Audio tours are sound guides that can include music and effects. They can be found in museums, historic sites, and cities. They provide information and entertainment and can be tailored to different audiences. Advances in technology allow for more detailed information and multiple language options. Some companies offer audio tours for various locations, but designers must monitor for changes in location.
An audio tour is a sound guide of a place. Depending on the design, this may only consist of spoken words or may include music and other effects. Many earlier audio tours were simply recorded tapes that relied on the user to play and pause as needed, but more recently designed systems can identify the location where the tour apparatus is being used and play them automatically. It is common to find audio tour systems available in museums and historic sites, but tours to cities and other geographic sites are also available. There are various devices that can be used to deliver audio content for this purpose, including smartphones, tape players, and even special audio devices used only for touring.
In its most basic form, an audio tour is a recording of information about a place. This information depends on what is in the place and what the tour designers find most relevant. A museum audio tour designed for children could be very different from one designed for adults. Just like any tour, these recordings typically seek to both provide information and entertain.
With advances in technology, audio tours can often incorporate more detailed information. Tours that know exactly what a guest is looking at can provide insight into that item rather than just the highlights. Length becomes less important in this type of segmented audio tour, as guests control what information is provided and can also move forward easily.
Most audio tours for large and well-known museums are available in multiple languages, some of which can be useful when signs aren’t in the language of the tour. This technique can allow a guest who does not understand the language of the country to enjoy the museum and benefit from informative content. Audio tours in this case are often used when a live tour guide is unavailable or too expensive to provide.
While it is common for a specific location to offer audio tours tailored to its attractions, some companies provide many different audio tours for various locations. These audio tours usually conform to a common style and can be designed for travelers or visitors. This is sometimes a difficult feat for audio tour designers to accomplish, as constant monitoring must be active to account for changes in location. For this reason, it is common for tours not designed by site management to focus primarily on very permanent historic features that are unlikely to change quickly.
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