Adding Voice to Your Site

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Have you ever wanted to add recordings of your voice to enhance your Web site? If so, you?re in luck. Read on.
By Stephen M. Canale

RISMEDIA, July 3 – Have you ever thought that adding recordings of your voice could enhance your Web site? If so, then you?ll be pleased to learn just how easy it can be to implement this technology, if you have the right tools.

Why Record Your Voice

If you?re not sure about whether or not you should consider adding voice content to your site, then just ask yourself if you believe that your Web site would be enhanced by:

- Voice-over narration for each of your listings

- A personal introduction of yourself and your services

- Detailed explanations regarding the buying and selling process

If you would like to pursue the use of such technology, then there are just three technologies to consider.

What You Need

Before going any further, you’ll first need to contact your Web site?s host to find out if they allow you to offer “streaming media” and, if so, which formats they support.

Generally speaking, there are two dominant streaming-media formats, Microsoft?s and Real Media?s. Most Web site hosts support one or the other, though a few will allow both.

As long as your host can support one of these formats, then all you need is software to record and edit your narration, and additionally, software that will allow you to upload these files to your host?s servers.

When it comes to uploading your voice recordings, stick with whatever software your Web site host suggests, as this will generally ensure compatibility with their servers.

Alternatively, if you have a professional Web master managing your site, then you need not worry about the uploading and installing of your recordings, as he or she can manage this process for you.

Recording & Editing

In regard to the actual software that you?ll use to record and edit your messages, it?s hard to beat Cool Edit 2000 from Syntrillium software. While they offer even more advanced versions of their program, for just $69 Cool Edit 2000 is the best value, and offers all the tools you?ll need for creating voice recordings for your Web site.

Not only will Cool Edit 2000 support the two dominant formats for streaming media from your Web site, it will also enable you to save your work in formats that are appropriate for distribution on CD-ROM, if you care to include these into your marketing efforts.

While such endeavors as the recording and editing of streaming media are clearly a bit more “techie” than the average agent might care to explore, the graphical nature of the Cool Edit program interface is likely as simple as the process can be made.

While some learning of new terminology and techniques is required, for the most part you can simple record your narration through a microphone connected to your computer, and then use standard Windows functions (copy, delete and paste) to arrange and edit your work into a finished product.

The beauty of this process is that you do not need to be a professional speaker or announcer to create professional sounding recordings. Instead of attempting to record your messages flawlessly, and in one take, you can simply ramble on endlessly, and then remove mispronunciations, uncomfortable pauses, and all of the other flaws that you?re likely to make along the way.

If you know how to highlight with your mouse, and understand the concepts behind the Window?s “cut, copy and paste” commands, then you already have the basic skills necessary to create professional quality voice narration with Cool Edit 2000.

For more information on Cool Edit 2000, (and a free 30-day trial download) visit http://www.syntrillium.com

Stephen M. Canale, CRB, CRS, GRI, RAM, is a speaker, trainer and author.

E-mail him at Stephen@Canale.com

Register for “Canale Calc: Financial Software for the Palm” or for “Canale?s Tips & Tricks” at http://www.Canale.com

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