Sending Audio Feedback: Audacity and gMail

Sometimes it quicker and/or more personal to send recorded audio messages. As a teacher, I’ve sent emails using audio apps on my iphone, but it takes a long time to send and it’s a bit tricky to add email addresses. Today I tried using the free, downloadable audio software, Audacity, and the free richly-featured web mail app, gmail. I’ve alread had a student email back that it was a “neat” way to get feedback. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Download Audacity (and LAME) – http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
2. Learn how to use it – http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Category:Tutorial (There are lots of Audacity tutorials online – Google for them.)
3. Once you’ve set up Audacity and LAME, you can get away with knowing very little -
   First, Save Project As before anything else
   
   Second, Hit the red button and start talking. (You might want to have some notes or a script in front of you.)
   
   Third, stop talking and hit either the Pause button, if you want to add more later, or the Stop button, if you’re finished.
   
   

   Audacity Pause Edit

   Fourth, Save the file somewhere easy to find again

   

   Audacity Save Project

   Fifth, Export As MP3
   Sixth - go to your gmail account - set the address you want to send from (and gmail offers possible addresses that you can simply click on) and add the Subject (every time you start another email with the same subject, you will be prompted a few letters in) so it’s time-saving and easy
   
   Sixth, attach the MP3 file (and write a message in the body or the email, if you wish)
   And hit Send!

Once you have sent out a few dozen, you’ll have the hang of it, and you’ll discover that it (probably) takes less time than writing out the feedback and sending it.

Have fun!