Guides to making audio guides

From the first script to the QR codes on the wall, step by step.

• How to make an audio guide, step by stepThe complete method for museums, heritage sites, churches, wineries and towns: from choosing the stops and writing for the ear to recording, translating, printing QR codes and measuring what visitors listen to.

How to write stops that visitors listen to until the end.

• How to write an audio guide script that visitors listen to until the endWriting for the ear is not writing a wall label. Ten rules, a five-block structure for every stop, before-and-after examples and the mistakes that make visitors stop listening.
• Audio guide script examples: 8 complete stops you can learn fromEight full audio guide stops for a painting, an archaeological find, a castle hall, an altarpiece, a barrel room, a garden, a street corner and a children's version, each annotated and timed.

How they work, where to put the codes and whether people scan them.

• QR code audio guides: how they work and how to set one upHow a QR code audio guide plays on the visitor's own phone with no app, why it beats handsets and apps for most venues, and how to set one up in five steps.
• QR codes in museums: size, placement and signage best practicesHow big a QR code must be for the distance it is read from, where to place it, how to avoid glare, which materials last outdoors, what the sign should say and how to test every code before opening.

What an audio guide costs and how to choose a platform.

• How much does an audio guide cost? A realistic price breakdownHandsets, custom apps, QR platforms and DIY compared, with the price ranges vendors publish, the hidden costs nobody quotes and a five-year view you can take to your board.
• Audio guide vs app: which should your museum choose?Handsets, a downloadable app or a browser guide opened by a QR code: what each costs, how many visitors actually use it, what only apps can do and a decision table by size of venue.
• Free audio guide software for museums: the options comparedWhat "free" really means in audio guide software, the main free options for museums and heritage sites, what each one asks of you and of your visitors, and when it makes sense to upgrade.
• Hardware audio guides vs QR guides on visitors' phonesThe real work behind rental handsets (desk, charging, hygiene, losses), who still needs them, how the costs compare and a step-by-step plan to move from handsets to visitors' own phones.

Charging for your audio guide and other ways to earn.

• How to make money from your audio guide (without paying commission)Five ways to turn an audio guide into a revenue line, how revenue share compares with selling access codes at your own desk, what other venues charge and a worked example for 30,000 visitors a year.

Multilingual audio guides for visitors from abroad.

• Multilingual audio guides: how to serve international visitorsHow to choose languages, translate for the ear, combine AI with human review, pick voices and accents, adapt cultural references and keep every language in step when the original changes.

Data, grants, glossary and templates.

• Audio guide and museum visitor statisticsThe published figures on audio guide take-up, app downloads, costs, prices, platforms, funding and accessibility law, each with its source, date and limits, ready to cite.