Why audio still has the biggest impact in the 'digital age'

• Oct 29, 2020

I’ve been working in the cultural sector for about 15 years, more specifically in the field of audio guides, and have spent the last seven years working at Guide-ID. When I first entered this industry, it was about the time when multimedia tours came on the scene. This type of tour quickly gained popularity, especially at the major museums. Many institutions started to focus on these multimedia tours. After all, you want to keep up with what the public wants. Now, a while later, we’re seeing that more and more museums are switching back to audio-only tours. Why is that? Well, because audio is often the best way to tell your story.

Storytelling

I’ve always been fascinated by stories, especially telling or listening to them. As a little girl, I listened to the radio non-stop and would be on the edge of my seat when my mother was telling me a story. I’m still fascinated even now.

You can really make a difference by telling your story. You’re offering content: in the story you have to tell, and how you want to tell it. But you need to choose the media that best fits this story – not the other way around. And in many cases, audio really is the best option. The freedom from distraction, coupled with the power of the story, are both ingredients for the ultimate experience.

Just look at the gigantic rise and popularity of podcasts. Though people may be reading much less nowadays, they’re listening a lot more. Why wouldn’t you respond to this trend? We all know how fantastic it is to listen to a good story or interview in the car or on the train.

The power of audio

Ask yourself this: who was your favorite teacher at high school? When I ask this question, the answer I get from lots of people clearly shows that their favorite teacher was the one who could tell fantastic stories. You were on the edge of your seat and genuinely interested in what he or she had to say.
This clearly demonstrates the power of storytelling, as well as the ways people learn most effectively. If you’re interested in a story, it sticks in your mind. This effect is closely linked to how the story is told and whether you’re fully immersed in it, free of distraction. Audio-only tours are the ultimate way to provide this option.

A woman listening to an audio guide in a museum with paintings on the wall and white lines flowing through the photo

You also absorb knowledge differently when it’s ‘told’ to you. My first beginnings in audio tours coincided with a tour narrated by Jeroen Krabbé, developed specifically for the Philips Wing in the Rijksmuseum during its major renovation. For me, this was one of the first times I really felt the power of audio in an audio tour.

We’re going back to around 2005 or 2006, I think. In the Netherlands, Jeroen is known as being the ultimate storyteller. The recordings for this tour were made while Jeroen himself was walking through the museum, so you can sometimes even hear his footsteps in the audio. As he stops at Rembrandt’s Sampling Officials, one of his famous group portraits, he said that the canvas had been hung too low: if you want to experience the true power of the painting, you have to kneel and look at it from that height. The great thing was that you suddenly saw lots of people kneeling as they listened to this tour. They probably wouldn’t have done that so readily if this instruction had only been written on the information board!

Inclusiveness

Audio tours can help museums or cultural institutions offer a more inclusive experience. Whether you’re old, young, with a disability, or visually impaired – anyone can listen to a story. At Guide-ID we offer an audio player (our Podcatcher) where there are no confusing buttons for the older target group and no distractions for young visitors. The only group of people we can’t serve effectively with this type of tour are deaf or hearing-impaired people, who would benefit from a multimedia tour with written text and images. However, omitting the audio means this is an incomplete alternative, which is why it’s better to offer a special tour (e.g. with sign language). Of course, this tour should be offered in cooperation with deaf or hearing-impaired people themselves, or with the organizations acting on their behalf.

We – and by that I mean Guide-ID – are currently looking into whether we can use our app to serve this group of people, so that we can properly provide information to everyone who wants to visit a museum or attraction. Or better yet: so that everyone can ‘hear’ the wonderful stories the world has to offer.

Tips

Would you like to experience the power of audio for yourself?
There are so many fantastic tours out there! One of my favorites is the tour of Muiden Castle (Muiderslot) and its gardens, which you can listen to here via the mobile-friendly website. Dream away and immerse yourself in the Middle Ages or the seventeenth century.

If you want to create your own audio-only tour, please get in touch with me directly. We’ll find the best solution for your specific need.