WildeMouth

How Live Audio Description Works

At a live, in-person event, the Describer, located either in an isolated space or in the audience, speaks into a microphone:

Martin in a spot booth looking out over the Nederlander Theater. He wears headphones and is seated before a microphone with his notes laid out on a table.
Martin in the spot booth with an open mic at Chicago’s Nederlander Theater.
Martin describing the convention from an open booth high above the United Center floor using a stenographers mask and wearing headphones.
Martin at Chicago’s United Center using a stenographer’s mask mic during the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

The microphone signal is fed into a transmitter that broadcasts the description into the venue. Patrons use individual, venue-supplied receivers equipped with headsets or earbuds to listen to the description.

Front and back panel product photos of the Williams T45 FM transmitter.
FM radio transmitter
Product photo of the Williams R37 FM receiver beside a pair of over-the-ear headphones.
Receiver with an over-the-ear headset.

Live Audio Description may be voiced extemporaneously or read from a script prepared by the Describer in advance.

Contact us to explore Live Audio Description for your next event.