what was happening before I thought of a way around the Flash barrier.

In May I made one of my best investments of 2005 and bought a $10 mini-stereo audio cable. I plug one end into the laptop's headphone socket and one end into the cassette recorder's microphone port. Or I plug the other end of the cable into the microphone port on the laptop and record it onto my computer to play on my new MP3 player. (My current preferred recording software is the freeware program Audacity, available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ in versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux.)

It works like a charm. I now have access to all kinds of things I never would have listened to before, all thanks to a simple cable.

Now all I need is one of those car stereos with an MP3 player built in.

(c) 2005 Sallie Goetsch

"Author-izer" Sallie Goetsch started helping other people with their writing at the age of nine. Before going into business for herself, she translated, directed, produced, and was sometimes forced to act in Greek and Roman plays, as well as founding an electronic journal. Her FileSlinger(TM) Backup Blog (<a target="_new" href="http://www.fileslinger.com/blog">http://www.fileslinger.com/blog</a>) was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://authorizer.fileslinger.com">http://authorizer.fileslinger.com</a> to learn how to become an author whether or not you can write.

Get Personal by Adding Your Voice to Your Site

Many customers in today's online business world are shopping around online for a reason; either they are too lazy to go to stores, do not like the masses of people, or they might just want to shop in the comfort of their home. What ever the reason might be, we can conclude that they are not in a store, but rather they are on your site. Just because your businesses is online doesn't mean that you can't conduct your business like that of a normal store. Compare your site to a clothing store in a mall for example. When the customer comes in, a sales representative normally comes to the door and asks if they need help. A web site doesn't normally do this, but you can if you want to. Record an audio clip that not only includes a sales pitch and introduction but also a site map that includes the important parts of the site. Not only are you getting personal with your customer, you are also pointing them in the direction of your product. Here are a few tips to keep in mind about audio clips:

#1 - Make Sure They can Turn it Off

There is nothing worse than listening to someone drone on on how they made massive amounts of money, and so can you! If you do include audio with your site, make sure you include a stop button. You might think you sales pitch is interesting and informative, but the customer might not. They might also want to play it over again to catch a part they missed, so make sure to include a play button as well.

#2 - Include a Picture

Maybe is just cause we watch TV alot but when we hear audio, we want something to look at. Take a picture of yourself and put it above your new stop and play buttons. It will add to the personal touch and also give the people something to look at while they listen to you.

#3 - Don't Take too Long

People have short attention spans so introduce yourself and your site, make your pitch, point them in the right direction, and then stop. You can always include more audio files with success stories elsewhere on your site.

#4 - Don't be too Loud

It is hard to know how loud to make your clip but it is better to be soft than to be loud. The user can always turn up the volume if they are interested. Adding a volume "slider" next to your play and stop buttons and below your picture will round off the audio clip look.

So there you have it, four great pieces of advice when looking to add an audio file to your site. If you can do it yourself, put one up there, but if you can't, get someone to help you. It is relatively easy and so it should not be too expensive. Good luck and be creative!

Jeffrey Abbott is a respected author and editor of <a target="_new" href="http://www.emoneyreport.com">eMoneyReport.com</a>

Visit the site at <a target="_new" href="http://www.emoneyreport.com">http://www.emoneyreport.com</a> and read reviews on programs that help you to make money from your own home. eMoneyReport offers a simple and easy format to find articles relating to all types of online business and website promotion.

Five Tips to Become a Soundbite Genius

1. Speak in soundbites to everyone.

Getting key phrases for concepts and ideas across clearly is central to all communication. As a fun practice try to shave off any extraneous details during conversation in your everyday life. In Errol Morris' film *Fog of War* former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said, *Never answer the question that is asked. Answer the question you wish were asked.* Begin to train yourself to speak only what you want others to hear. In this way you'll be shaping other's perception of you-which is the essence of good media.

2. Answer the first interview question with your sermonette.

In a 1989 interview on the NPR show Fresh Air veteran TV journalist David Brinkley said, *Everyone of them [his guests] will arrive in the studio with some little sermonette in mind, and determined to deliver it. So one thing I do is first ask them a dull, boring question like, what do you think about this. And let them deliver their little sermonette. And then we get to the hard core of what we're there to talk about.* Your first and last points have the most impact so plan and deliver your sermonettes no matter what you're asked.

3. Frame your ideas for your audience.

Jennifer O'Neil, a film producer and director, explained that when shooting background footage (b-roll) she uses a technique called *grounding.* To *ground* the camera must end definitively on an object or scene that signals the viewer that that segment is over. I suggested to her that she probably also used the opening footage to *ground* or shape the beginning of how she wanted a viewer to perceive the scene. In this way you orient your audience to the scene or the material you want them to focus on.

You can apply the same concept to soundbites. Your opening words set the stage for what you want to convey, your final words signify the close, how you want your audience to remember what you've told them. Use your opening and closing statements to anchor your audience to the information you want them to grasp. That way you shape the way they think about your product, service or cause.

4. Tell people what to do.

I love mystery, but this isn't the place for it. Don't leave your audience guessing. Be forthright about the action you want them to take by letting them know why your product or service is necessary for them to have a complete and happy life now. What gap does what you have to offer fill? Be direct in pointing this out so there is no doubt.

5. Live your words.

Get to the point with clarity and insight. The Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer said of composer Astor Piazzolla's music, *I don't think it's [the music] always about embellishment. I don't think it all can be expressed rightly just gliding on the surface of convenient rhythms. This music can't be in fact performed, it has to be lived. And I always can distinguish if someone is flirting with Piazzolla as a convenient item of our commercial industry or if someone really lives the life or the heartbeat of the music of this great composer.*

It's the same with you and your soundbites. Are you living the heartbeat of what you're saying, what you're representing? If not, we hear your false notes, your commercial intent. If so, we know in an instant when your music is true.

Learn how to use any interview, any time, on any topic, to get your business, book, product or cause the publicity-and fame you long for in this soundbite teleclass. <a href="http://www.prsecrets.com/" target="_new">http://www.prsecrets.com/</a>

Copyright(c) 2004 Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email with a copy of your publication to: <a href="mailto:newslettereditor@prsecrets.com." target="_new">mailto:newslettereditor@prsecrets.com.</a> Thanks!

About The Author

Copyright(c) 2004 Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.

Susan Harrow is a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul* (HarperCollins), *The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah*, and *How You Can Get a 6-Figure Book Advance.* Her clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, millionaires, best-selling authors and successful entrepreneurs who have appeared on Oprah,60 Minutes,NPR, and in TIME,USA Today,Parade, People,O,NY Times,Wall Street Journal,Inc.

<a href="mailto:prsecrets@publicist.com">prsecrets@publicist.com</a>

How to Use Your Computer as a Recording Studio

A few years ago there was a revolution in recording technology. As computers became more powerful, they started to replace traditional tape recorders that were the heart of most recording studios. Today, computers designed for home use are powerful enough to emulate an entire recording studio, and can be used for everything from multitrack recording to audio editing and scoring music for videos.

This &quot;democratizing&quot; of recording techniques has opened up the entire recording industry to anyone with the proper software and hardware. With software packages costing a few hundred dollars and professional-quality audio interfaces costing less than $100, anybody can have a virtual recording studio in their home.

Some of the big names in the audio recording field are Cubase, ProTools, Sonar and Sound Forge. Each of these Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) can be used for multi-track recording and editing and have the ability to combine recordings with &quot;virtual instruments&quot;.

Virtual instruments are computer-generated sounds that can be played via MIDI. Traditionally, MIDI was used to send music data to hardware devices like keyboards and sound modules, but computers are now powerful enough to emulate sound modules. Instead of hooking up cables to an external device to play MIDI tracks, virtual instruments can be loaded into the computer's memory to play any type of sound.

MIDI tracks can be combined with audio tracks and all of it played back in perfect synchronization. All tracks can be processed with effects like reverb and chorus, and the entire mix can be compressed for a professional sounding result.

Although professional sound recording packages can be fairly expensive, you can get your feet wet by trying out one of the shareware programs that are available. They will allow you to see the capabilities of digital recording, and if you want to develop your interests further you can later buy one of the professional programs.

Hans is editor of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.htm">Audio Howto Section </a> of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/">Selected Audio Review Guide</a>

Internet Radio: A Sanctuary in the Rubbish Tip

The internet, it's a whole world of information and entertainment, but every day it fills up just that extra bit more with complete trash. At every corner, popups, banner ads, viruses, spyware, the list goes on, well I've had enough and I'm sure you share my opinion.

So, I hear you ask, what does the rubbish online have to do with internet radio. Absolutely nothing! It's a complete opposite. Back in November of 2004, every evening I sat at home bored to death writing English essays and completing Maths papers, and when I wasn't doing that you'd be guaranteed to find me plonked in front of the TV watching whatever rubbish the BBC scheduler had decided to inflict upon me that night, and don't even think about mentioning a social life, I didn't have an iota.

What changed? Later that month I overheard a friend talking about a radio show he regularly presented online, so I decided to have a listen. Well I enjoyed the show, but then I would, as would anyone hearing someone they knew as part of a broadcast, the strange thing was I enjoyed EVERY piece of music that was played. Now before then I was totally hooked on dance music, I just wouldn't listen to anything else, every time 'Top of the Pops 2' came on TV I'd change channel, any hint of 80's music and I'd be out of the room like a shot. I'd been converted without any explanation as to how.

However, there was something even stranger to follow. The station I had tuned into was an AMATEUR station made up of DJ's of all ages using their own talents and equipment to broadcast from around the UK & USA. Notice I stress the word amateur. Well, I kept listening for a while and it just kept getting better and I'm not joking. For the first time I was enjoying every bit of music I heard. My collection of dance CD's sat in the corner getting dusty and still, to this day haven't had the need to touch it.

But it wasn't just my music taste that had been changed by this experience, it was my whole life. I got involved, the usual shy me suddenly became part of an online family, the social flame inside me lit up for the first time. I was taking part, meeting new people and above all enjoying it! So what are you thinking now? Maybe that this article's just become an advert? Well in a way, yes, that's true. I've got so much out of this experience that I felt it was about time I spread the word, you just can't keep something so good to yourself.

So what am I doing now? Well, as I said, I got involved. Since way back in November I've had a go at presenting and production, and met more people than you could shake a stick at. Right now as I type this article I sit listening to the station that started this all off, and chatting to new friends I would never have met without this fantastic creation. So thanks to Marconi, Faraday, whoever it is that came up with combination of radio and the internet, it really is the best thing since sliced bread!

If you're surfing the net or doing chores about the house, give it a try, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Internet Radio, the clearing in the deep dark forest that is the WWW.

Andrew Bonney

Resources:
The station that made my life so much better, still thriving and growing each day: <a target="_new" href="http://www.offthechartradio.co.uk">http://www.offthechartradio.co.uk</a> The people who make Internet Radio so much easier and accessible, you can even start your own station: <a target="_new" href="http://www.live365.com">http://www.live365.com</a>

Heres 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!

Copyright 2004 Nick James

About The Author

Nick James is a UK based direct marketer and product developer. During the last 3 years Nick has sold in excess of ?1 Million of products and sevices. Subscribe to his Free Tip Of The Week at: <a href="http://www.Nick-James.com" target="_new">www.Nick-James.com</a> New Product: <a href="http://www.FlashAudioWizard.com" target="_new">www.FlashAudioWizard.com</a>.

Jingles - What Constitutes A Successful Jingle Campaign?

What constitutes a successful jingle campaign? In this article we will examine and listen to 4 successful jingle campaigns and look for key ingredients to their success.

Jingle Campaign #1, Mr. Chau's Chinese Fast Food: <a target="_new" href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/MrChau.mp3 ">http://www.soundad.com/audio/MrChau.mp3</a>

This radio & TV musical identity has been the cornerstone of Mr. Chau's campaign since 1996 and is still a current hit. In that time span he has grown from 6 to 22 regional locations.

We were asked to find a creative and fun way to reach an across-the-board demographic (including children), with as much of his full menu as possible in the :60 radio spot. We decided that the variety on Mr. Chau's menu needed to be reflected with creative variety so we brought in a multiplicity of personalities and singers and pieced them into an up-tempo musical track punctuated with chopstick percussion. Click or paste the link above to listen.

The 2nd campaign is a :60 radio & TV jingle for the Northern California Marine Association's Boat Shows in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and San Jose, California. They were targeting a A35-64 demo but also wanted it to appeal to children. We chose reggae music as the vehicle and fun lyrics with great vocals to sell the boating lifestyle. The campaign is relatively new but is a smashing success. Click the following link to hear the jingle "Only in a Boat": <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/NCMA.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/NCMA.mp3</a>

Campaign #3 is a national :30 TV spot (with jingle) that we wrote and produced for DAB (Low Carb) Beer. They wanted to target a specific female audience 25-34 with this low carb offering. They asked us to create something that was a musical cross between the Bangles and Sheryl Crow. Again, this has been a successful campaign for them. Grab a DAB at the link below: <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/DAB.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/DAB.mp3</a>

Campaign #4, Petaluma Auto Plaza has a huge electronic sign on Hwy 101 in Northern California that we determined was the focal point of their campaign. We decided to "put them on the map" by writing a jingle in a Gospel Revival style: "I Saw the Sign in Petaluma" and we brought in gospel diva Jeannie Tracy (from Whitney Houston's Band) to sing it. <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/pet_auto_plaza.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/pet_auto_plaza.mp3</a>

In order to create a truly successful jingle branding campaign that will cut through the clutter, a jingle/music production company must be willing to go the distance to help you position your products (or business) predominantly in the public consciousness with creativity and integrity. We spare no expense to get the best creative and musical talent to make our clients sparkle on the airwaves. You should expect the same of any company you choose to partner with. Don't settle for less.

Barry Volk is a former producer/staff songwriter for ABC, MCA & Screen Gems-EMI Music Publishing, a 20th Century Fox solo recording artist, Musical Director for the West Coast Theater Company and National Director of Marketing for Metro Networks/Westwood One. His music production company, Barry Volk's Sound Advantage <a target="_new" href="http://www.soundad.com">http://www.soundad.com</a> creates and produces jingles and custom musical productions for radio and TV advertisers worldwide from small market to national in scope.

How to Add Audio to Video

Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.

Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.

It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.

As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.

It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily. Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.

With many video editing packages, however, it isn't necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.

If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.

The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That's it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!

Hans is editor of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.htm">Audio Howto Section </a> of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/">Selected Audio Review Guide</a>

Jingles - What Constitutes A Successful Jingle Campaign?

What constitutes a successful jingle campaign? In this article we will examine and listen to 4 successful jingle campaigns and look for key ingredients to their success.

Jingle Campaign #1, Mr. Chau's Chinese Fast Food: <a target="_new" href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/MrChau.mp3 ">http://www.soundad.com/audio/MrChau.mp3</a>

This radio & TV musical identity has been the cornerstone of Mr. Chau's campaign since 1996 and is still a current hit. In that time span he has grown from 6 to 22 regional locations.

We were asked to find a creative and fun way to reach an across-the-board demographic (including children), with as much of his full menu as possible in the :60 radio spot. We decided that the variety on Mr. Chau's menu needed to be reflected with creative variety so we brought in a multiplicity of personalities and singers and pieced them into an up-tempo musical track punctuated with chopstick percussion. Click or paste the link above to listen.

The 2nd campaign is a :60 radio & TV jingle for the Northern California Marine Association's Boat Shows in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and San Jose, California. They were targeting a A35-64 demo but also wanted it to appeal to children. We chose reggae music as the vehicle and fun lyrics with great vocals to sell the boating lifestyle. The campaign is relatively new but is a smashing success. Click the following link to hear the jingle "Only in a Boat": <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/NCMA.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/NCMA.mp3</a>

Campaign #3 is a national :30 TV spot (with jingle) that we wrote and produced for DAB (Low Carb) Beer. They wanted to target a specific female audience 25-34 with this low carb offering. They asked us to create something that was a musical cross between the Bangles and Sheryl Crow. Again, this has been a successful campaign for them. Grab a DAB at the link below: <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/DAB.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/DAB.mp3</a>

Campaign #4, Petaluma Auto Plaza has a huge electronic sign on Hwy 101 in Northern California that we determined was the focal point of their campaign. We decided to "put them on the map" by writing a jingle in a Gospel Revival style: "I Saw the Sign in Petaluma" and we brought in gospel diva Jeannie Tracy (from Whitney Houston's Band) to sing it. <a target="_new"href="http://www.soundad.com/audio/pet_auto_plaza.mp3">http://www.soundad.com/audio/pet_auto_plaza.mp3</a>

In order to create a truly successful jingle branding campaign that will cut through the clutter, a jingle/music production company must be willing to go the distance to help you position your products (or business) predominantly in the public consciousness with creativity and integrity. We spare no expense to get the best creative and musical talent to make our clients sparkle on the airwaves. You should expect the same of any company you choose to partner with. Don't settle for less.

Barry Volk is a former producer/staff songwriter for ABC, MCA & Screen Gems-EMI Music Publishing, a 20th Century Fox solo recording artist, Musical Director for the West Coast Theater Company and National Director of Marketing for Metro Networks/Westwood One. His music production company, Barry Volk's Sound Advantage <a target="_new" href="http://www.soundad.com">http://www.soundad.com</a> creates and produces jingles and custom musical productions for radio and TV advertisers worldwide from small market to national in scope.

Audio Websites -- Web Developers: Make Money Now

Are you a website developer looking to establish a long-term relationship with a web content provider that could make money over the long-term for both of you? Have you considered becoming an expert in the providing of website audio content -- in webcasting and podcasting? Knowing how to present web audio and how to manage such a site can be your key to making money over the web.

It is hard to pick up a periodical about the web these days without coming upon an article about the ever increasing use of substantive audio content in websites. Webcasting and podcasting are the rage. These websites can make money through banner ads, click-throughs, and charging for downloads of audio content.

An audio-based website can include, for instance real-time streaming of a radio talk show or an interview. It can also contain archived materials, such as past shows, the equivalent of books-on-tape, and the like.

A web site developer can team up with the audio content provider, using cost and revenue sharing in order to make the enterprise beneficial to both.

The success of such a venture can be heightened by the use of low-cost audio. For instance, the audio could consist largely of streaming or recorded conversation about hot topics in international affairs, national politics, the economy, and trends and issues in our ever-changing culture, philosophy, and religious expression.

The likelihood of success can also be heightened if the format involves the same basic co-hosts, with the occasional invited guest, where the co-hosts are knowledgeable, clear-speaking, with a sense of humor; but who also often find themselves on opposite sides of the issue under discussion. The spark of life attracts the visitor.

And believe me, there are audio content providers with in-demand audio ready to team up with the right web developer. I know, because I am co-host of the US Virgin Islands-based and currently broadcast-based talk radio program known as Island Insight, with my co-host Randall Scott Johns. We are ready to move on to the web with live, streaming conversation, as well as archived shows. There must be others out there as well, ready to provide you with the content you need.

So, get ready for the future, for the future is now. Get the word out that you know how to do it and you are ready to design a high-quality product. Be a part of the future, and have fun doing it.

Ned Jacobs is an attorney in St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, and can be found at <a href="mailto:edwardjacobs@yahoo.com">edwardjacobs@yahoo.com</a>, or at 7 Church Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands 00820; 340-773-3322; fax 340-773-2566.

How to Use Your Computer as a Recording Studio

A few years ago there was a revolution in recording technology. As computers became more powerful, they started to replace traditional tape recorders that were the heart of most recording studios. Today, computers designed for home use are powerful enough to emulate an entire recording studio, and can be used for everything from multitrack recording to audio editing and scoring music for videos.

This &quot;democratizing&quot; of recording techniques has opened up the entire recording industry to anyone with the proper software and hardware. With software packages costing a few hundred dollars and professional-quality audio interfaces costing less than $100, anybody can have a virtual recording studio in their home.

Some of the big names in the audio recording field are Cubase, ProTools, Sonar and Sound Forge. Each of these Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) can be used for multi-track recording and editing and have the ability to combine recordings with &quot;virtual instruments&quot;.

Virtual instruments are computer-generated sounds that can be played via MIDI. Traditionally, MIDI was used to send music data to hardware devices like keyboards and sound modules, but computers are now powerful enough to emulate sound modules. Instead of hooking up cables to an external device to play MIDI tracks, virtual instruments can be loaded into the computer's memory to play any type of sound.

MIDI tracks can be combined with audio tracks and all of it played back in perfect synchronization. All tracks can be processed with effects like reverb and chorus, and the entire mix can be compressed for a professional sounding result.

Although professional sound recording packages can be fairly expensive, you can get your feet wet by trying out one of the shareware programs that are available. They will allow you to see the capabilities of digital recording, and if you want to develop your interests further you can later buy one of the professional programs.

Hans is editor of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.htm">Audio Howto Section </a> of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/">Selected Audio Review Guide</a>

How to Add Audio to Video

Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.

Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.

It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.

As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.

It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily. Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.

With many video editing packages, however, it isn't necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.

If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.

The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That's it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!

Hans is editor of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.htm">Audio Howto Section </a> of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/">Selected Audio Review Guide</a>

Streaming Audio Recorders

1. i-Sound WMA MP3 Recorder 6.x - On Sale
www.abyssmedia.com

i-Sound Recorder turn your computer into complete audio recording studio. You can record sound from internal or external source into MP3, OGG, WMA, APE, WAV format sound file directly without costing any other disk space. With VOX feature program can become ideal solution for automatical digitizing LPs and Cassettes.

2.Handy MP3 Recorder 4.0 - On Sale
www.audio-recorder.biz

Handy MP3 Recorder is an award winning high-quality sound recording software for windows. It enables you capture any sounds of your PC into MP3 or WAV files quickly and easily! By using Handy MP3 Recorder you can record sounds from MIDI, Internet broadcasts, streaming media and your microphone.

3. Ease MP3 Recorder 3.6 - On Sale
www.audiotool.net

Ease MP3 Recorder Ease MP3 Recorder may record sound which are played through your sound card and any other sound sources like microphone, VCR, Audio tape player etc. You can use it to grab any sound including music, dialogs from movies, game sounds and etc from your local computer or the internet. Captured sounds can be saved in WAV or MP3 format, using real-time conversion (without creating temporary files). The program offers direct support for RealPlayer, Winamp, Windows Media Player , Power DVD, Flash, Quick time and many others.

4. Audio Record Wizard 3.99 - On Sale
www.nowsmart.com

Audio Record Wizard is a sound recorder software, which offers professional recording features with mp3 support. The audio recorder program is designed to work directly with your sound card, so it can record almost all audio from your sound card at near-perfect quality. So, you can record sound from a microphone, line-in, and just about any other programs (like winamp, realplay, windows media player). audio record wizard can also record directly to mp3 format if you choose, saving you valuable disk space.

Ron Brown sells audio recording software at <a target="_new" href="http://www.best-mp3-recorder.com">http://www.best-mp3-recorder.com</a>

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!

What are you waiting for ... go add audio now!

Tracey Meagher is the founder of QuickandEasy Audio, a website that reviews all the latest resources and tools available for adding audio to your website. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.quickandeasyaudio.com">http://www.quickandeasyaudio.com</a> to receive free audio resources that will get audio on your website in less than 60 minutes! [Copyright 2005 QuickandEasyAudio ]

DVD Audio: An Introduction

DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music. In order to play back DVD Audio discs, players have to be specially designed to support the format. So far, consumer electronics manufacturers have announced a range of DVD Audio players, including home decks, portable players and devices for cars.

DVD Audio has a sampling rate of up to 192kHz compared to a maximum of 44.1kHz for CD. It also supports resolutions of up to 24 bits, compared to 16bits on CD.

The idea behind DVD Audio is that it allows producers to give listeners a playback experience that is much more faithful to the original master recording that has been possible previously.

DVD Audio discs have a much higher capacity than CDs. This extra space can be used to provide audio at the highest possible quality or for longer recordings, or to provide additional material, such as information on the artist, photos and even video, all of which can be displayed on a television screen. Alternatively, DVD Audio discs currently on the market from the likes of the Warner group of labels have the audio content in both DVD Audio format and as Dolby Digital surround so that they can be played back on regular DVD players.

DVD Audio discs are navigable in the same way as DVD Video when played back on a player connected to a TV set. Users can select the required track from an on- screen menu and with an internet connection, can click on links to go to websites.

These dual format discs are a good way to kick-start the market while DVD Audio players are still relatively rare. The market will also be helped by combined DVD Video and Audio players.

Robert Armstrong is a contributor to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.the- hdtv-tuner.com">The HDTV Tuner</a> - a guide to the kit, the content and the issues related to HDTV.

WAV; Useful Applications; Recording Your Tapes or L.P.s to CD

My first article about digital recording that I have had published in various places on the net for some time, talks about the two main audio formats midi. and wav.

I have decided therefore, to devote the next few articles to addressing some of the questions I have received about this first article.

Keep in mind that the wav. format is the one that is used for burning directly to CD. To do this, you just need to open your CD burning software, find your wav. file and drag or drop it into your burn list.

Also keep in mind that you can record directly to wav. and forgo the midi. format completely. Midi. has some specialized recording uses that I will cover later in subsequent articles.

For now, some useful things that you can do by recording directly to the wav. format;

For example, someone asked about recording your old L.P.s (What's that?) or tapes to CD.

To do this, you need to hook-up a tape player or record player (?) to the input of your sound card.

Most newer computers have a sound card, accessible from the back panel. If you look there, you will see the inputs to your sound card; an input for a microphone that will usually have a little microphone picture by it and another input for stereos and such. You will usually also find outputs for additional speakers.

The general input for stereos and such is where you plug the output of your player.

Next, find the software for your sound card. This can often be found in accessories. The software should include a recorder. You may have to select the proper input in your recorder's options or file menu.

Next, play your tape or L.P. while recording it with your sound card recording software. This recording can be saved directly as a wav. file and then easily burned to CD.

If your source is an older L.P. that has scratches, there is software available to clean it up.

If, by chance, you don't have a sound card, you may wish to purchase one. Go down to your local computer store and pick one up for a surprisingly low price.

I have recorded entire L.P.s to CD including some rare 45s of luminaries like Mario Lanza

Brian Beshore is a graduate of the Peabody School of music. He has played in many groups, in well known venues such as the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, where he was part of the opening act for Hunter S. Thompson. You can hear his music at <a target="_new" href="http://www.dizzyobrian.com">http://www.dizzyobrian.com</a>

Heres 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!

Copyright 2004 Nick James

About The Author

Nick James is a UK based direct marketer and product developer. During the last 3 years Nick has sold in excess of ?1 Million of products and sevices. Subscribe to his Free Tip Of The Week at: <a href="http://www.Nick-James.com" target="_new">www.Nick-James.com</a> New Product: <a href="http://www.FlashAudioWizard.com" target="_new">www.FlashAudioWizard.com</a>.

Audio Websites -- Web Developers: Make Money Now

Are you a website developer looking to establish a long-term relationship with a web content provider that could make money over the long-term for both of you? Have you considered becoming an expert in the providing of website audio content -- in webcasting and podcasting? Knowing how to present web audio and how to manage such a site can be your key to making money over the web.

It is hard to pick up a periodical about the web these days without coming upon an article about the ever increasing use of substantive audio content in websites. Webcasting and podcasting are the rage. These websites can make money through banner ads, click-throughs, and charging for downloads of audio content.

An audio-based website can include, for instance real-time streaming of a radio talk show or an interview. It can also contain archived materials, such as past shows, the equivalent of books-on-tape, and the like.

A web site developer can team up with the audio content provider, using cost and revenue sharing in order to make the enterprise beneficial to both.

The success of such a venture can be heightened by the use of low-cost audio. For instance, the audio could consist largely of streaming or recorded conversation about hot topics in international affairs, national politics, the economy, and trends and issues in our ever-changing culture, philosophy, and religious expression.

The likelihood of success can also be heightened if the format involves the same basic co-hosts, with the occasional invited guest, where the co-hosts are knowledgeable, clear-speaking, with a sense of humor; but who also often find themselves on opposite sides of the issue under discussion. The spark of life attracts the visitor.

And believe me, there are audio content providers with in-demand audio ready to team up with the right web developer. I know, because I am co-host of the US Virgin Islands-based and currently broadcast-based talk radio program known as Island Insight, with my co-host Randall Scott Johns. We are ready to move on to the web with live, streaming conversation, as well as archived shows. There must be others out there as well, ready to provide you with the content you need.

So, get ready for the future, for the future is now. Get the word out that you know how to do it and you are ready to design a high-quality product. Be a part of the future, and have fun doing it.

Ned Jacobs is an attorney in St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, and can be found at <a href="mailto:edwardjacobs@yahoo.com">edwardjacobs@yahoo.com</a>, or at 7 Church Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands 00820; 340-773-3322; fax 340-773-2566.

The Ten Commandments To Creating Amazing Audio Products

1.Thou shall create audio products as the fastest way to come out with a product.

Forget about e-books. They take to long to create especially if you're a slooooow typist. You can create an audio product in a day instead of weeks or months with an e-book. If you must create an e-book, do the audio first and have someone transcribe the audio into a word file. You than clean it up and add some chapter heads and an index and Bam! You have an instant e-book

2.Thou shall use a headset microphone for your recordings.

I find that using a headset mic is a lot more versatile than a standard microphone. A headset mic gives you the freedom to move your head around and you don't feel restricted as far as being positioned in front of a table top mic.

3.Thou shall not be afraid to record your voice.

Many people hate the way they sound on tape (me included) and feel that they cannot put together a &quot;Professional&quot; product. The first time you hear yourself on tape you are just going to die. It takes practice to actually speak properly. You get struck by the dreaded Uh and Um syndrome and the monotone voice virus but take heart ?you can do this. Slow down and concentrate on what you're saying and interject some emphasis and pitch changes to your voice. Bottom line?add some personality.

I'll admit I'm no professional speaker myself? It takes practice and you will get better.

Here are a couple books you might want to check out: The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie Secrets of Successful Speakers: How You Can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade by Lilly Walters

4.Thou shall add intro and outro music to your audios

If you really want to add a professional polish to your products you must add the intro and outro music. You know that cool music you hear at the beginning of the audio just before someone starts the introduction.

You could give this site a try: frontandbackmusic.com for some demos.

5.Thou shall use different formats for your audio info product

A couple of ways to create an audio product is to interview someone over the phone and record it or just do a straight forward gab session on your own. To keep it simple when I'm recording on my own, I write down some bullet points to use as memory joggers to keep me on track during the recording sessions. Also, when using the computer software it allows you to pause so you can get your thoughts together and then just restart the recording process without a skip.

6.Thou shall use different listening formats for your audio product.

When distributing your audios you have different formats to choose from. You can use .wav, .mp3, .ram files. Wave files take up the most space and are megabyte hogs. Mp3 and ram (real player files) take up the least amount of space and are good for streaming audio on the web. If you are distributing your audio on CD it is best to use wav. That way you will be able to listen to them in any CD player. Here is a little warning when recording your audio projects. Be aware of the space you have on your hard drive. A two hour recording session will take up to 1.3 gigabytes of space in wav. I like to record and edit in smaller intervals and burn them to a CD-RW just to get them off my hard drive.

7.Thou shall use cheap resources for your audio.

I get all my bubble pack shippers and CD cases off of Ebay. They have some great deals. I get my CD's duplicated at Diskfaktory.com because they can run small quantities of 50. I wouldn't get any more made until you know you have a winner.

8.Thou shall have fun when creating your audio products

I have to say I really enjoy the creation process and it's really neat when you go to record a product and can play it back and listen to it on the fly. You get a sense that this thing is really coming together. And when you add the music you really get a sense of satisfaction. Creating audio is really instant gratification when it comes to creating info products. I love it?

As of this writing, I'm working with my wife on a product and I'm interviewing her and we are having a blast. She makes mistakes and I make them and we just sit there and laugh. My wife has the UH and UM syndrome so we are trying to get cured of that? But the point is that we are having a good time.

Quick Tip: I use a splitter to add two microphones to my computer. You need to raise the volume to get it normalized.

9.Thou shall build a audio information empire

If you really want to get a jump start in the information product business this is the easiest and funniest way to do it. As fast as you can record and edit these things the faster you can crank them out and start making some money. Also audio CD and tapes have a higher perceived value and you can get more for them then by just selling an e-book.

10.Thou shall learn what software to use for your audios.

Software can be expensive. Many of the gurus recommend Sounforge but I prefer a program from Cakewalk called Plasma. This software is half the price of Soundforge and is very versatile.

Well there you have it. Some good tips to get you started on building your audio empire.

Happy Recording,

John Kiel

(c)2005 John Kiel

If you're looking to take a shortcut and you would like me to take you by the hand and show you all the tricks to record audio products, add audio to the web, and record telephone conversations then my new video and audio tutorial course is for you. I even throw in 5 software programs to launch your audio business and at a price you will not believe.Go now to <a target="_new" href="http://www.audioproductsmadeeasy.com">http://www.audioproductsmadeeasy.com</a>

7 Ways to Use AUDIO to Increase Your Web and E-mail Sales

Thought about adding audio to your Web site yet? You should. While great copy does a good job of selling your services and products, audio will amplify the effect of your words.

Audio gives you a more personal connection with your Web visitors. Social psychologists tell us that humans are more likely to trust you if they can both see you and hear you. And prospects are more likely to buy from those whom they feel they know, like, and trust.

So let's think about how you can build that instant rapport with your prospects.

What Could YOU Do With Audio?

There are unlimited possibilities of what can be done with audio on Web sites and in e-mail, but here are seven simple ideas to get you started.

1. Greet Your Homepage Visitors.
Welcome first-time visitors to your Web site with your own voice. It's a much warmer welcome than text alone.

2. Create a Series of Audio Lessons.
Audio learning is hot! Teach your audience via your voice instead of just words on the page. Think about developing a series of mini-audio lessons for your prospects.

3. Share Your Interviews.
If you don't have an interview clip already, ask a friend or colleague to conduct a short, dynamic interview with you via phone. Record it and post it at your Web site. Or, do a series of interviews with other experts in your field and post them at your site to be listened to.

4. Samples of Teleseminars.
Want more signups for your free and/or paid teleseminars? Then start recording them. Pull out the highlights and post free clips of them at your Web site.

5. Pump Up Your Testimonials.
You probably already have customer testimonials on your site. Now amplify their impact with audio. Have your customers record their testimonials in their own voices, and post them on your site along with their names and photos.

6. Make Your E-mails and E-zines Talk.
Liven up your e-mails by making them talk to your prospects, subscribers, and customers. The members on your lists will feel like you are right there with them. (And remember, it will be that personal connection that encourages people to hire you or buy your products.) Be the first in your industry to do this, and watch your numbers rise!

7. Audio Postcards.
Reach out to your best customers and prospects for holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions by sending them an e-mail "postcard" accompanied with a personally recorded message.

So What's the EASIEST Way to Post Audio?

In the past, adding audio to your site wasn't that easy. You had to either spend hours learning how to do it yourself, or pay someone else to record it and host it for you. That's why I was never interested in audio before. I may be the E-zine Queen, but no way am I a techie queen. In fact, my VCR still blinks "12:00 ... 12:00 ... 12:00."

Here's the good news: There's a brand new program that makes recording and posting audio ridiculously easy . It's called Audio Generator and was created by Armand Morin, the same guy who created PopUp Generator and a slew of other innovative "Generator" products. I signed up immediately after he debuted this at the System 3 Seminar in Ohio a few weeks ago.

Here's an example of how easy Audio Generator is: Say you want to add an audio greeting to your site this afternoon. Just call Audio Generator's toll-free hot line and record your message. Then, as soon as you hang up the phone, go log into their site. Ta da ... your message is ready and waiting, with a line of HTML code for you to copy and paste on your home page.

That's it!

Even better, you can do this an unlimited number of times and have unlimited clips on your site (or multiple sites). You can also upload digital audio files up to 30 minutes in length , which I'm going to do for samples of my teleclasses.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.netofficetoolbox.com/app/adtrack.as?AdID=38081">Click here to get the full story</a>, and see (and hear) The E-zine Queen's own audio testimonial at the Audio Generator site.

Remember, It's That Personal Connection That Matters

Take some time today to think about what YOU could do with audio at your site and in your e-mails to increase rapport with your visitors. Then choose at least one tactic to implement this month. It could be the best addition you've made to your online marketing efforts this year.

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at <a target="_new" href="http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/" onMouseover="window.status='http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/'; return true;" onMouseout="window.status=''; return true;">http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/</a>

How to Add Audio to Video

Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.

Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.

It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.

As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.

It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily. Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.

With many video editing packages, however, it isn't necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.

If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.

The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That's it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!

Hans is editor of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.htm">Audio Howto Section </a> of the <a target="_new" href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/">Selected Audio Review Guide</a>

Five Tips to Become a Soundbite Genius

1. Speak in soundbites to everyone.

Getting key phrases for concepts and ideas across clearly is central to all communication. As a fun practice try to shave off any extraneous details during conversation in your everyday life. In Errol Morris' film *Fog of War* former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said, *Never answer the question that is asked. Answer the question you wish were asked.* Begin to train yourself to speak only what you want others to hear. In this way you'll be shaping other's perception of you-which is the essence of good media.

2. Answer the first interview question with your sermonette.

In a 1989 interview on the NPR show Fresh Air veteran TV journalist David Brinkley said, *Everyone of them [his guests] will arrive in the studio with some little sermonette in mind, and determined to deliver it. So one thing I do is first ask them a dull, boring question like, what do you think about this. And let them deliver their little sermonette. And then we get to the hard core of what we're there to talk about.* Your first and last points have the most impact so plan and deliver your sermonettes no matter what you're asked.

3. Frame your ideas for your audience.

Jennifer O'Neil, a film producer and director, explained that when shooting background footage (b-roll) she uses a technique called *grounding.* To *ground* the camera must end definitively on an object or scene that signals the viewer that that segment is over. I suggested to her that she probably also used the opening footage to *ground* or shape the beginning of how she wanted a viewer to perceive the scene. In this way you orient your audience to the scene or the material you want them to focus on.

You can apply the same concept to soundbites. Your opening words set the stage for what you want to convey, your final words signify the close, how you want your audience to remember what you've told them. Use your opening and closing statements to anchor your audience to the information you want them to grasp. That way you shape the way they think about your product, service or cause.

4. Tell people what to do.

I love mystery, but this isn't the place for it. Don't leave your audience guessing. Be forthright about the action you want them to take by letting them know why your product or service is necessary for them to have a complete and happy life now. What gap does what you have to offer fill? Be direct in pointing this out so there is no doubt.

5. Live your words.

Get to the point with clarity and insight. The Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer said of composer Astor Piazzolla's music, *I don't think it's [the music] always about embellishment. I don't think it all can be expressed rightly just gliding on the surface of convenient rhythms. This music can't be in fact performed, it has to be lived. And I always can distinguish if someone is flirting with Piazzolla as a convenient item of our commercial industry or if someone really lives the life or the heartbeat of the music of this great composer.*

It's the same with you and your soundbites. Are you living the heartbeat of what you're saying, what you're representing? If not, we hear your false notes, your commercial intent. If so, we know in an instant when your music is true.

Learn how to use any interview, any time, on any topic, to get your business, book, product or cause the publicity-and fame you long for in this soundbite teleclass. <a href="http://www.prsecrets.com/" target="_new">http://www.prsecrets.com/</a>

Copyright(c) 2004 Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email with a copy of your publication to: <a href="mailto:newslettereditor@prsecrets.com." target="_new">mailto:newslettereditor@prsecrets.com.</a> Thanks!

About The Author

Copyright(c) 2004 Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.

Susan Harrow is a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul* (HarperCollins), *The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah*, and *How You Can Get a 6-Figure Book Advance.* Her clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, millionaires, best-selling authors and successful entrepreneurs who have appeared on Oprah,60 Minutes,NPR, and in TIME,USA Today,Parade, People,O,NY Times,Wall Street Journal,Inc.

<a href="mailto:prsecrets@publicist.com">prsecrets@publicist.com</a>

Why Arent You Using Audio?

As use of the Internet continues to grow geometrically, we see an increased demand for information to be provided by a variety of media. Viewing options can range from simple text to PDF documents to video clips. Unfortunately, each option requires more and more resources and technological know-how. As convergence moves inexorably forward, we have to ask ourselves if there is a practical way to combine the best of this technology and still provide the user with a satisfying Internet experience.

The answer, at this stage of Internet evolution, is audio.

Voice, by itself, provides the means to enhance a user's enjoyment of the Internet. Voice conveys many of the intangibles underlying the written word. A voice can touch the human spirit and deliver a message on its' own merits. Audio can build community and maintain relationships.

Audio is the most mature of the streaming technologies and doesn't have the bandwidth requirements associated with video. Any Internet user connecting at 28.8k or better can enjoy FM quality sound without experiencing buffering and other annoyances that can affect video at lower bit rates.

It is common knowledge that people only retain 20% of what they read, but they do remember 70% of what they see and hear. That fact in itself increases the value of an audio message delivered from a website for the typical user. And, the implications of how audio can increase Internet enjoyment for the handicapped are overwhelming.

Streaming audio provides Internet businesses with unlimited opportunities to reach their audience and to simplify their interactions. Streaming audio broadens a product's appeal and helps to stimulate sales. People are comfortable with audio and have few qualms about using it in their day-to-day lives.

Retailers can integrate audio into their operations in several ways. Use it to enhance product descriptions and deliver product information in ways far more persuasive than plain text. Booksellers can have &quot;special events&quot; that offer audio excerpts from selected titles. Art dealers can use voice to give value added information on an artist or a period of history depicted by an artist's work. (Think of those audio tours that museums offer.)

Organizations that specialize in selling educational tools can use audio clips for potential clients to preview and evaluate the material being offered. The ability to sample the product is a potent and practical selling aid.

Business-to-Business sites and corporate Intranets can also harness the power of audio. The need to provide up-to-the-minute information for employees and customers can be well served with streaming audio and the telephone. Integrating audio into the corporate communications mix is a tool that is easy to use and addresses the need to communicate with a distributed work force.

In both the retail and business-to-business marketplace, audio can and should be used to maintain those all important customer relationships. Voice messages add a personal touch that intrigues the listener and encourages them to remain on the site.

Employee training is greatly enhanced with audio. Use it to orient new employees and keep the information archived on the site for easy reference. Sales training can also be archived and quickly retrieved when needed. The ability to offer customized audio training materials on a 24/7 basis makes streaming audio a very versatile and efficient learning tool.

Some words of caution are also necessary. Audio, just like any other value-added technology, has to be used judiciously. It should be employed for a specific purpose and to enhance the text based message being delivered. Think of your audience and how you'd like them to interact with your website. Keep in mind that your visitor may be coming to your site while they're at their place of business and plan accordingly.

The future of streaming audio is bright and filled with promise. More and more Internet users have become familiar with streaming audio and use it everyday. Internet radio broadcasts are extremely popular and are now being employed as effective advertising vehicles. Audio e-mail messaging is becoming widely available and is being positioned as a practical business tool. Consumers are attaching audio messages to greeting cards and experimenting with Internet telephony. Streaming audio will allow the average Internet user the ability to create content that conveys the power of voice and the emotions that it conveys.

So?why aren't you using audio?

Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging, an Internet company that specializes in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media technology. With her husband, Don, a digital media engineer, they work with companies to incorporate streaming as part of successful and meaningful sales and marketing programs.

Please direct all questions and comments to: <a href="mailto:Ronni@wbcimaging.com">Ronni@wbcimaging.com</a> 520-742-5780 <a target="_new" href="http://www.wbcimaging.com">http://www.wbcimaging.com</a>

How to Create Professional Audio Books from Scratch

My name is Alan Twigg and I'm writing this article to offer advice to anyone thinking of creating their own professional audio books.

In the New Year I came up with the idea of creating professional children's stories and offering them for download on the internet. The thing was, however, while I had someone to write the stories - my mother - and someone to market the stories ? me, I knew nobody who knew about how to record the stories professionally. I knew it must be reasonably easy, since I only wanted to create an audio book containing speech.

I started doing research on Google - but all the articles I found contained so much technical gobbledygook ? I was soon put off. So I went to my local music store for advice on what to buy. I decided to use my computer to create the audio books and this is what I bought:

1 microphone stand

1 pop-screen (that's a piece of material that is placed just in front of the microphone to stop your &quot;Ps&quot; from popping)

1 studio microphone

1 software program (Wavelab)

1 USB Audio/MIDI interface (TASCAM US 122 with phantom power)

1 pair of heaphones

It all came to 650 euros (800) dollars.

I connected my Audio/MIDI interface (this is basically a really good sound card in an external case) to my computer using the USB cable provided. I then set up my microphone and attached the microphone cable to the MIDI interface. After installing the software, I was ready to go.

The results have been great and I find Wavelab software powerful and incredibly easy to use.

Some Audio Book recording tips

I first get my entire copy ready before starting the recording. I pin the sheets of paper with the text that I am going to read in front of me onto the wall. Then, at about 8 inches away from the microphone, I start to talk. The more natural you can be the more interesting you will sound to your listeners. I found that the best thing to do is to stand in front of the microphone and make gestures in the same way as you would when talking to a close friend. If you stand there stiff like a statue, you'll come across in the same way in your recording.

Another thing that I like to do before starting the recording is to get myself into a really good mood. Again, this will add to the impact of your recording. I always listen to a few uplifting songs and get enthusiastic before starting. You should also try to make sure that you keep the same distance from the microphone.

And that's it ? I hope that this article will save you a little bit of time setting up your own home recording studio and I wish lots of success with your audio books.

The author of this article is Alan Twigg. My business is Playtime books, which offers new and contemporary audio books for the 3 to 10-year-old age group. You will find this site at <a target="_new" href="http://www.playtime-books.com">http://www.playtime-books.com</a>.

Dont 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? Just visit <a href="http://www.FlashAudioWizard.com" target="_new">www.FlashAudioWizard.com</a>

Copyright 2004 Nick James

About The Author

Nick James is a UK based direct marketer and product developer. During the last 3 years Nick has sold in excess of ?1 Million of products and services. Subscribe to his Free Tip Of The Week at: <a href="http://www.Nick-James.com" target="_new">www.Nick-James.com</a> New Product: <a href="http://www.FlashAudioWizard.com" target="_new">www.FlashAudioWizard.com</a>.

Add Audio to Your Web Site and Increase Your Sales up to 35%!

Ok, you've got your site built, you have traffic coming to it, a good product at a reasonable price.... hmmm... what else do you need?

What else could increase your conversion rate?

Audio!

All right I know what you're thinking... "Why should I go to all of the trouble of adding audio to my web site?"

Because it can increase your sales by up to 35%!! That's why.

Adding streaming audio it isn't as hard as you have been led to believe and you don't even have to pay a monthly fee either. You can start with sound recorder (Pre-installed on every Windows computer) and the free microphone that came with your computer.

Some of the things you can do with audio to enhance your site are:

* Create audio greetings

* Create audio testimonials

* Narrate tutorials

* Create audio ezines

* Add audio files for your visitors to download

* Create audio articles

* Add your band's music clips as tempting teasers to get buyers

* Read children's stories

* Tell Jokes

* Sing...

* Add music as a background to your web site (Tastefully - please!)

This list goes on and on.

Let's quickly cover a couple of the items on the list and see what the advantages are.

Create Audio Greetings:

Well, I think this one is fun. Don't you often wonder what that "Guru" sounds like? Or even what a web master who has created your favorite web tool or ebook?

Adding an audio greeting is actually about the easiest thing to do if you want to improve your sales. For most web sites, when done tastefully, the sales can jump up to 35%! People just trust you more and feel like they know you a little better if they hear your voice.

Also, excitement is contagious. If you are excited about your product, ezine or membership site you can hear it in your voice when you talk about it. SO CAN YOUR CUSTOMERS! And more importantly, your potential customers.

Audio Testimonials:

What can I say about this compelling reason, but this... what would be more believable to you - a web site with a bunch of written testimonials or a web site where you can hear the actual voices of current / previous purchasers explaining what benefits they got from the product? How do you even know for sure the written testimonials are real?

It's hands down the one with the audio.

All you need is Audacity (Which is free at http://audacity.com) to edit down too long testimonials - actually, is there such a thing as too-long testimonial? Maybe not - and the ability to have customers send you .wav files and a small picture of themselves.

NOTE: You can get a free script from Will Bontrager at http://willmaster.com that will allow you to accept files from your customers OR you can set up a seperate ftp account at your server for customer uploads. See other articles in this series to learn how to implement this.

Piece of cake!

There are a couple of other steps to adding the audio to your site, but I will get to that in other parts of this article series.

Create Audio Ezines:

Have you ever heard Jim Edwards "I Gotta Tell You" ezine? (http://igottatellyou.com) Or watched the multi-media ebook and ezine how-to tutorials in Epublishing Express? (http://epublishing-express.com)

It is so much more compelling to hear someone explain exactly what to do than read a dry ezine (No offense to all the other thousands of ezine writers out there) or ebook (Ditto to you ebook writers) and you learn much faster.

Did you know that you only retain about 10-15% of what you read once? But that retention goes up to 60% if you hear it at the same time and flies up to 80% for a multi-media presentation.

How many fewer customer service calls and emails would you get if you customers were retaining 80% of what you were teaching them? I can tell you... a lot!

Think of all the extra time you would have to promote your business, create new products (Audio and multimedia products of course!) Heck, even spend more time with your family and hobbies.

How much happier would your customers be if they were able to duplicate your success and complete your tutorials, assignments, or follow your direction?

Again - a lot! How many more of your customers would buy other products from you if you were successful in teaching them or helping them with your first product? I think you can see where I am going with this...

So, know that you know how important audio is how do you get started? The first thing you can do is go to http://easy-web-site-audio.com and sign up for the free Audio Tips Ecourse and get a new tip every three days on creative audio uses.

That's a good start :)

Remember those audio testimonials?

Here are some other free resources for all of you ebook and ezine writers to get you started: (Some long links may wrap)

Microsoft: http://microsoft.com (Free)

Additionally you can access lots of free content add-ons, tools, and tutorials when you go straight to the media section on the Microsoft web site.

Find it at Media Player v.9: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.aspx (Free) Here you can upgrade to Media Player 9 (To store all of your audio files you have made in the easy access audio library) which is free.

Media Player 9 is the preferred media player for listening to streaming audio along with Real Player which is also free.

There are a lot of add-ons for the program, especially you want to get the one that converts your MP3s into smaller WMA files and save space on your computer. (It is a free teaser, they will probably try to get you to buy the full Plus! collection, but you don't have to!).

Visit http://www.microsoft.com/plus for more information on the PLUS! product if you think in addition to converting audio you might want to let the kids play around with Media Player too. :)

Remember all that extra family time you are going to have since you won't have hardly any customer service issues?

Real: http://real.com (Free)

Get the Real Audio player basic program which allows you to play Real Audio formatted files. A lot of online content is in this format.

Don't forget if you are adding Real Audio to your web site to get the free "Producer" which converts other types of audio files (> wav and .MP3 for example) into Real Audio files for uploading, streaming, etc.

Producer Basic (Free): http://www.realnetworks.com/products/producer/basic.html

If you want to stream from your computer or server (Warning advanced topic!) you can use the free Helix Server Basic. Helix Server Basic (Free): http://forms.real.com/rnforms/products/servers/eval/mbps.html

Also use the free PresenterOne to add audio and video to your PowerPoint presentations and stream them from your web site! http://www.realnetworks.com/products/presenterone/index.html (main page) and the free version is at:

http://forms.real.com/rnforms/products/tools/presenteronebasic/in dex.html (Approx. 20mb) since it requires Producer (Real Audio product with a free version see above) it includes it in the installation.

So if you are thinking of enhancing your PowerPoint slides and are going to download this, you don't need to download Producer separately.

Shoutcast: http://shoutcast.com (Free)

Start your own radio station for free. And obviously link to it from your web site and broadcast tutorial and educational content on your niche topic. Free to record and free to broadcast.

Live365: http://www.live365.com (Fee)

You can also start your own radio station starting at only $7/month.

Pirate Radio: http://pirateradio.com (Fee)

Purchase software for $29 one-time fee that will having you broadcasting in about 1/2 hour.

Keep your eyes peeled for more audio/video/multi-media related articles in this series. We will be talking about different types of audio files, conducting interviews, recording tutorials, adding audio testimonials to your web site, and more. :)

By the time we're done you will be an audio / video master!

"Techie" Teri Mramer is the busy web master at TreeFree Publishing, The Editor of Epublishing Express- The only ezine that teaches ebook and ezine publishing with screenshots and videos! <a target="_new" href="http://epublishing-express.com">http://Epublishing-Express.com</a> Also author of "Easy Web Site Audio!" The Easy Web Site Audio tutorial! e-Manual comes with 15 how-to videos. Add audio to your web site in about an hour! <a target="_new" href="http://easy-web-site-audio.com">http://Easy-Web-Site-Audio.com</a>