A guide at every object.
Audio in the visitor's language, a transcript for those who cannot listen, and a way to give at the exit, all behind codes small enough for a label.
The sample setup at a glance
- codes in the sample setup
- 6
- hosted pages among them
- 5
- recommended plan
- Pro
- a month, or $12 a month billed yearly
- $15
Problems we fix
What goes wrong, and what Dotwick does about it
A label has room for fifty words
The label carries a code that plays a longer story as audio or video. Replace the file when the curator rewrites it; the label stays.
From StarterAudio guides are expensive hardware, and visitors speak many languages
Visitors use their own phones. A language route sends a phone set to French to the French audio.
From StarterDonations at the exit are cash only
A Payment page offers PayPal, a Stripe Payment Link or a bank transfer. The money goes to your provider, not through us.
From Starter
A worked example
A season at Northwind Museum of Maps
A museum with four galleries and twelve highlight objects. It has no budget for audio-guide hardware and a visitor mix that is a third from abroad.
Northwind Museum of Maps is a sample business. The codes, pages and rules are real Dotwick features.
- 01
Spring
Record once
The curator records a two-minute English audio guide for each highlight object, and the museum has it recorded in French, German and Spanish. Each file becomes an MP3 code: twelve objects in four languages is 48 codes.
- Highlight audio (12 objects, 4 languages)
- 02
Spring
The label carries the English code
The label for each object carries the English code. A language route on it sends phones set to French, German or Spanish to that language's code for the same object. A route opens a web address, so each points at the short link of that audio code.
- Highlight audio (12 objects, 4 languages)
- 03
Spring
A transcript beside it
Next to the audio code, a smaller code opens a Text page with the same words, for visitors who are deaf, hard of hearing or in a noisy gallery.
- Transcripts (twelve)
- 04
Opening day
WiFi before anything else
The basement gallery has poor signal, so the entrance carries a static WiFi code for the guest network, and the audio files are small.
- Guest WiFi
- 05
Summer
The exit and the ticket
A Payment page by the donation box offers PayPal, a Stripe Payment Link and a bank transfer. The ticket carries a Link page with a map, the café and the shop, and a time route shows opening hours and membership after closing time.
- Support the museum
- Ticket page
- 06
Autumn
Where visitors linger
Scans of the room-entrance video and of each object show which galleries and objects get attention, by hour. The curator swaps the least-used audio for a better one.
- Highlight audio (12 objects, 4 languages)
- Gallery introductions
The codes in this setup
What to watch in this setup. The museum watches scans per object and per room by hour, the language mix of the routes, and donation-page visits against the amounts in its payment provider.
Where the codes go
- 01MP3
Object label
A guide in the visitor's language, played in the browser.
- 02Text
Beside the label
The same words as a transcript, for visitors who cannot listen.
- 03Video
Room entrance
A short introduction from the curator.
- 04Payment
Exit and donation box
Give by card, PayPal or bank transfer. We never see card numbers.
- 05Link Page
Ticket
Map, café and shop, with opening hours after closing.
How museums & galleries set it up
- 01
Record and upload
One MP3 per object and language, up to 50 MB each. Keep them short, since many visitors are on mobile data.
- 02
Route by language
Put the English code on the label and add a language route for each other language.
- 03
Add a transcript
A Text page with the same words, linked by a second small code beside the first.
- 04
Test in the gallery
Scan from where a visitor stands, in the gallery's light and with its signal.
Measure it
What to measure
The numbers worth looking at, and where each one lives.
- Scans per object
- Each audio code's analytics
- Language mix
- The rule breakdown of the English code
- Scans per room by hour
- The room-entrance codes' analytics
- Donation page visits
- The payment code's analytics. Amounts are in your payment provider
Print it right
Print it right
Size for reading distance
A label is read from about 30 cm, but a visitor may stand back from a rope. Pick the distance in the editor, print the test sheet, and scan it at the label.
Matte and unobtrusive
Gallery light is directional. A matte label with a clear white border reads better than a glossy one, and spoils the exhibit less.
Explain it in words
A line like Scan to listen, in the languages of your visitors, tells people what the code is for.
How big to print it
These sizes are for a typical dynamic code. The editor's Where will it go? step works out yours, and the test sheet lets you scan before the print run.
Honest notes
What to watch in museums & galleries
Offer a transcript for every recording
A transcript is part of making audio usable, and the W3C accessibility guidelines ask for text alternatives to audio. We have not audited your pages, so check them yourself.
Check the signal first
Pages need a connection. Basements and thick walls can have none, so offer guest WiFi, with a static WiFi code at the entrance, and test in the worst gallery.
A geofence is too coarse for a room
Dotwick can open a code only inside an area, but the smallest area is a radius of 50 m and the visitor must allow location. It is not precise enough for this room or that case.
Which plan
Which plan fits
Our pick
Pro
$15/ monthor $12 / month billed yearly
14-day free trial
Twelve objects in four languages, with a transcript for each, take well over fifty dynamic codes. Pro gives 100, with language routes and a Payment page.
Start 14-day trialCompare every planWhat each plan covers here
- Free$0 / month
Static codes only, unlimited: a WiFi code or a map pin. No object pages and no changes after printing.
- Starter$7 / month
A small gallery with up to 20 codes: audio for a few objects, a payment page and an opening-hours route.
- Pro$15 / month
This museum: 100 dynamic codes, language routes, unlimited hosted pages and 3 seats with 10 free viewers.
- Business$49 / month
Every object in four languages (500 dynamic codes), folder permissions per gallery and a locked brand.
QR code templates for this industry
Scan-tested designs for the places it gets printed, ready to restyle in the editor.
Questions about museums & galleries
How small can a code on a label be?
It depends on how far visitors stand. Pick the distance in the editor, print the test sheet and scan it at the label. The editor never suggests less than 2 cm.
Can visitors hear the guide in their language?
Yes. A language route sends a phone set to French to the French audio. Make one audio code per language, and route from the English one.
What about deaf visitors?
Add a transcript on a Text page and put its code beside the audio code. The page's words are yours.
Do donations go through Dotwick?
No. The Payment page links to your Stripe Payment Link, PayPal or bank details. We never see card numbers or touch the money.
What if there is no signal in a gallery?
Pages need a connection. Offer guest WiFi with a static WiFi code at the entrance, and test in the weakest gallery before you print the labels.
Can we change a label's audio later?
Yes. Replace the file, and the label stays. A printed code also keeps working for 90 days if payment ever stops.
Print it once. Change it whenever you like.
Static codes are free forever. Dynamic codes start with a free trial, and a printed dynamic code keeps working: we never swap it for an ad.
Start freeYour printed code keeps working. No ads, no swaps.