How do you share audio on Tumblr?

Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking platform that allows users to post content in various forms including text, photos, quotes, links, chats, audio, and videos. Tumblr gained popularity in the late 2000s and early 2010s, especially among teens and young adults looking for an alternative to mainstream social media sites.

According to “How Tumblr Became Popular for Being Obsolete” on New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-tumblr-became-popular-for-being-obsolete), Tumblr had a brief era of popularity between 2011-2014 before seeing a decline in active users. However, it still maintains an active community of bloggers and creatives sharing multimedia content.

One of the ways users can share content on Tumblr is through audio files. Tumblr allows users to upload audio, embed audio from other sites, create audio posts, leave audio comments, reblog audio posts from other users, use audio tags for discoverability, and create audio playlists.

Introduction

Uploading Audio Files

Tumblr supports uploading audio in the MP3 format. The maximum file size for an MP3 is 10MB (Tumblr – Audio). To upload an audio file from your computer:

1. Click the “+” icon to create a new post
2. Click “Audio” on the post editor
3. Click “Upload audio” and select the MP3 file from your computer
4. The file will begin uploading. Large files may take some time.

Once uploaded, you can edit the metadata for the audio including the title, artist name, album name, and add optional artwork. Customizing the metadata helps identify your audio files (What is the MP3 Upload Limit on Tumblr?).

Embedding Audio

You can embed audio from other platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, etc. directly into your Tumblr posts.

To embed from SoundCloud, go to the audio file you want to embed, click Share > Embed, and copy the embed code. Paste the embed code into your Tumblr post editor. The audio player will show up when you publish the post.

For Spotify, go to the audio file and click the three dots next to it. Select Share > Embed Code and copy the embed code to your Tumblr post.

YouTube also allows embedding audio-only files. Simply get the embed code from any YouTube video and paste it into your Tumblr post editor.

Other platforms like Bandcamp have similar options to generate embed codes for audio files. The embedded players allow listeners to play the audio without leaving Tumblr.

Audio Posts

One of the most popular ways to share audio on Tumblr is through dedicated audio posts. You can easily create audio posts by uploading MP3, WAV, or OGG files directly to Tumblr’s servers.

When creating an audio post, you have several options for customizing how the audio player appears and functions. For example, you can choose between a simple play button or a more robust player with playback controls. You can also select auto-play so the audio starts immediately when the post loads. Additionally, you can toggle looping on or off depending on if you want the audio to replay continuously.

To further customize audio posts, you can edit the player’s color scheme to match your blog’s theme, and add customizable large or mini players. For more info, refer to Tumblr’s help article on customizing audio players.

The audio post options give you flexibility to share all kinds of audio content in an engaging way. Whether you want to highlight a key song, share an interview clip, or create an ambient background soundtrack, audio posts make it easy to do so right within Tumblr.

Audio Comments

Tumblr allows users to add audio clips in the comments section of posts. Here’s how to add audio comments on both desktop and mobile:

On Desktop:

• Click on the comment box below a post
• Click the musical note icon to open the audio recorder
• Record your comment by clicking the red record button. Stop when finished.
• Preview your recording.
• Click Post to publish it.

On Mobile:

• Tap the comments icon below a post
• Tap the musical note icon to open the audio recorder
• Record your comment by tapping the red record button. Stop when finished.
• Preview your recording.
• Tap Post.

There are a few guidelines to follow when adding audio comments on Tumblr:

• Audio comments are limited to 1 minute in length (Tumblr Support, https://help.tumblr.com/hc/en-us/articles/230871567-Audio)
• Only add audio comments that are relevant to the post and contribute to the discussion
• Keep comments constructive and avoid negativity
• Respect others’ privacy and do not share personal/identifying information

Audio Reblogs

Reblogging is a great way to share audio on Tumblr. To reblog audio, find a post with the audio file you want to share and click the reblog icon (the circular arrow). This will open up a reblog window where you can add your own text or comments.

When you reblog an audio post, the audio player will be included and playable in your reblogged post. People visiting your blog can listen to the track without leaving your site.

You can also add your own commentary when reblogging audio. In the reblog window, write your thoughts in the text box above the reblogged audio player. This allows you to provide context or your reaction to the track.

According to “How to post as many songs a day to tumblr as you’d like” by thisishangingrockcomics.tumblr.com, there is no limit on the number of audio reblogs you can post per day. So reblogging is a great way to share lots of music and audio content with your followers.

Audio Tags

Tagging your audio posts properly can help Tumblr users find and engage with your content. Here are some tips for optimizing tags on audio posts:

Use relevant keywords that describe the audio content itself. For example, tag a song with the song title, artist name, lyrics, genre, etc. Tag recordings of speeches or podcasts with the speaker name, topic, episode name, etc.

Include tags that characterize the audio, like #audio, #music, #podcast, #asmr, or #audiobook. This helps users find audio content when searching/browsing tags.

Use tags to specify the format like #mp3, #wav, #flac, etc. People may search for specific formats.

Add relevant niche community tags to help the right audiences discover your audio. For example, tag gaming podcasts with #gaming or #letsplay.

Use tags to describe the mood or feeling of audio like #chill, #happy, #angry, etc. This helps match sounds to people’s current mood.

Include your personal audio tags consistently so followers can find all of your audio posts. For example, preface with your username like #usernameaudio.

Optimize tags for search by using natural language phrases people may search for. For example, #best gaming podcast or #studying white noise.

Check tag search results to see if your tags are effective. Refine tags if your audio isn’t appearing for relevant searches.

Use up to 20-30 tags per post to cover main keywords without going overboard. Be selective with tags so they all relate closely to the specific audio.

Audio Playlists

Tumblr allows users to create audio playlists to share multiple songs or audio files in one post. To create a playlist, simply add multiple audio blocks when composing a new post. Each audio block will contain one song or audio file. The playlist will play the audio files sequentially in the order they are added.

To share the playlist, publish the post containing the multiple audio blocks. The playlist will appear in the post and play automatically when the post loads. Readers can click through each audio track in the playlist.

Other Tumblr users can follow your audio playlists similar to following a normal blog. Whenever you publish a new playlist, it will appear in their dashboard. Playlists are an easy way to share playlists of your favorite music or audio content with your followers.

The Tumblr audio player allows for unlimited playlist length. You can add as many tracks as you want to create playlists of any size. Some custom Tumblr themes and widgets like StreamPad also include advanced playlist creation and management features.

Promoting Audio

There are several best practices for promoting your audio content on Tumblr to reach more listeners:

Use relevant hashtags and tags in your posts so your audio shows up in searches. Some popular music hashtags to try include #music, #newmusic, #nowplaying, and #listen. You can also tag the genre, mood, or topic of your audio.

Engage with your followers by liking and reblogging their posts. This helps build relationships and may lead to cross-promotions.

Share your audio frequently but avoid spamming. Aim for 1-2 posts per day to stay active without overwhelming your followers.

Promote new releases across multiple platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Cross-post links to your Tumblr audio to increase exposure.

Run contests and giveaways to incentivize sharing your audio with others. Offer prizes like free merchandise for reblogs.

Use high-quality visuals like album artwork or eye-catching graphics to make your audio posts stand out.

Ask fans to tag you if they use your audio. Repost fan creations like playlists to appreciate them.

Link to your audio prominently in your Tumblr bio and pin feature posts with your best tracks.

Analyze your posts’ notes and engagement to see which audio resonates most with your audience.

Analytics

You can gain key insights into how your audio is performing on Tumblr by utilizing Google Analytics. This free tool allows you to track metrics like:

• Number of listens and interactions on audio posts
• Most popular audio content
• Visitor demographics and behavior

By connecting your Tumblr account to Google Analytics, you can view detailed analytics on your audio posts. This includes plays, likes, reblogs and more. You can see which audio is resonating best with your audience.

Analytics provide the hard data to optimize your audio strategy. Focus on creating more content in popular genres. Pay attention to listener drop-off rates to improve audio quality. With data insights, you can tailor your audio approach for maximum engagement.