For a few weeks now, Audiogiro's platform has been populated with some rather unique audio. These are not from certified guides who continue their publishing work, but from digital guides. In this article, we want to delve deeper and provide all the details about this new project from the "Audiogiro Factory."
Why digital guides?
The shortest and quickest answer could be: why not? The whole world is shifting, one way or another, towards the digital realm, so proposing something like this only aligns with the current "trend." However, the truth, for us at Audiogiro, is different. We are a digital platform and offer digital content, but our core lies in certified guides, with whom we started and continue to work. However, guides have their professions and activities to pursue, and their affiliation with Audiogiro has always been free from any production constraints. Our platform should be an integration to guides' work and a cultural enrichment for users. Furthermore, Italy is an immense scattered museum, with thousands of unique locations rich in history and culture, and it is a traditional destination for tourists from around the world. How can we combine these aspects? By enriching the platform with additional content without conflicting with guide production. That's why we introduced digital guides.
But how do they work? Is it a simple virtual reader that reads pre-written texts?
Of course not! We have worked for a considerable amount of time to find a solution that guarantees the highest possible quality. Now, our dedicated team, which includes professionals in digital editing and the consultation of a historian, is producing small "cultural nuggets," starting with some locations in Veneto, with Venice being the first among them. These smart audio contents, some of which will be free, will be available in multiple languages to cater to an international audience. To contribute to the image of an advanced digital guide, the avatars have been generated by AI and have taken on the (reimagined) appearance of historically existing characters.
How are the digital guides integrated into the platform? Do they have different costs?
For the user, nothing changes. The digital guides are seamlessly integrated into the platform, and the audios are available alongside all the other content. It will be easy to recognize them thanks to the caption "virtual guide" displayed on their profile. The minutes that users use to listen to the platform's audios will be deducted in the same way, without the need to do anything.
And what about museums?
Certainly, this technology is also available to cultural institutions that wish to affiliate with Audiogiro. Thanks to our team, we are able to offer on-demand audioguides in different languages, in much shorter times, creating a new listening experience for users or integrating with the museum's existing "traditional" voices.
Last week, we launched this new service for the first time with Caterina, a virtual guide for Venice. Over 70 audioguides are available in Italian, English, and French, providing a better understanding of both the city and the most important and significant islands in the Venetian Lagoon.
Enjoy listening!
