Optimal specifications for MP3 and WAV files

[Scott Sayre]

Hi-
We have noticed that some sound files are playing back at a volume that is lower than a normal phone call or the TTS generated voice. We are guessing that this has something to do with the sampling rate and amplitude of the MP3 and WAV files.

Does any one have advice on how to produce the clearest, loudest files possible?

Are there any recommended specifications for producing optimal quality audio playback?

Many thanks in advance.

[support]

The lower volume can be easily corrected by normalizing the audio file on your IVR system. Most audio recording tools will allow you to normalize your audio files. By normalizing all of your audio files to the same value (usually 90 to 95 percent) you can ensure fairly consistent volume.

[Scott Sayre]

The lower volume can be easily corrected by normalizing the audio file. Most audio recording tools will allow you to normalize your audio files. By normalizing all of your audio files to the same value (usually 90 to 95 percent) you can ensure fairly consistent volume.

Yes, we do this for all of our files.
Do you have any technical specifications for what the best kbps and sample rate for MP3 files and and WAV files?

[support]

The optimal values for wav files can be found at this IVR post: http://support.plumvoice.com/viewtopic.php?t=3

Similarly, MP3s should be recorded at 8kHz. A 32Kbps bit rate should be sufficient for these MP3 recordings.