The museum compared to other institutions
How much trust do museums enjoy compared to other organizations? Museum employees should be pleased.
Audio guides are an excellent way to offer visitors a positive experience in the museum. How can you effectively integrate an audio guide into the visitor experience of a museum? For audio guides to be engaging, it is important to adapt the content and structure to the museum experience. We have summarized our learnings from working with 60+ museums: Here are some tips museums can consider when producing audio guides.
Before you start creating an audio guide, it is important to define the target audience precisely and determine the thematic focus; think about which stories you want to emphasize and how these can promote understanding and appreciation of the exhibition.
Determine from which perspective your audio guide should be written. How will the museum audience be addressed in the audio guide? The length of the audio guide tracks should also be carefully planned to ensure that the information is comprehensive without overwhelming visitors. Consider the accessibility of your audio guide by integrating different languages or accessible formats.
Choose content that is not only informative, but also engaging and tells stories that appeal to visitors emotionally. Use original sources, expert interviews and historical context to increase the authenticity and depth of your audio guide content. People remember stories better than abstract facts. This is not just about conveying information, but about storytelling and entertainment.
Consider the use of music and ambient sounds to create an immersive atmosphere that enriches the exhibition. Make sure the content is current and regularly updated to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the audio guide. Integrate interactive elements, such as thought-provoking questions. These allow museum visitors to delve deeper into certain topics and discover the museum.
Divide the guide into individual chapters that last no longer than 1.5 - 2 minutes. Longer chapters impair concentration and should be shortened or divided into several chapters. Focus on the essentials and avoid too many details. Stories and anecdotes are more effective than dry facts. Rule of thumb: About 120 words correspond to about 60 seconds of audio.
You can either create an audio guide script that serves as the basis for the recordings or simply prepare notes and speak freely. Both help to ensure a coherent narrative structure. Experiment with different narration techniques and formats to find out what best suits your museum and the works on display.
Ten years ago, the audio guide would have been made accessible with expensive rental devices or apps. With modern technology, both are no longer necessary. Web apps allow visitors to access the guide directly without downloads - a QR code scan is all it takes and the audio experience begins.
Even nationwide WLAN is not mandatory. All you need to do is provide a Wi-Fi hotspot or mobile phone reception at the entrance. The tour is automatically preloaded when the first QR code is scanned.
On the other hand, it must also be easy for the museum to create new audio guide content and adapt it on an ongoing basis. Smart analysis tools can be used to analyze how museum visitors use the audio guide and which areas of the exhibition are particularly popular (and all this with data protection-friendly tracking tools). This makes it easier for you to create an audio guide for museums.
To ensure the best possible sound quality for your audio guide recordings, there are a few steps you should follow. Here are some basic tips for your audio guide: You can achieve excellent results in a quiet room free of background noise (such as traffic, loud ventilation, air conditioning, or other distracting sounds). Choose a room with minimal reverberation or echo. A room with carpet, curtains, or furniture can reduce reverberation.
You have two options: Either work with professional voice actors, or record the guide yourself. If you’re recording yourself: Choose your preferred recording app. For this, the pre-installed Voice Memos app (iOS) or Voice Recorder (Android) works well. On an iPhone using the Voice Memos app, to save the file, tap the three small dots (top right) and then select “Save to Files.”
We recommend the following for recording: Position your smartphone at a consistent distance. We recommend a distance of about 20–25 centimeters (this reduces breathing sounds). If possible, mount the smartphone or place it on a stable surface (e.g., a stack of books). You can use smart tools to edit audio and improve audio quality. Use the AI filter from Wonnder (formerly Audio-Cult) to reduce background noise. This allows you to improve audio quality and ensure consistent volume.
Test the audio guide thoroughly before making it publicly available to identify any technical glitches or content errors. Consider how the audio guide can best be integrated into the overall museum experience, for example through clearly visible QR codes and signage.
For example, QR codes can be automatically generated using Wonnder (for each object as well as the entire tour). To pique the audience’s curiosity, it’s worth placing questions or information next to the QR code that spark interest. At the entrance, a larger poster (A3 or larger) is recommended to draw people’s attention to the audio guide offering. Also in the exhibition space: When a specific work, object, or room is being described, QR codes placed directly on-site are helpful.
Actively inform visitors about the availability of the audio guide. On the one hand, on-site through a notice from staff; on the other hand, via your website and social media. Offer training for staff so they can effectively assist visitors in accessing and using the audio guide.
Implement a simple and intuitive way for visitors to provide feedback directly through the audio guide web app. With Wonnder, this can be done, for example, through a simple rating system and comment fields.
Analyze the audio guide’s usage data to understand which sections are listened to most frequently and where visitors might be dropping off early. This data can reveal which content is particularly engaging or where improvements might be needed.
Check the audio guide’s content for up-to-date information. With Wonnder’s Audio Guide Creator, you can make changes to the museum guide flexibly and independently. This way, you can ensure that the audio guide remains current and engaging.
By applying the methods discussed here - from careful planning and selection of content to integration and continuous improvement through feedback - you can develop an audio guide that not only informs and entertains, but also significantly increases the satisfaction of your visitors.
Take the opportunity to complement your museum with a well-designed audio guide with an exciting offer.
How are great audio experiences created?
