Create audio guides with AI: a cost-effective solution for museums

Audio guides are an essential part of the modern museum experience, but producing them has traditionally been expensive and time-consuming using conventional solutions. Wonnder (formerly Audio-Cult) simplifies the process. Artificial intelligence (AI) now offers an additional, innovative solution: high-quality text-to-speech technology. In this article, we’ll show you how to use AI to create cost-effective audio guides for your museum.

What was unthinkable or disappointing in terms of quality a few years ago is now indispensable: artificial intelligence. But how is technology changing museums?

An AI-based audio guide uses artificial intelligence to convert text into natural-sounding speech. This allows museums to produce informative and engaging audio guides without the need for a recording studio and professional voice actors. This technology uses advanced algorithms to transform the text into a fluent and understandable audio form.

The use of AI for audio guides offers numerous advantages:

• Cost efficiency: Reduce costs for speakers and production.
  ‍‍
  
• Flexibility: Create and update content quickly and easily.
  ‍
  
• Accessibility: Offer audio guides in different languages.
  

Text-to-speech technology uses algorithms to convert written text into spoken language. The latest technology can mimic intonation and natural speech patterns to ensure a pleasant listening experience. At Wonnder, we use advanced AI to ensure that your audio guides sound clear and professional.

But how exactly do you create an audio guide with artificial intelligence?
You can create high-quality audio files based on text:

• Prepare script: Create or collect the texts that are to be included in the audio guide.
  ‍
  
• Generate audio: With Wonnder, you can convert text directly into audio.
  ‍‍‍
  
• Check content: Listen to the result and make adjustments if necessary.
  ‍‍
  
• Integrate product: Integrate the finished audio guide into your exhibition.
  

Museums with limited budgets can benefit significantly from AI-generated audio guides. Production is faster and cheaper compared to traditional methods, which is particularly beneficial for smaller museums.

Some museums have already successfully implemented AI-based audio guides and use Audio-Cult to make their offerings accessible to a wide audience. For example, the Swiss Architecture Museum has expanded its German-language offering with multilingual audio guides without breaking the budget.

At the Museum für Gestaltung, the original German version was recorded in just 45 minutes with the director and curator - directly on a smartphone. to a variety of mediation methods. This version was optimized using the AI audio filter. The content was then transcribed and generated in English using AI.

Recently, an audio tour with AI was also created in this way in the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen in a very short time. Here, contemporary art is brought into conversation with works of art from past eras. This creates exciting dialogs and perspectives within the "Collection Fever" exhibition.

The use of AI for audio guides makes sense if the following 5 aspects are an issue:

• Limited budget: Your museum only has limited financial resources.
  ‍
  
• Time pressure: you need to create an audio guide quickly and efficiently.
  ‍‍‍‍
  
• Multilingualism: You want to offer audio guides in several languages without incurring high costs for speakers.‍
  ‍
  
• Flexibility: You want to regularly create new content or update existing content.
  ‍
  
• Small museums: You run a small museum that cannot afford expensive, multilingual productions, but still wants to offer high-quality audio guides.‍
  
  

Specifically, there are many museums that use the Audioguide Creator to record a version in their national language and then generate translations using AI.

Museums need effective storytelling. To make these stories accessible, it’s worth investing inaudio and multimedia guides.

The future of audio guides lies in AI technology. It offers museums an affordable, flexible, and high-quality way to enrich their exhibitions and engage visitors. This makes the offerings more inclusive and accessible. With Wonnder, you too can leverage the benefits of AI and create impressive audio guides in multiple languages.