# About Soundslides 3
# Frequently asked questions
# What is Soundslides?
Soundslides is a rapid-production tool for creating Web slide shows synched to an audio track. Version 3 of the application is cloud-based and runs in your web browser. Soundslides combines images sequentially with an audio track, with an emphasis on timing an image slide with a particular section of audio (as opposed to the audio merely playing in the background).
# Who uses Soundslides?
The Soundslides application has been around since 2005, and has been utilized by photographers, audio storytellers, podcasters, and other communications professionals.
The application has been used in the past by entities from journalism (BBC, NYTimes, WashPost) to governmental orgs (WHO, World Bank) to countless individuals. It also found a place as a platform for lectures and other long-form presentations.
# How is Soundslides 3.0 different from the original Soundslides software?
The original Soundslides software (Soundslides 1 and Soundslides Plus 1) were desktop applications available for OS X and Windows platforms. These applications exported to the now-obsolete Flash Player format.
Soundslides 3 is a cloud-based application. There is no software to install on your computer, rather you load the application in your web browser.
# What formats does Soundslides 3 create?
Soundslides’s main output is not a video file, but rather a web presentation (HTML5/JavaScript). Hosting is provided by Soundslides, so there’s nothing to upload to your web server. Soundslides hosts the files and you can link to the presentation or embed it in your website.
Soundslides can also export a video file for you to download. After downloading your show in video format, you can upload it to most social media services or distribute the file directly to clients.
# Is Web space included with Soundslides 3?
Web hosting of your shows is included. The amount of space is determined by your subscription tier.
# Does Soundslides 3 use the Flash plug-in?
No. The current version of Soundslides (version 3, 2019) does not use Flash.
# What kind of media can Soundslides 3 import?
Images are imported using the jpeg or png format. Audio can be in any of the following formats: .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .aiff, .ogg, .aac.
# How many images can Soundslides 3 import?
Shows can contain up to 360 images per show, however less than 120 is ideal to ensure quick loading on a variety of platforms.
# How do I control the length of an audio slide show?
The length depends on the length of the audio track, which also serves as the timing track. If you have a 30-second audio track, you will have a 30-second audio slide show.
# Can Soundslides 3 edit audio?
No. You'll need to create a single audio track, then import it. This is easy to do with audio-editing software, such as Audacity, a free, open-source editor for Mac OS X and Windows.
# Can Soundslides 3 import video?
Not at this time. We are constantly improving Soundslides adapting them to customer requests.
# What are the benefits of a paid account for Soundslides 3?
Unpaid trial accounts are limited to 5 shows, and a 14-day evaluation period. After the trial, you will need a paid account to continue to use the application.
# I have a Soundslides 1.x license. Does that get me a free account for Soundslides 3?
Soundslides 3 is an entirely new application, developed and sold by an entirely different company (see History below). You will need a paid account to continue using Soundslides 3 after your trial has ended.
# History
# Soundslides 1.0
Soundslides 1.0 was released by Joe Weiss on August 21, 2005 as an OS X application. The desktop application exported to Adobe's then-ubiquitous Flash Player format. A Windows version was released in July 2006, with an advanced edition named Soundslides Plus added in mid-2007.
From 2005 to 2012, Soundslides applications were produced by Soundslides, LLC from offices in North Carolina and Indiana.
In May 2012, the Soundslides business was acquired by a newly-created entity named Soundslides Corp., a California company. After a brief transition period, Weiss left to work on other projects.
Following Adobe's deprecation of its Flash Player technology, Soundslides 1.9 was itself deprecated in December 2018.
# Soundslides 2.0
Developed by Soundslides Corp., this iOS-based application was not officially released.
Soundslides Corp. closed in December 2018.
# Soundslides 3.0
In January 2019, Joe Weiss, now working at Tungite Labs, re-acquired the Soundslides name and domains from its previous owner.
On August 21, 2019, Tungite Labs released Soundslides 3, a newly-developed-from-scratch web-based version of Soundslides.
# Terms
Soundslides's Term of Service is available at https://app.soundslides.com/terms.
# Privacy policy
View our privacy policy at https://app.soundslides.com/privacy.
# Software libraries
# Open source
Soundslides 3 would not be possible without the use of open source software. Major libraries include:
https://github.com/vuejs/vuepress
https://github.com/bootstrap-vue/bootstrap-vue
https://github.com/LeCoupa/vuedarkmode
https://github.com/sampotts/plyr
https://github.com/axios/axios
https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg
https://github.com/django/django
https://github.com/Miserlou/Zappa
Soundslides 3 uses an LGPL-3.0 licensed fork of the BBC's incredible Peaks.js project. Our fork is currently unmodified, though we are not up-to-date with the BBC's master branch. Any modification we make will be released as LGPL-3.0 to our fork's GitHub repository.
Tungite Labs, LLC contributes financially to the VueJS and Zappa projects via Patreon.
# Proprietary
Soundslides 3 uses proprietary software in addition to open source software. Tungite Labs, LLC purchases and maintains a use-appropriate license for these products. Acquired licenses cover Soundslides users and their creations as necessary.