How do I create an accessible audio guide?
In this way, you enable barrier-free access to your content and create inclusive delivery.
Around 48% of people have not visited a museum in the last 12 months(click here for the latest study). But how can museums overcome this challenge? One approach is to use audio mediation formats to make museum visits more interactive and exciting. How can we use audio formats to make museum visits an unforgettable experience? What opportunities does acoustic mediation offer us and what challenges do we have to overcome?
We were able to discuss these questions at a panel discussion on audio experiences in museums. The discussion took place with Elisabeth Sprenger (artist) and Lucas Hagin (Audio-Cult) and was moderated by Laura Falletta (curator of Schauplatz Brunngasse).
Building on the audio installation “Eine Welt in Fragmenten” by Elisabeth Sprenger—designed specifically for the Brunngasse venue —we discuss how audio content—from audio guides and sound installations to innovative podcasts—can help people experience art and culture in a new and fascinating way.
At the Brunngasse venue, the focus is on personalized engagement. Here, the curator still personally guides visitors through the exhibition. Since this cannot be maintained permanently due to resource constraints, the audio guide is used as a complementary tool. We recorded the audio guide together with the association’s president—authentic, personal, and approachable (click here for the audio guide).
During the process, we discussed new technical possibilities. From artificial intelligence in museums to augmented reality and beyond. With Wonnder (formerly Audio-Cult), for example, you can create an audio guide using AI. Simply enter a text, and audio is automatically generated using artificial intelligence. It’s also possible to use the same narrator’s voice for different languages. This allows for a copy and translation into a foreign language based on an original recording.
But which approach is right for my museum? Here, it’s worth reflecting on the specific challenges and context. Other questions included:
1️⃣ Cultural participation 🎧
Audio guides make art and culture accessible to everyone by conveying information in an entertaining and understandable way.
2️⃣ Storytelling 📖
Audio guides should not only provide information, but also tell captivating stories that create a deeper connection between visitors and exhibits.
3️⃣ Technology 🌍
Developments in artificial intelligence enable multilingual and personalized audio experiences that facilitate access to historical and cultural content. Whether AR gadgets or trends around AI: it must not just be a gadget. The added value for visitors must always be at the forefront.
4️⃣ Subjectivity and personality 🎨
Audio experiences designed by artists offer new, poetic perspectives and enrich the museum experience with creative stories and immersive sound installations.
5️⃣ Inclusion 💡
Audio and media guides improve accessibility by giving visitors with different needs access to information and multi-sensory experiences .
Audio guides offer a sensual and intuitive entry point for a wide audience. Whether tours for children, adults or experts: access can be created with different levels of depth.
It was exciting to hear how curators and artists look at audio guides. Their personal perspective enriches the mediation and enables new approaches. During the event, insights and experiences on the topic of audio and museums were not only shared and further developed in the expert panel. The exchange was also enriched by an inspiring discussion with the audience (from the fields of archaeology and monument preservation, art history and architecture).
Many thanks to Laura Falletta (curator) and Thomas Gamma (museum director) and the team at Schauplatz Brunngasse for organizing the event. We look forward to working together to expand outreach and develop new formats to inspire the public with the history of Jewish culture in Zurich.
Some background on the location: Around 1330, a Jewish family lived in this house at Brunngasse 8 in Zurich’s Old Town: Minne and her two sons, Moses ben Menachem and Mordechai ben Menachem. The small museum “Schauplatz Brunngasse” aims to give visitors the opportunity to explore the residence, with its magnificent paintings, and learn about its Jewish inhabitants.
The Wonnder audio guide offers a starting point for discovering this fascinating history.
Source: Institute for Museum Research (Kathrin Grotz, Prof. Dr. Patricia Rahemipour)
How are great audio experiences created?
