Click here for a comprehensive list of hints and instructions for Audiominutes
Audiominutes Instructions

With Audiominutes you can record your own message that will be played when the mute button is pressed. This is how you do it:

Firstly, download the sound software Audacity from here: https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Go to edit ->preferences -> device and set Recording channels to 1 (Mono), then, still in preferences, select the quality tab and select default sample rate at 11025 Hz and Default Sample Format to 16-bit.

OK, you are ready to record your message – why not add a jingle too? here is an example

When you are happy with the results, go to the file menu and select Export Audio -> Save as Type -> Other Uncompressed Files. If you click the Options button you should see settings RAW (Header-less) and Signed 16 bit PCM.

Export your file with the filename adjournment.M16 (this is the filename recognised by Audiominutes. Now all you need to do is move that file to the Audiominutes/customsounds folder on your tablet. If no file with that name is present in that folder Audiomintes will play the standard mute message. If your new file is in the right place, in the right format and is correctly named, then your new audio will play. Good luck

Spreading the word at Basildon Borough Council

As an open and transparent public body, Basildon Borough Council has been recording and publishing its full Council public meetings on their website since April 2013. Technology has moved on, so to improve accessibility still further, other Council Committee meetings will now be recorded and published, and made easier to find by presenting links on the normal agenda page for the meeting in question.

Julie Batt, Senior Governance Officer at Basildon Borough Council said “We all have busy lives these days so we want to make our meetings more accessible to keep residents involved in local decision making.”

The new service launches tonight (6th September 2016) with the Planning Committee, so you can listen after the meeting by following this link. (https://www.basildonmeetings.info/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=709&MId=5891)

In a bizarre twist at a Saffron Walden Town Council Planning and Road Traffic Committee meeting, Leader Paul Gadd [Residents 4 Utllesford] refused to allow microphones to be used to record proceedings.  Perhaps a wax cylinder and needle was what he had in mind when local company; Audiominutes was asked to make a free recording of tonight’s meeting. “I had gone to some trouble to organise a set of microphones at the last minute for Lisa Courtney of SWTC, only to be told that, although recording had been agreed, the council would need to discuss and vote on the matter of the use of microphones for recording. If that’s an indication of the level of debate at Town Council meetings then, in my opinion, Saffron Walden residents have quite a lot to be concerned about” said Antony Redfern from Audiominutes.

According to Wikipedia, use of the Phonograph cylinder died out around 100 years ago, so finding a local contractor to meet R4U needs might be a challenge!

With Audiominutes, councils can use a checksum to prove that audio files are a digitally ‘bit perfect’ copy of the original and have therefore, not been edited; it will be interesting to see how this level of assurance is achieved in wax.

Connect to GlobalCharge

Audiominutes can send out Tweets on your behalf either at the beginning and end of each meeting or at the beginning, end, and when each agenda item is reached. Firstly you have to set up aa ‘app’ within Twitter, then provide us with credentials that allow us to Tweet ‘as you’. You can revoke this permission at any time.

Firstly, log into your Twitter account, go to https://apps.twitter.com/ and click on ‘Create New App‘. Now please fill in the details to create your application.

Now click as shown to create your application tokens

Please just follow the instructions:

Now please copy these details (perhaps using a screenshot) and email them to support@audiominutes.com – we’ll let you know when your keys have been added. You can then turn on or off tweets from the settings menu on the Audiominutes app.