Here, you'll find answers to the most frequently asked technical or conceptual questions which we get, when discussing and implementing the features Narrated Articles, Podcast and Text to Speech. The article will be updated, when new questions emerge.
The article consists of:
You can download a detailed description of Narrated Articles in PDF version here.
Narrated Articles
Q: Can we track how much time users spend listening to articles?
A: Yes. Tracking of narrated articles is hooked up to the metrics of the Engagement Event (available through Google Analytics), providing you with both number of times an article has been played and the duration of each session. Please contact us, if you want to know more about engagement tracking.
Q: Will sound keep playing even if the app is closed?
A: Yes. We’ve designed the audio features to create new contexts in which the ePaper app is relevant. This means that we allow listeners to listen to the newspaper while driving, cooking, gardening etc. keeping the phone in the pocket.
Q: In which file format do you need the audio files?
A: We expect the files to be delivered in MP3 format.
Q: How do we deliver audio files, and how are they linked to the article within the app?
A: You simply deliver the MP3 files to a new folder on the same FTP server to which you normally deliver your PDFs and article XML. We agree on a naming convention of the audio files containing the date of the publication and the ID of the article. Typically, we will expect this file format: [editionDate]_[articleID].mp3 (e.g. 20190225_12345.mp3).
Q: When should the audio files be available on the FTP-server to be ready for the user along with the ePaper in the app?
A: As soon as the ePaper starts processing, the audio files presented in the audio folder will be processed as well. This typically happens when reaching the processing window for the specific title or when the set of PDF files is complete and the frontpage of the edition is uploaded. Rerunning an edition - by uploading a new front page to the FTP-server or through the Visiolink Publishing Hub - will trigger that audio files are processed again. This way, you can update or add narrated articles even after the ePaper has been processed.
Q: Are narrated articles of old issues available?
A: Yes. When opening an old issue from the archive, the audio of all articles with narration can be activated within the article view.
Q: We want to limit access to narrated articles to subscribers only - is that possible?
A: Yes. As a default, access to narrated articles will be limited to subscribers who have access to the corresponding newspaper.
Q: Will narrated articles be able to play through an external speaker?
A: Yes. We use built-in OS functionality to play articles. This means that the listener can play the sound directly from the phone or tablet, or they can play it through connected wifi- or bluetooth speakers
Podcast
Q: Can we track how much time users spend listening to articles?
A: Yes. Tracking of podcasts will be tracked through Google Analytics, providing you with both number of times an article has been played and the duration of each session.
Q: Will sound keep playing even if the app is closed?
A: Yes. We’ve designed the audio features to create new contexts in which the ePaper app is relevant. This means that we allow listeners to listen to podcasts while driving, cooking, gardening etc. keeping the phone in the pocket.
Q: How do we deliver a podcast feed?
A: We expect an RSS XML feed living up to the RSS 2.0 standards. We use standard iTunes tags when importing the RSS feed. For presentation of a podcast series and episodes in the app, we will use information from the following tags, of which some are mandatory:
On CHANNEL level:
- <title> Mandatory
- <itunes:image> URL of image must be https Mandatory
- <itunes:summary>
On ITEM level:
- <title> Mandatory
- <itunes:author>
- <itunes:summary>
- <pubDate> (e.g. <pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2019 10:38:14 GMT</pubDate>) Mandatory
- <guid> Mandatory
- <enclosure> Including three attributes: "url" (https and Mandatory), ”type” and ”length” (in bytes)
- <itunes:duration> Mandatory
- <itunes:image> URL of image must be https (here you can deliver an image per podcast episode)
Q: Can we set up more than one podcast feed in the app?
A: Yes. One module on the front page of the app will display the 10 newest episodes from one or more different feeds. The number can be configured. It is also possible to separate more feeds into different modules. This could be an advantage if two feeds have very different updates frequencies.
Q: Will podcasts be able to play through an external speaker?
A: Yes. We use built-in OS functionality to play podcasts. This means that the listener can play the sound directly from the phone or tablet, or they can play it through connected wifi- or bluetooth speakers
Q: Can I deeplink to podcasts?
A: Yes, but only to a podcasts channel (episode overview), not to specific podcast episodes. This requires the Podcast Universe.
Click here to see Deeplink guide
Text to Speech
Q: Can we track how much time users spend listening to articles?
A: Yes. Tracking of articles is hooked up to the metrics of the Engagement Event (available through Google Analytics), providing you with both number of times an article has been played and the duration of each session. Please contact us, if you want to know more about engagement tracking.
Q: Will sound keep playing even if the app is closed?
A: Yes. Articles will, however, not automatically continue to the next article.
Q: Will text to speech be able to play through an external speaker?
A: Yes. We use built-in OS functionality to play articles. This means that the listener can play the sound directly from the phone or tablet, or they can play it through connected wifi- or bluetooth speakers
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