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 "Professional" 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

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 www.FlashAudioWizard.com

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. http://www.prsecrets.com/

CD/DVD Master Preparation Tips

"CD/DVD Master" is the disc you provide to your CD/DVD vendor for replication or duplication of that media. Here are some helpful tips for creating a high quality master:

- Always use high quality media. All media is not the same. Do your research and choose a brand that will produce a high quality disc consistently.

- Avoid burning from a network source. If your source files are on a network drive, copy the files to your local hard drive before burning a disc. If you cannot move the files to your local drive, please use the "Copy To Hard Drive First" feature. Your burning software will create a temporary image file during the burning process. When the burn is complete, the temporary file is deleted.

- Avoid burning on a laptop computer running on battery power. Fluctuations in available power may yield poor results.

- Always "Finalize" your disc. If you use the drag and drop interface that is built into some operating systems (Windows XP), be sure to select "finalize disc". This will increase the "read" compatibility in other CD-ROM drives.

- Don't use packet-writing method to burn master disc. This method is most common with burner drives that have "re-write" capabilities. It is similar to the "drag-and-drop" method described above. This burn method produces discs that cannot be read on many CD-ROM drives. We cannot accept a master that is burned to a ReWritable (CD-/+RW or DVD+RW) disc.

- Avoid impact or movement of the drive during burn. This can cause the laser to skip or jump a track, which will produce errors or a bad disc.

- Use "burn-proof" feature if available. This feature allows the drive to slow down the burn speed in the event the computer cannot supply data fast enough. This can increase the total burn time, but the quality of the disc will be greater.

- Avoid having multiple applications open when burning, especially those that access the internet or network. This can hinder your computer's ability to "feed" data to the burner drive at the proper rate. Poor quality discs and burn rejects could be the result.

There are exceptions and variables to all the statements above. If you have any questions regarding how to burn your master, feel free to contact the author of this article.

Adam Platzer
Spinergy
CD/DVD Replication, Duplication, and Screen Printing
Phone: 800-333-1328
http://www.spinergymedia.com
adam.platzer@spinergymedia.com

7 Ways to Use Website Audio in Your Marketing Arsenal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roger C. Parker knows the secrets to promoting your business one page at a time. Find out the simple way to keep in constant touch with your customers, while saving you time and money. Visit http://www.OnePageNewsletters.com for your three free reports.