We are experimenting with Audio Playback as an option for some knols, starting with a handful of English language featured knols.
Click here to search for all Audio Knols.
Need to know more?
You can listen using our Flash player, or by downloading an mp3 file and using any mp3 player.
You can tell that a knol is available in audio format if this icon and link are visible near the Share and Print links:
Listen
Some sample knols available in audio are:
You can tell that a knol is available in audio format if this icon and link are visible near the Share and Print links:
ListenSome sample knols available in audio are:
- How to Backpack Everything you need to know to enjoy a week in the outdoors and be safe doing it.
- Buttermilk Pancakes Why make pancakes from scratch? The classic American pancake has many variations, but the buttermilk pancake is its highes... By Scott Jenson
- Eclipse Eclipses of the sun occur when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and eclipses of the moon occur when the... By Jay Pasachoff
- 2008 Presidential Election Policy Debates Leading think tanks debate key policy topics of this years election. They want to hear from you so please voice your opini...By Knol Debates
- Clean Energy 2030 Google's goal in presenting the Clean Energy 2030 proposal is to stimulate debate and we invite you to take a look and...
The Search Toolkit to help you find knols available in audio format. Just click on the checkbox labeled, "Show only knols that can be played back in audio form", or use this query. The number of audio knols will be limited for a while until we ramp up this service.
If this experiment is successful, we may make Audio Playback available to more knols in additional languages, and additional features. Let us know what you think at KnolHelp@google.com.
If this experiment is successful, we may make Audio Playback available to more knols in additional languages, and additional features. Let us know what you think at KnolHelp@google.com.
Text to Speech Technology
Knol's text-to-speech technology is provided by ReadSpeaker, as noted on their blog post.
Q: How do I get my knol converted to audio format.
It is not under author's control. We are currently publishing a small number of knols into audio each day, starting from the highest quality / most popular knols.
Q: How can I assure my knol sounds good when read back?
There are several things you can do:
FAQs on Knol Audio
Q: How do I get my knol converted to audio format.
It is not under author's control. We are currently publishing a small number of knols into audio each day, starting from the highest quality / most popular knols.
Q: How can I assure my knol sounds good when read back?
There are several things you can do:
- Avoid using contractions and colloquialisms. Use "we are" instead of "we're", "that is" instead of "that's". Your content will appear somewhat more formal, but that is appropriate for knols, being a more formal medium than blogs.
- If a table, image or chart appears in your text, be aware that it cannot be translated into audio. So, write your content so that the text alone is complete and fully expressive, and that essential information is not solely in visual format.
Q: Can you include audio ads as part of the audio playback?
We do not at this time include audio ads.
Gust MEES
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When would this option be available for the french Knols?
Any idea when this option is available for the french Knols?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Greetings.
Gust
Thank you for your interest. At the moment this is still English only, but we will look into providing text-to-speech in more languages. We cannot say when it might be available in French.
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Thanks for your quick answer.
I'm editing a website called "Knol infos" http://www.wmaker.ne
If some of you people would be interested, feel free to write an article on my website, your welcome. Let me know please if there is an interest for you and I will create some place for english spoken articles.
Thx
Gust
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William Wynn
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Works Great
The only problem is that when I downloaded an mp3 of the audio, the tagged duration and actual duration were completely different. The audio properties and any audio player I open it up in say the length is 59 minutes, when the file is really only 21 minutes long.
We're glad you like the feature. We are looking forward to using it more widely.
I reported the 59 vs 21 minute discrepancy, and we will look into it.
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Ashraf Al Shafaki
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Text to Speech Experimenting
Could also be a great accessibility feature for the visually challenged, specially when it reaches a state where it beats the quality of popular text-to-speech engines such as that of JAWS.
Best of luck Google.