The Boston Audissey: The MP3/iPod Walking Tour of Boston

The MP3 player began its surge of global popularity based on its ability to play high quality music in a portable form factor and we estimate 20 million MP3 players will be sold globally in 2005. Interestingly, the rise of the MP3 player has also caused the birth of podcasting and now we’re seeing peripheral and associated markets dependent on the MP3 player begin to emerge – such as downloadable personal trainers and now downloadable audio tours. Last week Audissey Guides announced the release of The Boston Audissey, an MP3/iPod compatible walking tour through one of America's most legendary cities. Combining a downloadable and printable on-line map, the tour combines haunting sound effects and musical scores with fourteen different Bostonians narrating the tour through 27 sites with vivid accounts of historical events that happened at each spot. No doubt there'll be more interesting uses of the MP3 player but we like this idea and the implementation.

"Now people can experience the Boston Tea Party on their iPod," said Rob Pyles, a 27-year old Bostonian and Executive Producer of The Boston Audissey. "MP3 technology allowed us to use music and sound effects to really make the stories come alive."

"It's exciting to see this generation experience Boston's history in a new way," said Pat Moscaritolo, President & CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitor Bureau.

The tour focuses largely on the city's "secret" sites. Listeners walk in the footsteps of fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad on Beacon Hill, and visit the former headquarters of the Boston Mafia in the North End.

Fourteen Bostonians narrate the tour, providing true local flavor. Narrators include:

Dicky Barrett of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Luigi "Big Lou" DeMarco, an authority on the Italian North End Michael Patrick MacDonald, best-selling author of All Souls: a Family Story from Southie

"It's our hometown," said Big Lou. "And we all bring our own personality to the tour."

The Boston Audissey lets people experience Boston independently-away from groups and trolleys. The 78-minute tour includes a map that leads listeners to each site, making even the timid tourist feel like a modern-day Indiana Jones.

"When you walk to these places and hear what someone experienced, time stands still," said Pyles. "Even a street corner can become a sacred place."

Where to Buy

The Boston Audissey is available on MP3 for US$12.95 and CD for US$19.95 at the Audissey Guides web site.