Everything You Need to Start Adding Audio to Your Blog

Audio blogging may seem complicated, but the process is pretty simple. All you need is a microphone, the right recording software, and your written content to get started. Find out more here...

Everything You Need to Start Adding Audio to Your Blog

Your voice is more powerful than you realize. We’ve talked about it before on our blog, but it’s worth repeating: Your voice is capable of helping you connect with your audience on a level like never before. That’s why we wrote this four-part series on audio blogging, to empower bloggers like you to make the most out of their content by adding their own voice to their words.

In this first article, we’re covering what it takes to begin. If you’ve never done any voice blogging before, don’t let getting started intimidate you. It’s a straightforward process, and you only need a few keep components to record your first audio blog.

But why add audio?

Adding audio is quickly becoming a best practice in blogging. It’s more accessible, helping you reach more people. It adds a human touch to your writing and makes you (and your brand) seem more personable.

Voice blogging is modern and helps your content compete with other forms of audio/visual media. Finally, adding an audio layer helps with your blog’s search ranking.

What do I need to get started?

You don’t need a lot to get started adding an audio layer to your written content. At most, you’ll need three things to get going:

  • Microphone (or headphones with a built-in microphone)
  • Recording and embedding tools
  • Written content

Let’s look a little more closely at each of these components.

A microphone

Most laptops and other portable devices have microphones built in. If you’re just starting out, these will work fine, but as you grow more comfortable you may begin to desire a higher quality of recording. Either way, you’ll need access to a microphone to record your voice blog.

If you don’t already have one, a pair of corded headphones with a microphone built in are a good choice for quality and economy. Higher quality USB microphones also work well, and they’re relatively inexpensive.

In general, we recommend steering clear of wireless headphones that rely on Bluetooth, as it significantly impacts the quality of the recording.

Recording and embedding tools

To help make the recording and embedding processes fluid and intuitive, you should carefully research your options and the right software to help you record and add your voice to your written words.

You’ll want a voice blogging software that’s easy to use and logical enough that anyone can use it without a significant learning curve. You’ll also want to look for one that is an all-in-one solution, instead of having to use multiple platforms to record, edit, and host your recordings. The best software options are those that are backed by a responsive support team.

Allears combines all of these features into one blessedly simple platform. It takes no time at all to get started with Allears, and your recording can be ready for sharing and embedding on your blog in the time it takes you to read the content out loud.

Written Content

Of course, to record content, you’ll need to create it first. While there are plenty of different use cases out there for adding audio layers to digital content, in this series we’ll be focusing primarily on content for voice blogging.

The trend of adding audio to blog posts is on the rise. Major publications have adopted the use of audio recordings in their blog posts. There’s a good reason why, too. It helps you reach a broader audience and better engage your readers (or should we say, listeners?).

If you’re not sure where to get started, add audio to the content you’ve already written and published, and then continue to embed new audio recordings into each new piece you publish. Don’t feel like you have to record every blog post you’ve ever written, especially if you’ve got dozens (or hundreds!). Try using the audio to highlight some of your favorite or most popular pieces instead.

Now that you’ve gathered your tools...

...we’re ready to dive into the next article in this series, Three Ways to Get Started with Audio Blogging. Grab your microphone, software log-in, and content, and meet us over there.

Or, if you’re ready to make the first move toward becoming an audio blogger now, head on to the Allears website to get started!