Tour guiding can take a wide variety of different forms depending on the nature of the site. In some cases, it can be enough for a small group to follow one person through a setting, all hanging off the same words throughout the experience. Sometimes, there might be different team members for different parts of the exploration. But in larger sites with more visitor freedom, the audio tour reigns supreme.
Making an audio tour is essential if running a tourist destination that allows visitors to roam freely. This ensures that people can get fascinating insights at their own pace, without the challenges of crowd control or questions being asked in real time. Good audio guide systems translate tour guiding skills into a self-serving format, with a good, engaging script adapted with modern production values and technology.
This article will explore the essentials of audio guide creation in more detail, so you can create the best experience for your guests.
Scriptwriting tips
Public speaking is a common fear which tour audio guides get to sidestep. However, you still need to write the script as effectively as possible. This means creating content that’s designed to be heard, rather than read.
Some tips for keeping this principle in mind include:
- Give visual cues before all facts. If people look to something before you give them information, it anchors the viewer in reality.
- Chunks of information should be between 90 to 120 seconds. If a story is longer, offer optional deep dives, to not stall the physical flow of the crowd.
- Make sure the tone is conversational and active. It should feel as if you’re listening to a knowledgeable friend, rather than a textbook.
Your script is the foundation of any good audio tour experience, so don’t slack on it.
Technical production
Cohesive branding is everything, and the production of the tour audio guide plays a huge role maintaining the image you’ve worked to create. Adding some additional production flourishes will make the entire experience feel more satisfying.
- Little diegetic sound touches, such as train whistles, rustling vegetation or wind, will make the tour feel more engrossing.
- Audio can also be optimised to let ambient noises in, so people still feel anchored in the tour space.
- Different voices can be used to maintain listener interest, such as a narrator, plus characters to engage visitors in different ways.
- Make sure that directions are totally accurate and explicit, to ensure your staff stay on track.
- Including buffer music, such as ambient transition tracks, between stops. This helps to keep dead silence at bay, ensuring the user knows the tour is still going.
Modern audio guide solutions should be immersive and enhanced.
Proper equipment
The most important thing to remember is that your audio tours have to be supported by proper equipment. Audio tour equipment should have great sound quality, while also integrating seamlessly with PC programming or multimedia devices, as well as having great battery life.
If you’re interested in finding the right equipment for your tours, visit TourGuide Systems today. We offer all sorts of devices perfect for elevating guided experiences, as well as having a blog full of guides just like this, to ensure you can maximise the impact of your experiences.