An audio letter is an
audio recording
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording t ...
sent by postal
mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...
to a recipient. The practice was more common when charges for
long-distance telephone services were higher and before the widespread use of the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
.
Discovered audio recordings offer a unique perspective into that time period and have often been used to present historical context in modern-day radio and television programs.
Media
Media used in recording audio letters include:
*
Wax cylinder
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low ...
*
Reel to reel
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, also called open-reel recording, is magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording tape is spooled between reels. To prepare for use, the ''supply reel'' (or ''feed reel'') containing the tape is plac ...
*
Cassette tape
*
MiniDisc
References
MPR Perspective on Vietnam wartime audio letters
External links
The Audio Kitchen
Letters (message)
Postal systems
Sound recording
Audio works
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