Recording Sounds!

Thanks to the Snake Days event and TPWD, you can now document observations by recording sounds! Sounds are a great way to post observations of frogs that you can hear, but can't photograph. Even if you can get a photograph of the frog, the call can be helpful for identification. With some species, such as Gray Treefrogs, the calls are essential to identification. In addition, sound recordings not only document the species, they are a great way to document an amphibian community by documenting the number of calling individuals of different species at a particular place and time. This is an exciting tool, and we are looking forward to what we might hear.

Currently, you have to upload your recording to SoundCloud, and then add the recording to the observation online. SoundCloud has a great app that you can use to record sounds with your smartphone, but you can also upload any recording from any device to your SoundCloud account. We hope that sounds will eventually be incorporated into the iNaturalist mobile app, but for now the easiest way to document sounds is with the SoundCloud app.

Suggested steps for adding a sound to an observation:

  1. Sign up for a SoundCloud account: www.soundcloud.com
  2. Download a sound recording app.
    -For Android you can use the Soundcloud App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soundcloud.android&hl=en
    -For iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiocopy/id719137307?mt=8

  3. Record a sound in the field. Be sure to name it with a unique name and location. The app does not automatically record the date, time, and location.
  4. Add an iNaturalist observation to record the date, time, and location. Be sure to note the unique name of the sound recording.
  5. When you get back to your computer, link your iNaturalist account to SoundCloud. There is a link to connect to SoundCloud when you edit your profile. If you are not linked to SoundCloud, you will be prompted to link to SoundCloud when you add a sound to an observation.
  6. Edit your observation, and click on “Add sounds” in the upper right hand corner.
  7. You should see a list of your sounds on SoundCloud. Click on the box next to your sound recording, and then “Save observation” at the bottom of the page.

Remember, you can post sounds in addition to photographs or based on sounds alone. Either way, we are excited about this new tool and looking forward to hearing some sounds!

Posted on July 17, 2013 04:34 PM by cullen cullen

Comments

Thanks for the info, I have been scratching my head over how to upload my recordings.

Posted by kucycads almost 8 years ago

I hope we can get away from using Soundcloud eventually. Being able to upload mp3s directly to Inaturalist would certainly make adding sounds easier.

Posted by sandboa almost 8 years ago

To get GPS coordinates associated with the sound, use the EasyGPS app. In EasyGPS after getting a GPS location, tap it. The location will then be on the clipboard. Then in AudioCopy when sharing, tap the description twice. A "paste" menu will appear. Tap it, and the GPS location will go into the description.

Posted by dan_johnson over 7 years ago

I know that I'm slow with technology, but is it impossible to link a Soundcloud account without downloading apps? Whenever I click on "link to soundcloud" in iNat, it takes me here. Which is unproductive.

Edit:

Figured it out. For anyone else running into this issue, you need to be signed into iNaturalist.ORG

Trying to do it from iNaturalist.CA just redirects you here.

Posted by e-aus-kanada almost 7 years ago

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