Written vs. Audio Marketing?

--> Written vs. Audio Marketing?

Written vs. Audio Marketing?
by Jeremy Gossman

Are you ready for some interesting figures?

* People remember only 10% of what they read

* People remember only 20% of what they hear

* But people remember 50% of what they both read
and hear!

** And it is found that audio increases the web site
viewers attention span by 45%

** Almost 80% of web users have audio!!!!!!

These figures reflect the necessity of having audio on
your website. There are 3 basic components to
recording audio:

1.) A Recording Program
2.) A Uni-Directional Microphone
3.) A Code that will call on your audio

Today, you will learn about the recording program. In
order to record your voice or the sounds you desire,
you must have a program that can do the job....

Total Recorder and Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge Studio
6.0 are 2 programs that come highly recommended.

To Find out more about these programs check out the
links provided below:

http://www.totalrecorder.com
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/main.asp

*Please note that there are several products at the
Sonic Foundry website but for your recording purposes
the Sound Forge Studio 6.0 will do the job and comes
at a reasonable price.

#2, a uni-directional microphone.
A terrific uni-directional microphone can be found at
Radio Shack.

http://www.radioshack.com

Once you get there, you will want to do a search for
Uni-Directional Microphone.

*Or you could always go by your local Radio Shack or
electronics store.

With the use of the a program such as Total Recorder or
Sound Forge Studio 6.0 and a microphone, you can start
the recording process!

Now all that's left is step #3, a code that will call on
your audio! This can be found at:
http://www.audioplayerpro.com

**************************************************
6 Week Advanced Instant Internet Profit Program
http://www.acceleratedinternetprofits.com
**************************************************

copyright 2003
Jeremy Gossman

Internet Marketer and Consultant from Texas. Has Collaborated on several successful online projects. Most current is: http://www.acceleratedinternetprofits.com

Why you can't do without a car audio crossover.

--> Why you can't do without a car audio crossover. I've heard the question asked many times before, 'Do I really need a crossover?' Without wasting any time I quickly answer, 'Yes you do'. Whether it's a passive crossover or an active crossover, your car audio system will never sound good without a crossover. I want to make myself very clear here, so before you get confused let's talk about what a car audio crossover is and why you need one.

A crossover is a filtering device which limits the frequencies that reach a speaker. It splits a music signal into separate frequency ranges and sends them to speakers that are designed to best reproduce each frequency range. For instance, only high frequencies would be sent to your tweeters, midrange to your mid range speakers, and lows to your subwoofer.

The passive crossover is very common. It's basically a capacitor or coil installed on the speaker leads between amplifier and speaker that stops certain frequencies from reaching a speaker. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

But for your car stereo system to perform better and be efficient, you need an active crossover, also referred to as an electronic crossover. It is installed between your head unit or equalizer and your amplifiers. Your electronic crossover sends the proper frequency ranges to each amplifier. Some people run three separate amps: one for bass, one for mids and the other for highs.

Active crossovers are almost infinitely adjustable. You can vary the crossover points and adjust the level of separate speakers to achieve the best overall sound in your vehicle.

If you're serious about sound you must have a car audio crossover. Otherwise your system will sound terrible. Oh what a mess it will be when your subwoofer and mid-range speakers duplicate many of the same frequencies! How about when your mid-range speaker attempts to put out high notes that your tweeters are supposed to handle. Can you bear such grief? I can't.

And this is just the beginning of your sorrow and pain. Since low frequencies are being sent to your tweeters there will be distortion. As a result of this distortion your tweeters will be destroyed. Loud bass will eventually destroy your mid-range speakers as well. Now you've got to start from scratch and buy a new set of speakers, all because you started on the wrong footing.

Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of Car Stereos Guide.com. A resource for information and tips on buying car stereo and audio products online.

Why you can't do without a car audio capacitor.

--> Why you can't do without a car audio capacitor. I've heard the question asked many times before, 'Do I really need a capacitor?' Before answering that question I ask, 'Do you have a high powered system?' 'Does it require sudden power bursts?' 'Is your amplifier being robbed of power?' If the answers to my questions are yes, make every effort to connect a capacitor to your car audio system.

A capacitor is a bit similar to your car battery; it stores electrical energy. But unlike a battery it doesn't produce its own power, it simply stores it. A car audio capacitor will help you get the most from your amplifier. It will store power for release on demand, delivering it to your amplifier just when it's needed.

Your car amplifier requires a lot of power to play loud music, especially when there's lots of heavy bass. Without a capacitor your amplifier will be robbed of power by parts like your lights, engine, and air conditioner.

So what happens when your car audio amplifier doesn't receive enough power?

A common occurrence is dimming lights. In such a situation the light will follow the beat of the music. The light will dim each time a heavy bass note sounds. If you were to turn off the lights, your car stereo system would suddenly sound louder and the music would be cleaner.

Your amplifier is simply trying to use more energy than the electrical system can supply. If a capacitor had been present there would have been enough energy to power your amp. That electrical energy would have already been stored.

When you want to reduce headlight dimming, improve bass response, and increase the power of your amp, a stiffening capacitor is a must. Equipped with capacitor and an adequate power supply, your system will get every bit of current it needs. Voltage drops will be a thing of the past.

With so many brands available online, it's easy to find a capacitor that meets your needs. You can choose from popular brands like Phoenix-Digital, Blitz-Audio, Kole-Audio, Pyramid, SoundStorm, Lanzar, Power-Acoustik, Pyle, Legacy, Nitro-BMW, SPL, and Volfenhag. No longer will your car amplifier be hungry for power.

Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of Car Stereos Guide.com. A resource for information and tips on buying car stereo and audio products online.

Why Aren't You Using Audio?

--> Why Aren't You Using Audio? Why Aren't You Using Audio?

By

Ronni Rhodes

As use of the Internet continues to grow geometrically, we see an increased demand for information to be provided by a variety of media. Viewing options can range from simple text to PDF documents to video clips. Unfortunately, each option requires more and more resources and technological know-how. As convergence moves inexorably forward, we have to ask ourselves if there is a practical way to combine the best of this technology and still provide the user with a satisfying Internet experience.

The answer, at this stage of Internet evolution, is audio.

Voice, by itself, provides the means to enhance a user's enjoyment of the Internet. Voice conveys many of the intangibles underlying the written word. A voice can touch the human spirit and deliver a message on its' own merits. Audio can build community and maintain relationships.

Audio is the most mature of the streaming technologies and doesn't have the bandwidth requirements associated with video. Any Internet user connecting at 28.8k or better can enjoy FM quality sound without experiencing buffering and other annoyances that can affect video at lower bit rates.

It is common knowledge that people only retain 20% of what they read, but they do remember 70% of what they see and hear. That fact in itself increases the value of an audio message delivered from a website for the typical user. And, the implications of how audio can increase Internet enjoyment for the handicapped are overwhelming.

Streaming audio provides Internet businesses with unlimited opportunities to reach their audience and to simplify their interactions. Streaming audio broadens a product's appeal and helps to stimulate sales. People are comfortable with audio and have few qualms about using it in their day-to-day lives.

Retailers can integrate audio into their operations in several ways. Use it to enhance product descriptions and deliver product information in ways far more persuasive than plain text. Booksellers can have "special events" that offer audio excerpts from selected titles. Art dealers can use voice to give value added information on an artist or a period of history depicted by an artist's work. (Think of those audio tours that museums offer.)

Organizations that specialize in selling educational tools can use audio clips for potential clients to preview and evaluate the material being offered. The ability to sample the product is a potent and practical selling aid.

Business-to-Business sites and corporate Intranets can also harness the power of audio. The need to provide up-to-the-minute information for employees and customers can be well served with streaming audio and the telephone. Integrating audio into the corporate communications mix is a tool that is easy to use and addresses the need to communicate with a distributed work force.

In both the retail and business-to-business marketplace, audio can and should be used to maintain those all important customer relationships. Voice messages add a personal touch that intrigues the listener and encourages them to remain on the site.

Employee training is greatly enhanced with audio. Use it to orient new employees and keep the information archived on the site for easy reference. Sales training can also be archived and quickly retrieved when needed. The ability to offer customized audio training materials on a 24/7 basis makes streaming audio a very versatile and efficient learning tool.

Some words of caution are also necessary. Audio, just like any other value-added technology, has to be used judiciously. It should be employed for a specific purpose and to enhance the text based message being delivered. Think of your audience and how you'd like them to interact with your website. Keep in mind that your visitor may be coming to your site while they're at their place of business and plan accordingly.

The future of streaming audio is bright and filled with promise. More and more Internet users have become familiar with streaming audio and use it everyday. Internet radio broadcasts are extremely popular and are now being employed as effective advertising vehicles. Audio e-mail messaging is becoming widely available and is being positioned as a practical business tool. Consumers are attaching audio messages to greeting cards and experimenting with Internet telephony. Streaming audio will allow the average Internet user the ability to create content that conveys the power of voice and the emotions that it conveys.

So...why aren't you using audio?

Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging, an Internet company that specializes in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media technology. With her husband, Don, a digital media engineer, they work with companies to incorporate streaming as part of successful and meaningful sales and marketing programs.

Please direct all questions and comments to:
Ronni@wbcimaging.com
520-742-5780
http://www.wbcimaging.com

What is DVD Audio?

--> What is DVD Audio? DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music. In order to play back DVD Audio discs, players have to be specially designed to support the format. So far, consumer electronics manufacturers have announced a range of DVD Audio players, including home decks, portable players and devies for cars.

DVD Audio has a sampling rate of up to 192kHz compared to a maximum of 44.1kHz for CD. It also supports resolutions of up to 24 bits, compared to 16bits on CD.

The idea behind DVD Audio is that it alllows peoducesr to give listeners a playback experience that is much more faithful to the original master recording that has been possible previously.

DVD Audio discs have a much higher capacity than CDs. This extra space can be used to provide audio at the highest possible quality or for longer recordings, or to provide additional material, such as infromation on the artist, photos and even video, all of which can be displaye don a television screen. Alternatively, DVD Audio discs currently on the market from the likes of the Warner group of labels have the audio content in both DVD Audio format and as Dolby Digital surround so that they can be played back on regular DVD players.

DVD Audio discs are navigable in the same way as DVD Video when polayed back on a player connected to a TV set. Users can select the required track from an on-screen menu and with an internet connection, can click on links to go to websites.

These dual format discs are a good way to kick-start the market while DVD Audio players are still relativley rare. The market will also be helped by combined DVD Video and Audio players.

What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing.

--> What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing. Stand next to any road, and every so often a young person will go by with the latest rap CD blaring. If it happens to be a cold day, he (it is always a he) may have the windows up. Then, all you will hear is the thud of the overworked bass speaker in the back. After he turns 30, the young driver probably won't even be able to hear that, if he continues this unwarranted assault on his ears.

That big bass bin can't handle the vocal sounds, and the front speakers would melt if they had all those thumps going through them. So the car audio separates out the various frequencies using filters, sending only the bass to the big bins in the back, and only the higher and more delicate sounds to the little speakers at the front. Both, and especially the bass, are then amplified so they are audible in the next county.

Marketers have borrowed the same terminology as a way of looking at how their business treats its customers. Marketing graduates will often talk about 'Filters' and 'Amplifiers' almost as if they actually understood them.
Filters

A filter in marketing speak is anything which prevents your customer from doing business with you. Some filters are 'natural' - if you provide personal training services for example all of your clients will need to be within easy reach. This natural, geographic filter means that you are unlikely to sell to someone in another country.

Others are contructed. Mercedes Benz dealers the world over have large, bright, glassy establishments. They tend to intimidate anyone who can't afford the prices, acting as a natural, probably intentional, filter.

Filters can also be fairly subtle. If you send out a mailing by post, research shows many are discarded without even being opened. If you have a leaflet delivered, the 'open an envelope' filter is removed, so people can't help reading it, even while they are trying to throw it away.
Amplifiers

An amplifier is anything which increases the ease of doing business with you. Any business which decides to take payment via credit cards, for example, will find the number of people who can do business with them is amplified compared to when only cash was acceptable.

Marketers probably won't admit it, but filters and amplifiers are opposites of the same thing. Removing a filter has an amplifying effect, and vice versa.

I insured my car the other day over the Internet. The first few sites I tried only supported Internet Explorer. That, at least to me, is a filter and I went somewhere a little more Firefox friendly!

Many corporate web sites insist you provide a lot of information before they will send you that 'free' White Paper you are interested in. No doubt that information is required by someone in the business, but it filters out a lot of otherwise interested people who simply won't take the time to fill out the form and inevitably receive all the sales calls afterwards. After all, they can't be sure they're even a prospect before they read the White Paper!

Apple has potentially filtered out a large portion of their target market for iTunes by only accepting credit cards. Most under 18s won't have a credit card, and they are the major buyers of chart music. The 'Music Store Card' is an attempt to turn this filter into an amplifier.
What Filters and Amplifiers Mean to Your Marketing

Importantly, this way of thinking allows you to look at all of your marketing, online and offline, in a critical way to improve your response rates and your sales. Every time you look at any aspect of your business, ask yourself if this filters out customers you want to serve, or if you can amplify the target market by improving the process.

Perhaps you could send postcards or use leaflets instead of putting brochures in envelopes. Don't insist on a customer's life history before you will allow them to buy from you. Make your web site informative and easy to use, rather than slick, 'cutting edge' and hard to understand. If you are providing services, make it clear on your site where you are and the distance you will travel. Use local town and county names as keywords to filter out people who will never be able to buy from you, but to amplify the chance of attracting locals.

If you do this consistently, over time you will get your filters and amplifiers to attract profitable customers to you, not send them away to your competitors, never to return. With more than 30 years in the IT industry, Mike Street is now director of FastComm (www.fastcomm.net) which specialises in information and tools to help increase sales, including Airlook Mobile Email software, the Eye Catcher Video Phone and the online Contact Management system, FastCRM. He is also webmaster of his wife's Health and Beauty site Zenergie (www.zenergie.co.uk)

What You Need to Know About Using Audio on Your Web Site

--> What You Need to Know About Using Audio on Your Web Site

What You Need to Know About Using Audio on Your Web Site
http://www.medrocket.com/tools/articles/article090501_01.html

By Kevin P. Richardson
Healthcare Internet Marketing Consultant

Millions of people are listening to audio on the Web every day. They're not just teens downloading MP3 audio clips of their favorite songs, either.

Maybe you're among them. They're people at home and work listening to on-demand audio on topics running the gamut from financial advice to relationships to technology to entertainment. And yes -- they're even tuning in to health and wellness topics.

With so many health sites on the Web, using audio well can set your site apart from the pack. Audio also can be a powerful way to attract site visitors and keep them coming back. It's considered "sticky," meaning visitors will come to listen to your audio and stay around a while. Audio players are plentiful and best of all they're usually free to download.

The only way to determine if audio works for you and your Web site is to get the creative juices flowing and try it.

Testing 1,2,3 -- How Should We Use Audio?

Your site can feature audio versions of popular health education articles, health seminars, news updates, descriptions of medical procedures, special health product offers, and patient testimonials.

Adding an audio greeting to site visitors lends a personal touch to your site and humanizes the user experience. (For an idea check out the greeting on the MedRocket home page at http://www.medrocket.com.)

Audio features are also a good way to make your site more accessible to visually impaired web surfers. The possibilities are almost endless. You can even include the audio links in email messages.

Delivering the Goods -- Streaming Audio

In the olden days of the Web the quality of audio was pitiful. It was just barely passable AM-radio quality. More recently though, Web visitors can hear very good quality audio even over relatively slow Internet connections (28.8 Kbs).

Audio quality isn't the issue that it once was and the choice of content delivery now comes in two basic flavors -- streaming audio and downloadable audio.

As the name implies, streaming audio sends the audio data from a server to the user's browser in a more or less continual stream. This is good because it lets people listen to the audio as it arrives without waiting for the entire audio file to download.

Pick Your Favorite Format

In the streaming audio arena, RealPlayer from RealNetworks claims roughly 90% of the market. The other common streaming formats are Windows Media Audio and Shockwave audio. Recently even MP3 files can be streamed, which has excellent quality audio though usually requires higher connection speeds.

Conversely, downloadable audio usually requires the entire MP3 or WAV file to download before it can be played on the user's computer. The up side of this method is that the audio can be much higher quality -- near CD quality, if you will -- than is possible from streaming media over a slower Internet connection. It is possible now to stream MP3 files.

Generally, I recommend using streaming audio for most uses, unless you want to provide your Web visitors with a high-quality audio presentation that they can download to their computer and listen to at their leisure without an Internet connection. MP3 files can also be loaded into portable digital audio players and some PDAs.

Cue Talent -- Creating Your Audio Content

Once you've decided on the purpose and focus of your audio content, you're ready to begin the process of creating a script, recording, converting to digital format, and delivering the files.

If you decide to create the audio files on your own, here's the basic sequence of events that will take place:

Scripting --
Prepare a script for narration. Unless you're simply providing a verbatim audio version of an existing text or HTML document, you should write the script in a conversational tone. Remember to write for the ear and not the eye. Some words and phrases look fine on paper but sound muddy (even slurred) when spoken aloud. Read your script aloud before you have it narrated. Make sure it sounds natural.

Record the Narration --
You can either record right into the computer or record to a high-quality analog or digital recorder and then transfer the recording to the computer. The two crucial elements at this stage are the quality of the narration and the quality of the microphone.

Professional voice talent knows how to control their voice and deliver the script with feeling. You might be able to have an on-air personality at a local radio station record the script for you for a reasonable fee. Otherwise, find someone with a great voice in your organization or track down a professional. As for the microphone, the little one that came with your computer won't sound nearly as good as a studio microphone. Use the best microphone you can find.

Digitize the Audio --
Whether you record the narration directly into the computer or onto audiotape first, at some point you'll have to get the audio into the computer. Most late-model computers have the capability to digitize audio. Record the audio at the highest quality possible; 16-bit audio at 44.1 kHz is the common setting.

Recording simple sounds on your computer is fairly simple. However making a good-quality recording suitable for broadcast on the Internet is more challenging. The only way to determine if your equipment and technique are up to the task is to record a test and listen to how it sounds streaming from a server.

Adjust Audio Quality --
Once the audio is on your hard drive you should open the file in an audio-editing program like CoolEdit. Check Downloads.com http://download.cnet.com for other freeware and shareware packages. Crop the narration to cut extra silence at the start and end. Then adjust the equalization levels (cut 100 Hz and lower and boost between 1 and 4 Khz). Then normalize the audio track, which optimizes the loudness of the recording in relation to the loudest segment. Other adjustments in compression and noise reduction can also be made at this time. Save as a WAV or AIFF audio file.

Encode the File --
Decide how you'll be delivering the final audio file. If you are using Real Audio, then you need to use the Real Encoder (http://www.real.com) to transform (encode) your WAV audio file to a Real Audio (RA) file. For Windows Media Audio, you'll need to use the Windows Media Encoder (http://www.windowsmedia.com) to create a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file.

Upload to the Server --
After you've successfully encoded the audio, upload it to your Web server using an FTP program. Depending upon the number of people who might access your audio file at a time, you may need to place your audio files on a special server, such as a Real Audio server. For testing however, a basic Web server should work fine.

Create Links --
Add a link to your test audio file on a simple test HTML page. Click on the link and see how it sounds.

Seems like a lot to do, I know. If you don't feel comfortable with digitizing audio, resolution, sampling rates, file format, compression rates, and other nuances of audio production, don't despair. Let's look at a few audio production alternatives.

Ready, Roll Tape. -- Your Production Options

There are several ways to add an audio health experience to your health site. You'll need to consider your expertise, available time, and budget to determine the best solution for your situation.

They range from a do-it-yourself approach to total outsourcing to licensing audio health content. Here's a run-down of some of the possible solutions.

D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself):

If you, or someone at your organization, has the necessary skills, your could create, produce, and deliver the content yourself. Most marketing teams don't have the resources available for this route, but it gives you the greatest control. Recording audio on your PC has become so easy that it's worth looking into.

Script and Outsource:

You could develop and script the content on your own, and then outsource the narration, recording, audio encoding, and delivery. This allows you to take advantage of the writing skills of your marketing staff and hand off the more technical details to other professionals. Just remember that writing for the ear is different than writing for the eye.

Outsource Everything:

If you're used to working with advertising and public relations-type agencies, then you'd probably be comfortable with outsourcing to an audio house for scripting and creating professionally produced audio content. Just be sure your project management expertise and budget are up to the task.

License Audio Content:

You can also license free or fee-based audio health content for use on your site. In many cases the licensing also allows you to link to the files on the content provider's site, which saves you from dealing with most of the technology issues and allows you to get up and running quickly.

How Are Your Ratings?

Now let's say you've included a few audio tests on your Web site for a month or longer. What kind of feedback have you received? What do your server logs tell you about the number of hits your audio features have received? Are more people bookmarking your site?

If Web visitors liked what they heard, and your content is fresh and interesting, they probably bookmarked your site and will return for another listen -- sort of like setting their car radio presets to a favorite station.

You CAN use audio to improve your "ratings" and keep Web visitors coming back. The longer they are at your site, the greater the chance you have of communicating key messages, selling products, raising awareness, and pursuing other important marketing and public relations objectives. Done well and used creatively, audio could be another secret weapon in your online marketing toolbox.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Kevin Richardson is a healthcare marketing consultant, executive coach, and writer who provides fresh perspectives and expertise about online healthcare marketing. Sign up for his FREE "MedRocket Ezine" newsletter and discover how to profitably attract and serve healthcare consumers online. Subscribe at http://www.medrocket.com .

What The Muscle Power of Audio Can Do for Your Site.

--> What The Muscle Power of Audio Can Do for Your Site.

How Audio can Influence Sales

Audio can enhance your website by letting your visitor listen to your voice, which is the next closest form of marketing besides a face to face meeting.

Who can use Audio?

Anyone can use audio, it all depends how knowledgeable you are when it comes to designing your site. For those that need help there are plenty of tutorials on how to place audio on your site all over the internet.

Audio and Affiliate Programs-Cause a ripple effect.

One commonly used strategy is to have audio reviews of the different affiliate programs you are associated with.

Find a product that pays a decent commission, write up a review of the product that you are promoting, use your written review as a script. Record the script in either .mp3 or .wav file. Upload the sound file, the website, and your done!

Audio can Increase Conversion Rates

If you are going to use audio clips for the affiliate programs you've chosen to promote, you may very well find that using audio can definitely increase your conversion ratio.

Keep your Audio file as small as possible. One important part for you to keep in mind is the size of your sound file, if the file is to large it will take "forever" to download and the majority of web surfers are impatient. Try and keep your audio review to 60 seconds or under. This should allow your webpage and sound file to download at the same time.

Keep in mind that you can place an audio clip on your site or inside an ebook, some people like audio some don't.

How Audio helps the visually impaired.

It all depends on your preferences, one benefit of using audio on your site is to accomodate the visually impaired.

Audio-Learn one step at a time.

Granted, creating an audio clip may seem a little confusing at first because you have to get familiar with the software you've chosen to use. But like most other tasks in life, practice makes perfect.

Audio-How is the file activated?

There are a couple of ways in which your visitor can activate the audio on your site. One is by clicking on a link, the other involves placing a small amount of code on your site that automatically downloads everytime you get a visitor to the page you've placed the audio clip on.

Audio-How about pop-up's and popunders?

You can also create pop-up's or pop-unders with an audio clip that downloads as the pop-up or pop-under window activates when your visitor goes to exit your site. An example of this would be to use your clip to encourage sign-up's for your ezine.

Audio-Where can you get tutored on this subject?

There are many tutorials on the net that teach people how to create pop-up's or pop-under's, there are also software programs that make the creation process a whole lot easier. There are also plenty of audio recording software programs out there, some are fr**, others cost money.

Final Comments:

By no means am I encouraging you to place audio on every page of your site, leave some pages as just plain text, others with text and a picture, and then text, picture and audio. What works for me may not necessarily work for you, but it never hurts to test. You won't know until you try.

Good luck,

Brian.

Brian Holte is a freelance writer who owns www.theebookking.com He publishes a monthly ezine covering topics related to creating ebooks, he shows you what works for him in hopes of helping you.

publish1@telus.net

Water-Stocks.com Presents Online Audio Interview with Willia

--> Water-Stocks.com Presents Online Audio Interview with Willia
Water-Stocks.com Presents Online Audio Interview with William Brennan, Senior Water Portfolio Manager, discussing the Water Industry and its Global Influences Including China's growth and Homeland Security.

"As a sector performance water has consistently outperformed every sector in the stock market over the last 15 years."

POINT ROBERTS, Wash., August 17th, 2005 - www.Water-Stocks.com (WS), an investor and industry news portal for the water sector, presents an online audio interview with William Brennan, Managing Director & Senior Portfolio Manager at Boenning & Scattergood, to discuss the out-performance of water stocks compared to other industries. "As a sector performance, water has consistently outperformed every sector in the stock market over the last 15 years. The only time that it has not done this was during the bull run from 1994-1999 when tech led the way," states Mr. Brennan. The significance of investing in the water industry is that it has historically been seen as a defensive play during times of poor market performance due to its inelastic demand.

Investment opportunities in underdeveloped countries are increasing, with compelling potential being recognized in China (www.China-AsiaStocks.com ). "China in particular has allocated approximately $242 million, an increase of 11%, for efforts to provide the entire Chinese population with access to clean water as quickly as possible. Separately, the Hunan and Guangdong provinces of China recently announced a plan to construct waste water treatment plants over the next two decades, with projects to divert water from the Yangtze river to drought stricken communities expected to cost approximately $1.6 billion over the next five years," explains Brennan.

Homeland Security issues (www.HomelandDefenseStocks.com ) have surrounded the water industry most notably since 9/11, however as Brennan describes, the water infrastructure is not necessarily at risk because it would take thousands of gallons of poison to reach contamination levels in the reservoirs. The focus instead relates to concerns regarding the point of use and more specifically, building infrastructures, which are potentially at risk for water contamination from the point of entry coming from a municipal water system into a specific building.

Overall Mr. Brennan describes the water market as a sector that offers consistent and evolving opportunities for investment returns, "With the growth rates accelerating as we embark upon the infrastructure build out globally and the infrastructure re-build locally here in the United States, we see nothing but great opportunities for the water business for investors."

For Access to the Online Audio Interview in Full Click Here:
http://investorideas.com/Water-Stocks/audio/default.asp

The WS website does not make recommendations, but offers a unique free information portal to research news, exclusive articles, interviews, investor conferences and a growing list of participating public companies in each sector.

Water-Stocks.com offers investors research, news and links to public companies within the Water sector. Click here for a partial list of companies doing business within the Water industry:
http://www.water-stocks.com/Water-Stocks/Stock_List.asp

For public and private companies interested in participating in the water sector portal, please contact afleming@investorideas.com for more information.

Read the exclusive InvestorIdeas.com Feature "The Insiders Corner," a weekly feature by well-known financial writer and author Michael Brush. http://investorideas.com/insiderscorner/

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Understanding & Reading Your Audiogram

--> Understanding & Reading Your Audiogram

After you have a hearing test, your hearing professional should show you a graph of how your hearing tested. This graph is called an Audiogram.

While many individual hearing offices make up a form of their own to use in marking your test results, there are some basics that are used quite frequently. Name and contact information are just a few of the things you will find on the form. However, probably the most important thing you will find on the form is the audiogram graph.

This graph has most of the information you will need to be fitted for a hearing aid properly.

There are two measurements used on an audiogram to gauge how you currently hear. These measurements are called Sound Frequency & Hearing Level:

The Sound Frequency is measured in Hertz, otherwise referred to as Hz. This measurement is across the top and is generally tested in the range of 250Hz to 8000Hz. Humans have been known to hear from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. The lower the number, the lower the sound. Example: A man's voice is going to be found farther to the left than a woman's voice. Generally, consonants are found further to the right than vowels.

The Hearing Level, or HL, is measured in Decibels, or db. The important thing to know about decibels is that if a sound increases by 10 decibels, it doubles in loudness as we perceive it. A 0 (Zero) is considered to be the optimum (or normal) level of hearing. Most people suffer some form of hearing loss though, even if it hasn't reached a point where a hearing aid or other device is needed. Sounds on the chart down to about 35db are considered soft sounds. From there to about 70db are considered to be moderate sounds. Above 70db is considered a loud sound.

The rest of this article, along with sample audiograms can found in the Hearing Information section of Discount Valley.

Stan Boston is the general manager of Discount Valley Hearing Aid Supply.

Top Ten Ways to Use Audio on your Site

--> Top Ten Ways to Use Audio on your Site

Top Ten Ways to Use Audio on your Site

by Jeanette S Cates, PhD
The Technology Tamer

Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It creates a warm atmosphere where visitors feel like they know you. And it can enhance your reputation as an expert. Here are the top ten ways you can start using audio on your site.

1. Welcome people to your site. Toward the top of the page, add your photo or a short statement saying "Listen to a short welcome message" then a button to start the audio. Keep it brief and tightly targeted to the people you've brought to the site.

2. Make your bio more personal. If you're using a one-page sales letter site, there's a section on why they should listen to you and probably a photo. Add a caption to entice them to click. For example, "Here's 3 ways I can help" with the audio button. This audio doesn't have to echo what's on the page - it can actually have an anecdote or an example to illustrate the written material.

3. Provide client testimonials. One of the most powerful techniques for using audio is to ask your clients to record a short audio testimonial. Ideally you can capture this with a tape recorder at a live event or have them call and record it on the phone. The audio testimonial, combined with a photograph, gives a powerful picture of who you are and why a newcomer would like your services or product.

4. Answer questions. If you have FAQs, consider answering some of them with audio. Sometimes it's easier and faster to explain something verbally than to write the entire explanation.

5. Offer a guarantee. Let them hear the warmth and sincerity in your voice as you share your guarantee.

6. Give them a sample of your presentation. You can record this sitting in your office or use a clip from a live performance. Either way, your visitors will be able to hear your style and form a closer bond with you as a presenter.

7. Provide the latest information. Record a weekly update on news from your industry, then add it to your site. It gives people a reason to return to your site and gives you the status of being the most up-to-date expert.

8. Offer a mini course using email with audio explanations. Instead of all of the material being written, you can change the pace and put a lot of information into a short space by offering some segments via audio. This is especially effective if you want to share a short meditation or visualization exercise.

9. Demonstrate your coaching or consulting techniques by using a short audio clip from a client call.

10. Walk them through a process. If you have a form you want visitors to complete, use audio to walk them through the sign up. Remember to pace your remarks so they can easily complete the tasks as you're talking.

Audio is easier than ever to add to your site. For a complimentary report on How to Add Audio to your Site, send an email to mailto:audioreport@TechTamers.com.

--------------------------

Dr. Jeanette Cates works with solo entrepreneurs to help them turn their knowledge into gold. She is a professional speaker, consultant, and author of Online Success Tactics: 101 ways to build your small business.

(c) 2003 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to the email provided.

Top 5 Audio And MP3 Tools You Can Pick Up For Pennies

--> Top 5 Audio And MP3 Tools You Can Pick Up For Pennies 1. Sound Snooper - Secretly Record Conversation.
www.deprice.com/soundsnooper.htm

Sound Snooper is sound recording software that can be used for phone call recording and monitoring, radio broadcasts logging, spying, employee monitoring and so on.

2. AT&T Natural Voices - 3 Day Sale
www.deprice.com/attnaturalvoices.htm

The AT&T Natural Voices speech engine comes bundled with two US English voices, Mike and Crystal, in either 16khz or 8khz versions. You can add the Natural Voices engine to your purchase, or if you already have one of our products or other text to speech software you can purchase it as directed below.

3. RipEditBurn - Today Only 10% Off
www.deprice.com/ripeditburn.htm

Blaze Audio's award-winning RipEditBurn turns your PC into a digital audio powerhouse! It will rip CDs (including copy protected CDs by using our Analog Ripping Technology), edit wave, WMA and MP3 files, convert MP3/WMA files to wave and wave files to MP3/WMA, and burn your own custom music CDs easily, quickly, and at a price that won't break your budget.

4. Cool MP3 Splitter - $8.46
www.deprice.com/coolmp3splitter.htm

COOL MP3 Splitter allows you to split up an MP3 file into smaller MP3 files and easy to use! There are three methods which you can employ to split your tracks - split by section, split by time and split by size. Whichever you choose to use, you should find it very useful for creating audio CDs from your collection, and you can break up live songs from a recording of a concert you may have into individual tracks.

5. Mobile Music Polyphonic - Let It Ring
www.deprice.com/mobilemusicpolyphonic.htm

Mobile Music Polyphonic is a polyphonic ringtones composition and conversion software, which allows you convert midi, mp3 and wave to cellphone polyphonic ringtone format (smaf(*.mmf), amr format, sp-midi and awb format (amr-wb)).

David D. Deprice sells audio tools for pennies on the dollar at http://www.deprice.com/audio.htm

Three Easy Steps to Stress-Free Teleclass and Audio Recordin

--> Three Easy Steps to Stress-Free Teleclass and Audio Recordin Three Steps to Stress-Free Teleclass and Audio Recordings

by Barbra Sundquist, Certified Mentor Coach

http://www.BecomeACertifiedCoach.com

If you want to record:
- a client call you are recording to submit for certification
- a teleclass you are leading
- an interview you are conducting
- anything else

You need to be able to:
- Easily turn on the recording system on and off
- get the finished recording in an MP3 format so that you and others can listen to it

Step one: GET A FREE BRIDGE LINE

Go to http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com and sign up for a free bridge line (this is a fully functional bridge line with your own private PIN number)

Step two: CHOOSE RECORDING SERVICE

I've done a lot of research on this subject and tried out many systems. In my experience the best two services for ease of use, customer support and value for your dollar are:

1) http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com ($10 per recording). I recommend you choose this option if you only make one or two recordings a month. Please note that this service provides only recording from the telephone (not from your computer).

2) www.coach.audioacrobat.com ($19.95 month for unlimited recordings). I recommend you use if you make 2 or more recordings a month. This service has more more features than the one above. In particular, you can record from your telephone or directly into your computer.

Step three: HOW TO DO IT

Using Option #1 - freeaudioconferencing.com

1) you and your caller(s) phone into your bridge line as usual (it has to be a freeaudioconferencing.com bridge line)

2) when you are ready to begin recording, press *2 on your phone and it will ask you for a recording file number. Just name the file whatever you will remember using your touch-tone phone (example: if you punch in 4545, this will be your recorded file number for this recording).

3) When you would like the recording to end, just press *2 again. Recording also ends when you hang up.

4) To get the MP3 file, just go to the freeaudioconferencing.com website and click on the link "Download Conference Recordings" at the bottom of the homepage.

5) The company will email you your MP3 file, which you can then click on to listen to. You can also email the file to someone else, upload the file to your website, etc.

Using Option #2 - http://www.coach.audioacrobat.com

1) phone into your bridge (it can be any bridge)

2) once you have greeted your participants, you need to "patch in" the AudioAcrobat recording line. This is not difficult. Here are the steps:
- press the "Flash" button on your phone
- when you hear the dialtone you dial the AudioAcrobat phone number and enter your PIN
- after you have entered your PIN, you will hear some phone prompts. To start the conference call recording press "3" on your phone keypad.
- as soon as you hear the prompt say "Patch this line into your conference call now" hit the "Flash" button to return to your conference call participants.
- you will hear two audible tones when the recording starts.
- to stop the recording process, simply hit the "Flash" button again or hang up.

3) Once you hang up, AudioAcrobat makes your MP3 file which will appear in the "Show My Audios" section of your account. The longer the recording, the longer it will take to show up. A one hour conference call takes about 10 minutes to appear.

Barbra Sundquist is a Certified Mentor Coach and a certifying examiner for both the IAC and Coachville. Barbra is known as "the coach who makes things simple" and she absolutely loves
taking complex information and making it understandable for learners. To receive more useful "how-to" tips, go to http://www.BecomeACertifiedCoach.com and subscribe to Certified Coach News.

The Ten Commandments to Creating Amazing Audio Products

--> The Ten Commandments to Creating Amazing Audio Products 1.Thou shall create audio products as the fastest way to come out with a product.

Forget about e-books. They take to long to create especially if you're a slooooow typist. You can create an audio product in a day instead of weeks or months with an e-book. If you must create an e-book, do the audio first and have someone transcribe the audio into a word file. You than clean it up and add some chapter heads and an index and Bam! You have an instant e-book

2.Thou shall use a headset microphone for your recordings.

I find that using a headset mic is a lot more versatile than a standard microphone. A headset mic gives you the freedom to move your head around and you don't feel restricted as far as being positioned in front of a table top mic.

3.Thou shall not be afraid to record your voice.

Many people hate the way they sound on tape (me included) and feel that they cannot put together a "Professional" product. The first time you hear yourself on tape you are just going to die. It takes practice to actually speak properly. You get struck by the dreaded Uh and Um syndrome and the monotone voice virus but take heart ...you can do this. Slow down and concentrate on what you're saying and interject some emphasis and pitch changes to your voice. Bottom line...add some personality.

I'll admit I'm no professional speaker myself... It takes practice and you will get better.

Here are a couple books you might want to check out: The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie Secrets of Successful Speakers: How You Can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade by Lilly Walters

4.Thou shall add intro and outro music to your audios

If you really want to add a professional polish to your products you must add the intro and outro music. You know that cool music you hear at the beginning of the audio just before someone starts the introduction.

You could give this site a try: frontandbackmusic.com for some demos.

5.Thou shall use different formats for your audio info product

A couple of ways to create an audio product is to interview someone over the phone and record it or just do a straight forward gab session on your own. To keep it simple when I'm recording on my own, I write down some bullet points to use as memory joggers to keep me on track during the recording sessions. Also, when using the computer software it allows you to pause so you can get your thoughts together and then just restart the recording process without a skip.

6.Thou shall use different listening formats for your audio product.

When distributing your audios you have different formats to choose from. You can use .wav, .mp3, .ram files. Wave files take up the most space and are megabyte hogs. Mp3 and ram (real player files) take up the least amount of space and are good for streaming audio on the web. If you are distributing your audio on CD it is best to use wav. That way you will be able to listen to them in any CD player. Here is a little warning when recording your audio projects. Be aware of the space you have on your hard drive. A two hour recording session will take up to 1.3 gigabytes of space in wav. I like to record and edit in smaller intervals and burn them to a CD-RW just to get them off my hard drive.

7.Thou shall use cheap resources for your audio.

I get all my bubble pack shippers and CD cases off of Ebay. They have some great deals. I get my CD's duplicated at Diskfaktory.com because they can run small quantities of 50. I wouldn't get any more made until you know you have a winner.

8.Thou shall have fun when creating your audio products

I have to say I really enjoy the creation process and it's really neat when you go to record a product and can play it back and listen to it on the fly. You get a sense that this thing is really coming together. And when you add the music you really get a sense of satisfaction. Creating audio is really instant gratification when it comes to creating info products. I love it...

As of this writing, I'm working with my wife on a product and I'm interviewing her and we are having a blast. She makes mistakes and I make them and we just sit there and laugh. My wife has the UH and UM syndrome so we are trying to get cured of that... But the point is that we are having a good time.

Quick Tip: I use a splitter to add two microphones to my computer. You need to raise the volume to get it normalized.

9.Thou shall build a audio information empire

If you really want to get a jump start in the information product business this is the easiest and funniest way to do it. As fast as you can record and edit these things the faster you can crank them out and start making some money. Also audio CD and tapes have a higher perceived value and you can get more for them then by just selling an e-book.

10.Thou shall learn what software to use for your audios.

Software can be expensive. Many of the gurus recommend Sounforge but I prefer a program from Cakewalk called Plasma. This software is half the price of Soundforge and is very versatile.

Well there you have it. Some good tips to get you started on building your audio empire.

Happy Recording,

John Kiel

The Ten Commandments of Using Streaming Audio On Your Websit

--> The Ten Commandments of Using Streaming Audio On Your Websit The Ten Commandments of Using Streaming Audio On Your Website

When it comes to placing audio on your website there are Ten Commandments you absolutely must follow. Break one of these Commandments and you can watch your website drive visitors away faster than the speed of sound. Fortunately, if you follow the Ten Commandments you can get people to stay at your website longer, inquire about your product or service more often, and even buy more of what you are selling. Doesn't that sound good?

So without further ado, here are the Ten Commandments you must follow when placing audio on your website.

Commandment #1

Don't set your audio to play automatically when people arrive at your website. Your visitors all have different computers with different speakers, some have the volume turned all the way up, some are already listening to music, some don't even have speakers to begin with. If you start playing your audio automatically you risk losing potential customers. It's much easer to leave a website or hit the back button then it is to search around for how to turn off your audio. One exception to this Commandment is the use of pop-up windows. Pop-up windows can be closed by the visitor yet they still leave them at your website. The same goes for exit pop-ups, these windows can be very effective at grabbing the visitors attention, although some people may not like it, it has proven to be very successful in some uses.

Commandment #2

Sounding like a Pro! You must have professional sounding audio on your site. Anything else will make you look like an amateur. If you are showcasing your own poetry, or telling a personal story, or marketing yourself, then you should use your own voice. But, if you are trying to sell something and your voice doesn't quite cut it, then have a professional voiceover person record your audio. It will make all the difference. WebAudioReviews.com has a list of several affordable voiceover professionals.

Commandment #3

When using audio to sell or promote, keep it short! Long audio messages have their place online and rarely are they on the main page of a website. Keep your messages short, concise, to the point, and easy to follow. This can make all the difference in your audio message. Try to keep your promotional audio message around 30 to 90 seconds. Commercials are only 30 seconds and get their point across very well, follow their lead and do the same thing.

Commandment #4

Be prepared! If you or someone else is recording your audio then write out a script. Write out a complete word for word script, practice it out loud and change it as necessary. If you just "wing it" then it will sound like it. Have others listen and critique your script before you record it. Fine tune your script by removing unnecessary wording, trimming down the overall length, and wording it for maximum impact.

Commandment #5

When recording your own audio, smile! It will come across in your voice. But remember, if you don't sound like a pro even when you smile, then get one!

Commandment #6

Don't overload your site with audio. If you have too many audio buttons to choose from most people will choose none. Whereas when you only have a few audio buttons on your website it will encourage people to listen to your audio message. A single audio button done right is usually enough to get your point.

Commandment #7

Use music! Using music in addition to your voice will make your audio sound 100 times more professional and engaging. Add some easy listening intro music that fits the theme of your site, even sound effects if done right can make a tremendous difference in the way your message sounds. Remember to use music that is royalty free music or music you have created and own rights to. Placing your favorite Beatles song on your website could get you in trouble.

Commandment #8

Have a point! This may sound obvious, but many people place audio on their website just because they can and for no other reason. No one cares about how fancy your audio is if it doesn't have much of a point to it. Have a purpose and reason for using audio.

Commandment #9

Tell people to listen to your audio! Just having an audio button on your website isn't good enough. You need to tell people what they will hear, what it's about, how long it is, and where to click to listen. Don't assume people will figure it out on their own, people need to be told what to do online, and the same goes for telling them to listen to your audio. Also, by telling visitors the length of your message they won't be afraid to listen to it because they will know how long it is. Research has shown that sometimes people will not listen to an audio message in fear that it may be too long. If it is a long message then tell your visitors so they will be prepared for an hour long audio message.

Commandment #10

Test your audio! Don't just place audio on your website thinking it will increase sales. Test it out, get opinions from your visitors, friends, and family, and then do split testing. Find out if the sales are greater with your audio. If you don't split test your site with different audio messages and without audio then you will never know if it's helping or hurting your website.

To place streaming audio on your site, as well as find a wealth of information, voiceover professionals, audio hosting, recording tools, and more, visit Web Audio Reviews.

Copyright Digital Enterprises Inc.

Publishing and Re-Print Guidelines: The article text, resource box, URLs and copyright information must be left intact and unchanged.

When re-published online, all links must be live hyperlinks.

This article must not be password protected or limited to membership or paid-only viewing. This article must remain free.

These guidelines should NOT be included when re-publsihing this article.

The Easiest way of sharing your video and audio files online

--> The Easiest way of sharing your video and audio files online You probably know this problem when you try to send huge file to your friend through email but because of some unknown
reason you can not do that. Your provider just does not allow you to send such a big file. What if there was an
solution to your problems. What if you could do match more than just sending file to your friends. What if you could
also share link for downloading this file with others. And exactly that we will discuss in this article.

Here is situation which occur almost to often on Internet. You have video, audio or other files which you would
like to share with your friends and family on message boards, chats, blogs or just on your personal web page. To do that you have three
options. You can split your files and email it, but it just takes to long and not all people can split files.
You can upload to your own web space if you have one, which is not an option for many. Or you can just forget about it.

And as always on Internet, there is a solution to your problem.
Lately there has been opened new services which will help you in your "dilemma". Services like SendMeFile.com allow you
to upload any files and share it with others anywhere. After you uploaded your file you get a link which you can use wherever you like.
So basically you can share your files everywhere you want to. And what's more important that no registration is required, so from now
on it will only take 5 seconds for you to upload and share your files.This way you do not have to think twice
before you can share your files with your friends and family.

Services like SendMeFile.com are very easy to use so that people new to Internet would be able to use it. All you have to do is
to click on browse button and find your file, click upload and it's done. After that you can post your link anywhere you like.

I hope this article will help people like me who struggled to find a fast and easy way for sharing files with others.

I you have any comment concerning this article please send me e-mail to roman@rosipo.com

Roman Kovalenko writes on many Internet topics. To learn more go to: http://dir.AllHostTalk.com

The Benefits of Audio Conferencing

--> The Benefits of Audio Conferencing Audio conferencing is a way for two, three, or more people to talk to each other across infinite distances. Oftentimes, along with audio interchange, audio conferencing involves photo or video conferencing, so that people can see each other moving and talking. Furthermore, audio conferencing can also utilize personal computers to allow users to work on the same document or other software application at the same time. Whatever on one user's screen will also show up on all of the other screens in the conference. With the use of a digital whiteboard and a special pen, users can even draw pictures and diagrams for each other to demonstrate visual ideas.

Audio conferencing uses one of two main types of oral communication tools: a regular telephone or a computer telephone. With regular telephones, each user dials in and everyone can hear each other on the line. With computer telephones, special software called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is installed in the computer. The user dons a microphone-and-earphone headset that is plugged into the computer's USB port. The user's voice is carried along the Internet to the other users, and vice-versa, just as if it were a conventional telephone (but costing a fraction of the usual long-distance charges.)

Audio conferencing is not just for large corporations; almost any kind of group can benefit from it. City councils, fire departments, and transit authorities have been known to engage in audio conferencing. NASA uses audio conferencing to stay in touch with hundreds of scientists for such sensitive projects as remote exploration of Mars.

The benefits of audio conferencing are numerous. First and foremost, audio conferencing can lower transportation costs. Commuters spent $60 billion dollars on gas driving to business meetings and other work-related appointments in 2003.

Secondly, with audio conferencing, a meeting can be set up in only a few minutes. In the real world, planning can sometimes take months!

Most importantly, audio conferencing promotes frequent and effective communication. And with today's constantly evolving technologies, audio conferencing is becoming more and more customizable.

Audio Conferencing Info provides detailed information about audio conferencing services, equipment, software, companies, plus online audio conferencing, and more. Audio Conferencing Info is affiliated with Original Content.

TALKINGSITES WEB SITE AUDIO

--> TALKINGSITES WEB SITE AUDIO People love pantomimes because they can communicate so cleverly without ever
uttering a sound. I find them fascinating. But imagine what the
world would be like if all our entertainment, conversation, and
advertising was done in pantomime. Aside from giving us a new
appreciation for clown-white face paint, we'd probably tire of it rather
quickly.

The truth of the matter is, the Internet is still very much like the
great mimist Marcel Marceau. Expressive, colorful, animated, and stone
cold silent. Are there exceptions? Certainly. MP3 music sites, some
news sites, and a growing number of radio stations are making those
little desktop speakers come to life. But for the huge majority of
sites, including nearly all the millions of business sites, the silence
is deafening.

Why is that? There are several reasons, the greatest of which is a
simple lack of awareness about the potential that exists in web audio.
Our exposure to audio on the web has been so limited up until now that
it's difficult to even imagine how to use it. Likewise, most web
designers have not been exposed to an understanding of web audio's power and
potential, and thus, have never considered recommending it to their clients. Another
reason for the shortage of audio is the huge number of sites which were constructed
before web audio was practical, or even a
consideration.

Why be different?

How is the addition of audio content valuable to you and your company?

It sells. A well-worded, well-produced clip of audio accompanying each
clickable product on your site makes those products more exciting, and
gives the potential purchaser more reasons to buy.

It convinces. For example, imagine the power of using the actual voices
of your customers, telling their own testimonial stories about the
quality of your products and services.

It builds image. The style and delivery of a spoken message can make a
very personal statement about you as a company. In addition, when your
web visitors are greeted by a rich selection of audio options, the
impression it leaves is that your company is a step-ahead. It is an
instant distinction between your web site and your competition's, which
is unlikely to have any audio whatsoever.

It teaches. Our aural receptors stimulate our brain to action in ways
our eyes never will. That's why we're tempted to read aloud when faced
with a difficult set of instructions. That same phenomenon occurs in all
aural messages, making it easier for customers to comprehend value and
buy, remote staff to learn over the net, clients to understand technical
support information, etc.

It eliminates clutter. You may have more to say than you can justify
displaying onscreen. By letting people click on certain points for more
details, you keep clutter down, while making your expanded points in a
more compelling way.

It leverages existing resources. If you have radio ads already produced
up, get double duty out of them! There are effective ways to put those
right on your site.

It encourages return visits. Sites which visitors find more interesting
are the ones that get bookmarked and revisited. Web audio combined with
a regular refreshing of your visual content is a way to keep 'em coming
back for more.

What to do?

First, it's important to understand that web audio is best supplied in
liquid form. It's what they call "streaming audio." The explanation is
simple. Generally, when we download a file from a web site, we must
wait for all of it to arrive before we can use it. In that sense, it's
rather like a solid block. "Streaming audio," on the other hand,
trickles to you across the Internet as you are listening to it. You
don't have to wait for it to download. That makes it a quick, practical
way to deliver audio over the Internet.

The last thing you want to force your visitors to have to do is visit a
web site somewhere to download an obscure audio player plug-in before
they can begin accessing sound on your site, so I generally recommend
Real Audio, which is the format most widely playable by the web browsers
currently in use.

This will sound self-serving, but I am convinced the best way to add
audio to your web site is to have someone do it professionally. Just as
a company would be mistaken to hire an inexperienced person to design
their web site itself, or to lay out a sales brochure, it's equally
unwise to attempt to add audio to your own site. There are issues of
equipment, acoustics, equalization, encoding, and integration which are
far better left to someone who has the skill and experience to do it
right. My advice is to check around, listen carefully to the quality of
what each service offers, and consider their degree of experience and
expertise.

Adding audio to your company's web site lets you stand out from the
crowd and get noticed. Unlike all the the white-faced, arm-waving,
silent clowns on the Internet, your company's audio-rich web site
demonstrates to the world that you have something to say and you
know how to say it.

Dane Scott is a 23 year veteran voice-over announcer who has recorded TV and
radio voice work around the world. He operates a professional production facility
where he creates audio for the internet industry.
To contact Dane: sales@talkingsites.com
To check out "talkingsites.com" www.talkingsites.com

Streaming Video and Audio In the Internet

--> Streaming Video and Audio In the Internet

Entertainment is a necessity! And thank god we belong to the digitalage when almost all our needs are readily available right in the comforts of our own home.

And now that the Internet is here, the focus is not merely on the issue of merely supplying information to the users but giving them the choice to pick only the kind of information they are most interested in, when to obtain these information, where to extract these information from and of how these preferred information should take form.

Imagine using your computer in watching your favorite NBA match, your watch your favorite television show or the evening newscast and listen to the live concerts and Webcasts through Castdial. Imagine just sitting in front of your computer screen while searching for articles on the hottest political issues rather than going through those pile of newspapers or magazine archives in your local library.

Streaming media is a technique that allows users to view audio and video contents while they are still receiving it. Or as others perceive it, an audio and video file that plays as instantly on a text based content as when a Web page downloads on your browser. And unlike downloading a video or audio file to be played later, it flows to your computer screen enabling you to view its contents simultaneous to the process of downloading.

So, how do you stream something into the Internet? Especially video?

Here are the basic steps:

First, in order to stream a data in video form, a person must use a 30-frames-per-second analog video that is fed by a VCH or video camera to a video board within the computer. This must then be converted from an analog wave form into binary data. This representation is stored in the computer hard disk and further reduced in size by video compression software. The video compression software then scans each of the frames of the video file and distinguishes which are redundant. The redundant ones are erased. Only needed data are retained.

A user can then watch a file by clicking on an HTML tag embedded in a website. When he does this the video streaming software on the remote server is released and a steady stream of data begins to flow. But before he gets to watch this, he must have an interface or a "player" installed in his computer. If he has this, he can then watch the file he requested through the website's remote server.

Then comes the issue of speed of data retrievals in connection to bandwidth.

The snail's pace of the 28.8, 33.6 and 56 kbps modems simply cannot deliver the amount of kilobytes that streaming media demands. This situation provided the Vendors who are well aware of the problems to intelligently devise ways to manage network resources for users faced with streaming media flood. From the snail- blazing 28.8 dial-up connections, there came much advancement. The 33.6 and 56K variants came out as minor upgrades to their 28.8 sibling. This development could be hardly felt by the users so they had to come out of that medium of connection

Streaming Audio Made Easy

--> Streaming Audio Made Easy

February 1, 2004

Internet streaming audio is the most prevalent form of multimedia on the Internet today according to Creative, one of the leading companies in the sound hardware field. Over the last few years, streaming audio has moved from being a curiosity to a business strategy that is adopted by many media organizations.

Streaming Audio has always been available to the big corporate sites and techies. Now every one can use simple software to produce their own streaming audio from a web site.

Marketers and business people have always known that a well-placed audio stream can increase sales and signups to their products and services. The problem has always been that the average person could not afford the high cost of special servers or programmers to be able to use this technology.

There have been a number of products around that provide streaming audio however as they have grown and developed so have the plugins required for listening to the streaming files.

With the new software available today anyone can add audio to their web sites without the need for any large plugins and complicated software. Simply add your audio file and choose a component to activate the stream and click go. These programs output all the necessary files, which you can then use to embed in your web pages with a quick copy and paste.

The web visitor can simply click and listen, even over a standard 56K modem.

So now that you're considering adding the sweet sound of audio to your site, where might you want to use it?

Depending on your website's content and theme, there are a variety of ways to incorporate your audio into it. For example:

You might place a welcome message on your front page, summarizing your site's highlights, informing visitors of what they'll find, and thanking them for stopping by.

If you have an "about us" page on your site, you might want to record a brief message to accompany your background info. This will help people feel as if they're actually meeting you.

Since testimonials are a great enhancement to any site imagine if you actually added them in your customer's own voice. If you use one of the phone recording services you could give them the number and they could easily record how they feel about your products/services.

If your site has been featured in an online interview or radio show, imagine including this audio in your site. Just think of it as your very own live press room.

Perhaps just adding some pleasant music for your visitors to listen to as they view your web pages.

There are many features that these new programs provide the user.

• Produce as many files as you like.
  

• No need for expensive programmers
  

• Many allow you to host them on your own server - you're in control.
  

• Greatly reduce the size of your audio file.
  

• Streams over most modem connections
  

• Easy to use interface
  

• Added components for more variety
  
  

  So now that you're actually thinking of recording something and adding it to your site, how do you do it? There are many different ways, some more expensive then others. Let's examine some of your choices a little more closely.
  

  1) MP3 Sound Stream: http://mp3soundstream.com/
  

  Creates streaming audio from MP3 or Wav files. Produces high quality output for only $39.95.
  

  2) Audio Player Pro: http://www.audioplayerpro.com/
  

  Starting at only $47.00. This produces a code that you can paste onto your website that will enable the viewers' default player.
  

  3) Audio Generator: http://www.audiogenerator.com/
  

  Streaming audio using just your browser. Easy to use, you can phone in your message or use MP3 files. Excellent sound quality. After recording your message paste some code onto your site and a button appears with your audio. $29.95 monthly.
  

  4) Sonic Memo: http://www.sonicmemo.com/
  

  Includes a step-by-step tutorial. You'll have to create your own MP3 files and upload them to your server. If you record WAV files, you'll have to first convert them to MP3 format. This software sells for $97.00.
  

  5) Instant Audio: http://instantaudio.com/
  

  Just record a message by phone and your website or e-mail is instantly audio-enabled. To check their sound quality call the phone number listed on the site, leave a message, then hit the play button on the site to listen. This service will cost you 29.95 a month.
  

  Your site has been sending non-verbal messages for years; now it's time to break free and let it send a message everyone can hear. Adding audio to your website is not only easy to do, it can help you gain the trust of your site's visitors, thus increasing your conversion rate. So stop wasting your time and money, and start getting the sales you may be missing.
  

  --
  

  Quentin Brown
  

  
  CEO MP3 Sound Stream
  

  
  Streaming Audio Made Easy
  

  
  http://www.mp3soundstream.com
  

  Quentin Brown has been involved with Internet Marketing for the past 7 years and continually helps people to resource and equip their online businesses for success. His latest offering is Streaming Audio Made Easy. http://www.mp3soundstream.com

Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile

--> Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile

Audioslave - Out of Exile

Every once in a while a band comes along that really changes the way you perceive music, for me one of these bands was Rage Against the Machine. I'll be the first to admit that I, like most angsty teenagers was lured into Rage's music by their anti-authoritarian songs, and honestly dude, they said "fuck" a whole lot. Not only did the vulgar language lure me in but instead of writing about girls and cars, they took the time to write music about something that actually mattered, politics. Gimmick or not, the music was compelling. Soon after I first heard Bulls on Parade on the radio I started to really question why I was listening to a lot of the other music that interested me at the time. Slowly I began to drift away from happy songs about love and sunshine, and turned to songs that really had a purpose. That being said, I was very excited when I first heard that one of my favorite bands of all time was going to reform, and motherfucking Chris Cornell is going to be their singer. It was like some sort of early-90s rock wet dream. Soundgarden and Rage against the Machine coming together to form a band that would revolutionize rock! Or so they all said.

Fast forward to today; Audioslave has released Out of Exile the follow-up to their self-titled debut released in 2002. Rock doesn't seem to have been revolutionized; in fact it seems almost exactly the same. Just as with their self-titled released, the band has crammed in as many publicity stunts as possible, playing on the streets of LA; resulting in a riot, and an even larger stunt in Cuba in front of 50,000 fans at Havana's Anti-Imperialist plaza. Brilliant marketing, but does their album measure up to the amount of hype the band has surrounding them at all times? After all they are a supergroup consisting of 2 of the most successful rock bands in history. The answer to this is an unenthusiastic 'No."

Out of Exile opens in stereotypical Tom Morello fashion with a gimmicky guitar line dropping in to a tired riff; strikingly similar to Cochise. While the album isn't really terribly offensive, it just lacks the presence and power of any of the Soundgarden or Rage against the Machine releases, chalk it up to nostalgia or whatever you want, but this album simply does not deliver the caliber of music that we all know these musicians are capable of creating. Every song is written using the same pop-rock formula and Morello's gimmicky solos simply do not work in conjunction with Chris Cornell's dark vocals.

The album moves through a dozen songs that all follow the same basic formula; the album does 'rock' at a few occasions, but the tone and attitude just seems to have been completely lost. It seems like the band is just going through the motions and then moving on. A few of the songs have a very strong Soundgarden feel to them, while others seem to be some sort of Led Zeppelin effects laden tribute, the album's seventh track The Worm especially.

The bands first release consisted mainly of Rage against the Machine leftovers, but the few songs where the band actually let themselves go, namely The Last Remaining Light and Shadow on the Sun, were extravagant and exciting. I got this album hoping that this type of writing would dominate the album; sadly this is just simply not the case. The only track that I can recommend to anyone is the title track, and the only reason I recommend it is because it is written like a self-titled Rage against the Machine era nostalgia track. I guess that's basically what the band has decided to sink to, a tribute to what they used to be.

Sadly this album will probably soar up the rock charts and make the band millions of dollars, in some ways you have to respect the band for being able to make money by re-writing the same songs they have been writing since 1991, but it'd be nice to see some sort of growth. Turning to pop-rock; U2 style, may be growth, but the majority of the bands core fans will think it's moving in the wrong direction.

Overall: 3.9

RenewableEnergyStocks.com Presents an Online Audio Interview

--> RenewableEnergyStocks.com Presents an Online Audio Interview
RenewableEnergyStocks.com Presents an Online Audio Interview with Tom Djokovich, President and CEO of XsunX, Inc., a Building Integrated Photovoltaics Developer.

POINT ROBERTS, Wash., May 19th, 2005 - www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com (RES), an investor and industry news portal for the renewable energy sector, is pleased to present an online interview with Tom Djokovich, CEO of XsunX, Inc (OTCBB: XSNX), a developer of solar glass technology. The Company's Power Glass product, which allows glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun, is part of a new area of commercial opportunity called Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), a technology that allows photovoltaic material in the form of photoelectric panels, to be incorporated into the design of buildings providing additional sources for power production. According to Mr. Djokovich, "XsunX plans on licensing their solar glass technology to glass manufacturers around the world, who in turn can offer their clients the ability to turn the glass skin of modern high rise and commercial buildings into massive power generating systems and the resulting power produced can be used to power lights, elevators and other building power needs."

Power Glass utilizes a unique patent protected manufacturing process that is highly scalable, and employs the use of inexpensive thin film plastics reducing the overall cost of producing the solar cells. Based upon their analysis, XsunX anticipates that their solar cell design and manufacturing process may offer as much as a 100% gain on an efficiency to cost basis over current technologies, creating a significant marketplace advantage.

For Access to the Online Audio Interview in Full Click Here:
http://www.investorideas.com/CO/XSNX/Audio/interview_051705.asp

Featured Company: (RES is compensated by companies as disclosed in disclaimer.)

XsunX, Inc (OTCBB: XSNX) is the developer of Power Glass - an innovative solar technology that allows glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun. This proprietary process is intended to allow manufacturers to apply a transparent and photovoltaic glazing to glass and other transparent substrates. When XsunX glazing is exposed to light, the light energy is converted into electrical energy for use as a power source. XsunX believes that its solar electric glazing technology has a number of major market opportunities in the worldwide architectural glass, optical film and plastics markets.

Corporate Profile, News and Info: http://www.renewableenergystocks.com/CO/XSNX/Default.asp

RenewableEnergyStocks.com offers investors research, news and company links within the renewable energy sector. To complement this site, we also feature www.FuelCellCarNews.com to meet the interest in fuel cell technology and the participating public and private companies. InvestorIdeas sites do not give specific recommendations, and encourage investors to complete due diligence.

Our current list of Renewable/Alternative Energy Stocks is available here: www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com/Companies/RenewableEnergy/Stock_List.asp

Our current list of Fuel Cell Stocks is available here:
www.FuelCellCarNews.com/Companies/FuelCellCarnews/Stock_List.asp

Disclaimer: ECON Investor Relations Inc is the owner of the domain www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com and www.FuelCellCarNews.com . Our site does not make recommendations, but offers a unique information portal to investors to research news, articles, and recent research. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any specific products or securities. All investments involve risk. Although we attempt to research thoroughly, we offer no guarantees as to the accuracy of any information presented. We encourage all investors to use our sites only as a resource to further their own research. The site is currently compensated for by its "featured companies." XSUNX Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX) Two thousand dollars per month and two thousand equivalent in one forty-four shares


For more information contact:
Dawn Van Zant / Trevor Ruehs/ Ann-Marie Fleming
Toll free: 800-665-0411
Email: dvanzant@investorideas.com, truehs@investorideas.com or afleming@investorideas.com
Web Site: www.InvestorIdeas.com

Reducing Noise in Audio Files

--> Reducing Noise in Audio Files

The beauty of digital audio is its promise of pristine quality. No clicks, hiss or scratches that were the norm of vinyl and tape recordings. That's not to say that all digital audio is noise-free. Far from it. Poor recordings can still be made in the digital medium and recordings that have been transferred from analog (vinyl records or cassettes) to digital will retain some of their noise.

Fortunately, cleaning up digital audio is a fairly easy process. There are many software packages on the market specifically designed for reducing specific types of noise in digital recordings. Not all of them are suitable for all types of noise, so it's important to analyze the type of noise you are trying to get rid of.

Most noise reducing software has a function for removing background hiss. This works by capturing a profile of the background noise. The profile is used to create a filter that matches the characteristics of the noise. To use this function you must select a quiet section of the audio to get a sample of the noise you want to reduce. A good place to take your sample from is between songs or the first second or two before the audio actually starts. The sample does not have to be long - half a second is all you need - but it can't be music or voice - it should represent a silent section.

This noise profile will help you to reduce exactly the right kind of noise from your audio recording. It is useful for reducing background hiss, but clicks and pops need another kind of processing.

Pops and clicks are of two flavours - digital and analog. Digital clicks can be caused by processor overload as you make a digital recording. The recording "stops" for a moment and the resulting skip creates a very short click. Digital clicks are easy to detect and most noise reduction software does this automatically.

Analog clicks and pops are caused by scratches and imperfections on vinyl and their duration is much longer than digital clicks. To remove this type of noise, a special filter is needed to automatically detect and remove the unwanted sound. Settings can be adjusted to match the size and frequency of the noise.

There are several audio packages on the market that are specifically designed to reduce noise from vinyl and cassette recordings. They allow you to capture the audio digitally by connecting a turntable or cassette deck to the sound card on your computer. Once the audio is stored on the computer, it can be processed to remove background hiss and clicks. Most presets will give you adequate results and you will be able to enjoy your old recordings in the digital domain.

Recording Teleclasses and Online Audio: A Step-by-Step Guid

--> Recording Teleclasses and Online Audio: A Step-by-Step Guid Do you need to record teleclasses, conference calls or telephone interviews? Good news

Real Audio and Real Video, streaming media for your web site

--> Real Audio and Real Video, streaming media for your web site Anybody interested in creating RealAudio and RealVideo content on
their sites will find it's a great deal easier than they might have
initially imagined.

The instructions given below are for RealAudio on a Windows 95/98
computer, but the process is almost identical for RealVideo and other
platforms. I tentatively suggest you print out this tutorial for easier
reading, by copying the text and pasting it into Wordpad or Word
then printing it out. Or if, you prefer, you can download the text as
a zipped document from here. Netscape users please press shift as
you click to save the file to disc.

Before you start, be sure you:

1: have an audio or video file in one of the following
formats: AVI, MOV, WAV, or AU format. If your file is
not in one of those formats, you will need to convert it
before starting this tutorial.

2: check with your internet service provider or the people
who provide your web space that they support streaming
media. This is the one sure thing that will guarantee that
you'll never get this technique to work on your site. Save
your self a lot of time and effort by finding out before
you start this tutorial.

3: are not violating any copyright laws by placing
copyrighted material on your web site. It goes without
saying that the best files to put on your web site are files
you've created yourself. A snippet of the Spice Girls may
titillate a few but it won't encourage people to stick
around or even come back to see how your site develops
and it may make you vulnerable to prosecution.

Step 1: Download RealProducer encoder
The current version is RealProducer 7.0. To get the encoder, click
here, fill out the form and download the encoder. I've been through
this process myself a few times and I can guarantee that Real won't
send you annoying bumf. After you finish downloading, you will
need to execute the file you downloaded and install RealProducer.

Step 2: Preparations to encode your music file
Double click the icon on your desktop or from the start menu called
" RealProducer." In the dialogue box which pops up choose 'record
from file'

Now you need to enter the name of the file that you want to encode.
Click "Browse" and browse for the file. Once you have found the
file, click "Open" then "Next".

In the next screen, enter the title, author, copyright and a brief
description of the track to inform your listeners of the kind of thing
they can expect to hear when they play it. Then click "Next". Now
you need to select the target audience. Select "Multi-rate SureStream
for Real Server G2" and click "Next". Then choose 56k Modem as
a target Audience stream format. Most PCs, browsers and modems
should be able to handle this.

The current screen asks for the audio format. Select the appropriate
type based on the type of file you are encoding and click "Next".

Now you will be asked to enter the output file. You can choose to
enter it anywhere on your hard drive but you should be able to
remember exactly where you placed it. Then you should click
"Next". Please ensure at this stage that you avoid any spaces in a
file's name. Most servers are still susceptible to file names which
aren't continuous so a file like 'wake free zone.rm' would be more
easily recognised as 'wakefreezone.rm'.

Finally, RealProducer allows you to confirm your choices. If there is
nothing wrong with your choices, click "Start". If you wish to change
something, hit 'back' and change what you need to in the appropriate
dialogue boxes.

Step 3: Encode the file
In the "RealEncoder" screen, click the "Start" button in the lower left
corner of
the RealEncoder window. It may take a few minutes to encode the
file, depending on the length of the original file. The blue bar in the
lower right corner of the RealEncoder shows your progress. When
encoding is finished, a "Recording Complete" box will pop up. Here
you are given the choice to upload the destination of your file to Real
Server Janus where, if you're lucky, someone may stumble across
your musical offering via their web site. You simply connect to the
internet and fill out the form at Janus to inform them where they
might find your music. Then you should close RealProducer .

Step 4: Upload the file
To upload the file to your Web site, you will need to use an FTP
program or Site Manager. You can upload to any directory, just be
sure you remember the address of the file. If your program asks, this
file should be uploaded in "Binary" mode.

Step 5: Make a text file linking to the Real (*.rm) file
Click your Start Menu and go to "Run." Type "Notepad" and click
"OK". In Notepad, type only this line of text:
http://www.server#/username/directory/file.rm. # is the server that
you are on, username is your domain username, directory is where
you've uploaded the rm file to and file.rm is the actual file that you
uploaded. For instance the file wakefreezone is at:
'http://www.eidosnet.co.uk/donkit racks/wakefreezone.rm'

Here's the rub. There should only be one line of text in the Notepad
window. When you are finished, click "File" and go to "Save As." In
the "Save as Type" selector, select "All Files (*.*)". Select a
directory you can remember, and in the "File name:" box type a
name with an ending of .ram. (For example, sound.ram.) Click
"Save." This is extremely important. What you've done here is to
create a kind of sign post to the .rm file which then, when your
visitor clicks on to the link, points their copy of RealPlayer to the .rm
file which the application will then play.

Step 6: Upload the text file
Use an FTP program or Site Manager to upload the text file to your
web site. You can upload to any directory, just be sure you
remember the address of the file. If your program asks, this file
should be uploaded in "Text" or "ASCII" mode, however most FTP
programmes worth their salt will know what type of file you're
uploading and change the mode automatically.

Step 7: Link to the text file on your web site
You will need to edit one of your HTML files on your Web site and
place a link to the *.ram file. This link should be to your web site,
not to the file on your hard drive. Then you will need to re-upload
the HTML file.

Step 8: Test your RealAudio file
Go to your web site and click on the link to the RealFile (the *.ram
file). Your browser should quickly download a file, and RealPlayer
should open and play the RealAudio file. If anything does not work
correctly check the addresses you used and make sure they are
accurate. If your file refuses to play but no other error messages pop
up, you should check that you uploaded the files with the proper file
type.

RealVideo
To make RealVideo, use the same method but be prepared to wait
while the file encodes as video is far more memory hungry than
audio.

Have fun!

Dominic Arnold
dominic@deepflight.co.uk