User Recordings, Submissions & Responses

Overview

Overhear empowers you to create, contribute, and connect through audio. Whether you’re recording your own stories, contributing to community projects, or engaging with existing audio, our platform offers three distinct ways to share your voice.

  • User Recordings

User Recordings are your personal audio creations. When you record audio in Overhear, you’re creating a unique piece of audio that belongs to you and can be shared with the community.

Key Features

Personal Ownership

Every recording you create is linked to your account
You maintain full control over your recordings
Recordings are stored in your personal library for easy access

Flexible Creation

Record audio and pin it to your current location
Add titles, descriptions, and tags to organise your recording
Choose whether to make recordings part of a public or private project

Project Integration

Add your recordings to projects you’re part of
Create new projects for recording collections
Invite others to collaborate on your projects

Auto Moderation

Audio is transcribed and auto checked for age rating
Pins are not collectable until a rating is set
Takes 1-2 minutes before either cleared or flagged for review

How It Works

1. Move: Go to your desired location on the map

2. Record: Use the recording feature to capture your audio (must be within proximity of your current location)

3. Customise: Add metadata, tags, and choose your project

4. Save: Your recording is automatically added to your recordings library

5. Share: Your recording becomes available to others (if public)

  • Submissions

Submissions allow you to contribute your own audio recordings to existing pins in projects that welcome community contributions. This is your way to add your voice to established locations and stories.

Key Features

Contribute to Existing Pins

Submit recordings to pins that already exist in projects
Projects must have submissions enabled to accept contributions
Your submission becomes part of the pin’s album collection

Quality Assurance

All submissions go through moderation before publication
Projects can enable strict moderation for additional review
Ensures appropriate and high-quality recordings for the community

Multiple Contributions

You can submit multiple recordings to the same pin
Each submission is a separate contribution
Build on the stories and experiences shared by others

Location-Based Storytelling

Connect your recording to a specific location on the map
Add to the narrative of places you visit
Contribute to the collective memory of locations

How It Works

1. Select Project: Choose a project that accepts submissions (look for the ‘Submit’ button)

2. Choose Pin: Select an existing pin on the map where you want to contribute

3. Record: Create your audio recording

4. Submit: Add your recording with title, description, and tags

5. Moderation: Your submission is reviewed before being added to the pin’s album

6. Publication: Once approved, your recording appears in the pin’s collection

  • Responses​
Responses let you engage directly with recordings you’ve listened to. You can reply with either text or audio, creating conversations and connections around shared audio recordings.

Key Features

Flexible Response Types

Text Responses: Quick thoughts, comments, or written reactions
Audio Responses: Record your voice to continue the conversation
Choose the format that best expresses your response

Direct Engagement

Respond to any recording in projects with responses enabled Your response appears directly below the original recording Create threaded conversations around audio recordings

Personal Limits

One text response per recording
One audio response per recording
Edit or update your existing responses at any time

Community Dialogue

See all responses from other users
Build on conversations started by recordings
Create rich, multi-layered discussions

How It Works

1. Listen: Play a recording in a project with responses enabled

2. Respond: Choose to add a text or audio respons

3. Create: Write your text or record your audio response

4. Submit: Your response is saved and linked to the original recording

5. Display: Your response appears below the recording for others to see

Project Requirements

Projects must have Responses enabled to allow responses
Responses are auto-moderated to ensure appropriate content rating.
Responses can be viewed by anyone who listens to the original recording

Tips for Success

For User Recordings

Use descriptive titles and tags to help others discover your audio
Consider the story or message you want to convey
Think about which projects your recording might fit into

For Submissions

Listen to existing recordings at the pin to understand the context
Ensure your submission relates to the location and theme
Be patient during the moderation process

For Responses

Engage thoughtfully with the original audio
Consider whether text or audio best conveys your response
Build on the conversation rather than simply repeating information

Need Help?

If you have questions about creating recordings, making submissions, or adding responses, check our help documentation or contact support. We’re here to help you share your voice with the Overhear community.
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