Physical and Virtual: Various Outlets for Audio Distribution ~ Maximizing Media Ministries

Audio… It is easy enough to record it, but how are we supposed to distribute the recording of the audio to others? Let us say that we recorded a sermon, and someone wants to listen to it again. Or, we recorded a special event, and everyone in the church wants a copy. How are we to effectively and efficiently distribute the recordings to those who want to relive the occasion? In this post, we are going to look at several different ways to distribute our recordings in both physical and virtual environments. We will be looking at the normal way, the new way, the easy way, and the better way.

Physical Distribution: CDs and FDs

When we decide to distribute audio physically, we have several different choices of physical devices. For instance, we used to have tapes, records, reel-to-reel, etc. But, in today’s constantly changing environment, which system should we use? The two most popular devices that are used today for distributing audio recordings are CDs and flash drives.

The normal way: CDs

First, CDs provide a standard convenience that almost everyone can easily utilize. In order to make the CDs easier to use, I use a program called “Slice” to divide the mp3 recordings into files of two minutes each. This procedure enables the listener to be able to jump to a certain track more easily. Once the files are all cut up, we then need to burn them to a CD. While there are many different programs available for burning audio CD’s, I use a program called “Cyberlink Power2Go” that enables me to easily burn mp3’s to a CD without having to do the converting process myself. In summary, CDs provide a standard method for distributing audio recordings to others. The programs that I mentioned above are available at:

The new way: Flash Drives

Whereas CD’s provide a standard method for distribution, flash drives have become a popular method for sharing audio files. One major convenience with flash drives is that the audio files can be easily and quickly copied off of the flash drive onto an mp3 player or phone to provide easy access whenever the individual wishes to listen to the recording. Flash drives can be especially useful when a certain person wants a lot of recordings. In summary, flash drives have been gaining popularity for their ease of use and their growing availability.

Virtual Distribution: Online Storage

In stark contrast to physical distribution, virtual distribution provides an easily accessible location where the most recent audio recordings can be located. One primary advantage that online storage has is that users can download the recordings at any time of day rather than being limited to a set schedule when copies can be made of physical media. In terms of distribution online, there are many different services we could use, but we be limiting it down to two services that are free to use: Dropbox and WordPress.

The easy way: Dropbox

Dropbox provides an easy way to share files. There are basically three steps to share files on Dropbox: signing up, uploading files, and sharing the files. Dropbox make their website so easy to use that the entire process is simple and can be done quite quickly. The first step is signing up. With their free service, they only give users an initial two gigabytes of space, but if you sign up with my referral link below, you can receive an extra half gigabyte of space. Second, we have the choice to download and use the installer or just use the web interface. Personally, I find it much easier to use the desktop application rather than having to always login to the website version. So, once we have installed the program, we can simply copy our audio recordings into a folder within our new Dropbox folder. Ideally, we want to name the folder in which we are placing the recordings to reflect what it is going to contain because others will be able to see the name. Finally, once the files are uploaded, share the folder by sharing the Dropbox link. The easiest way to do this is by going to the website and clicking “Share” and then “Send Link.” You can then either use the email feature offered within Dropbox or copy the URL and share it with those with whom you wish to share the recordings!

Sign up here for extra space: https://db.tt/EK72N2T0
For more tutorials, go to: https://www.dropbox.com/help

The better way: WordPress

While Dropbox provides an easy method for sharing our recordings, a better method would be to utilize WordPress. WordPress offers free websites as long as the website is a subdomain of theirs (***.wordpress.com). If your church already has a WordPress website, then you do not need to do the first step. If you do not already have a WordPress site, you have to go and create an account and a subdomain. Once we have that set up, we need to add the widget for sermons. Next, we need to upload the sermons. Once we have our new page up and ready, we need to simply share the URL to our new page! While this method may be a little more complex, it is a much better route to go that will enable users to listen to recordings directly on the website.

For more information and to sign up, go to: www.wordpress.com

Conclusion

In summary, we have seen several different ways for distributing our recordings both in physical and virtual environments. While physical media provides a great resource for the local church, online storage with its ready availability is becoming a popular choice. Are you ready to distribute your audio recordings? More than likely, there are individuals in your church who would love to listen to a service they missed or one they want to listen to again. So, get ready and distribute your audio via one or more methods!

Did we miss your favorite method for distributing audio recordings? Please let us know in the comments section below!

If you have not had a chance to do so, please visit our recent postings!

Thursday, April 23, 2015