Simple Audio with SoundCloud

Sound Cloud is quite possibly the simplest audio tool on the web.

BENEFITS

Easy audio recording
Easy file upload
Allows for comments within the audio clip
iPhone App

10 minute sample clip

Step 1) Record your Audio

SoundCloud provides a user friendly online application for recording your audio.

Sign-up at SoundCloud.com

Use the Upload & Share button to either record an audio clip, or upload an MP3 Audio file.

Already have the audio?

If you already have an audio clip that’s not an MP3, Online-Convert.com can be used to convert many file types. If you have Real Streaming Audio the converter with Real Player can also be used to convert audio to other formats.

More Info

Step 2) Embed audio in WordPress

The free WordPress account doesn’t allow you to host audio files (though you can purchase a storage space upgrade which will add that feature), however, you can host your audio file elsewhere and use a WordPress short code to play audio.

After recording your Audio, go to your Sound Cloud Dashboard
Click on Share
Click More
Click WordPress
Copy the short code
Enter the Sound Cloud audio short code into your WordPress Post or Page:
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/#######"]

More about embedding Sound Cloud audio at WordPress.com

Step 3) Embed audio in standard Website

Embedding an audio into your standard web site is fairly easy with Sound Cloud audio.

After recording your Audio, go to your Sound Cloud Dashboard
Click on Share
Copy the Embed Code
Paste the code into your web page’s html code.

Policy regarding Copyright

Fair Use and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act are both complicated pieces of legislation, and by most accounts subjective. We encourage individuals to secure written permission whenever possible and to weigh these Fair Use factors:

The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work

U.S. Copyright office states “The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission.”

Individuals using an online hosted services such as SlideShare, YouTube, Vimeo or TeacherTube to deliver online materials, must adhere carefully to the hosted site’s policies.