This unit was authored by Joeri Bruyninckx with the assistance of Esther Kamara and Stephanie Ochiel

Put simply, audio narratives use sound as a primary mode of storytelling. Audio narratives, in other words, are designed to be consumed by the ear, and aim to create particular auditory experiences for the user. Such narratives come in a wide variety. Drawing on actual vocal narration, interviews, soundtracks, archival sound clips, environmental ‘soundscapes’, sound effects, found sound, generative or interactive audio (such as sonifications), such narratives may use sound to develop conventional narrative elements such as character, plot and setting. But as we will see, they may also be more experimental and subvert such elements. This unit aims to acquaint you with this diversity, and provide you with the tools for listening critically to audio narratives.

In this lesson, you will:

• Be introduced to the notion and concept of 'audio narrative' and come to understand their possible forms.

• Understand how audio distinguishes itself as a strategy of narrative storytelling

• Understand how audio can reinforce such storytelling as well.