How to Host and Share Audio with Audio.com
Audio.com is an amazing resource that a lot of teachers don't know about. One reason might be that it's somewhat hidden behind Audacity. When you download and set up Audacity, you'll be given the option to create an Audio.com account. Think of Audio.com as something like YouTube for audio. You can upload your recordings, host them online, and then share them with your students using a simple link. There is also a free account, which should provide enough usage for many teachers.
Uploading audio is really easy. You can click Upload or simply drag and drop an audio file onto the page. You can also add an image to go with your recording, give it a title and description, add tags, and decide whether people can download it. Once you make the recording public, you have an online listening activity that students can access without you having to send them the actual audio file.
The basic process is simple:
- Create an Audio.com account. You can create one when setting up Audacity or go directly to Audio.com.
- Upload your audio. Click Upload or drag and drop your recording onto the page.
- Add an image. Give the listening a visual that represents the topic.
- Add the information. Give it a title, description, category, and useful tags such as ESL listening or Beginner English.
- Choose your sharing settings. You can make the audio public and decide whether listeners are allowed to download it.
- Share the listening. Copy the link and give it to your students, or create a QR code that takes them directly to the audio.
The QR code option is especially useful for teachers. Once your audio is online, you can create a QR code for the page and put that code on a worksheet. Students can scan it with their phones and immediately listen to the recording. For example, if you've created a worksheet in Canva, you can add the QR code to the worksheet and now you have a printable activity with audio. Students can even listen individually on their own devices during class.
That's really the main idea behind Audio.com. It gives you a simple place to host your audio just as YouTube gives you a place to host video. Record something in Audacity, upload it to Audio.com, and then share the link or put a QR code on your materials. If you create your own listening activities, it's a really useful tool to have in your teaching toolbox.
