Create Audio QR Codes for Free
Attach a recording to a physical place or object, playable in the browser with no app to install.
Why it works
Why use an audio qr code?
No app, no hardware, no deposit — the visitor uses the phone they already have.
The recording can be replaced without touching the printed label, so a re-recorded or re-translated track reuses the same code.
It works where reading doesn't: in front of an exhibit, on a walking route, or while handling a product.
Every scan is tracked, so you can see which stops on a trail or exhibits in a room are actually being listened to.
What it is
What is an Audio QR Code?
An audio QR code opens a page with a player for a hosted audio file — an MP3, M4A, OGG or WAV. Visitors press play and listen in the browser, with no app to install. You provide a link to the audio file, and because the code is dynamic you can point it at a different recording later without reprinting.
Audio is the right medium in a specific and fairly common situation: when someone's eyes are busy and their hands are full. A visitor standing in front of a painting wants to look at the painting, not read a phone. Someone walking a heritage trail is watching where they're going. A shopper holding a product wants to keep holding it.
This is why gallery audio guides existed decades before smartphones, and why they used to require handing out hardware. A QR code beside the exhibit replaces the rented handset, the deposit, the cleaning, and the queue — the visitor uses the device already in their pocket.
“Audio is what you reach for when someone's eyes are busy and their hands are full.”
See it in action
What happens when someone scans your audio qr code
Visitor scans the code beside the exhibit
Unqode SmartQR serves the player page
They press play and keep looking at the object
Getting started
How to create one, step by step
Host your audio file
Your website, a podcast host, or any service that gives a direct link to the file. You'll paste that link.
Add a title and who it's by
Both appear above the player — the track name and the show, artist, or institution.
Write a short description
A sentence or two under the player, for anyone deciding whether to listen.
Print the code where the listening happens
Beside the exhibit, on the trail marker, on the shelf edge — at the point where the recording is relevant.
In practice
Popular uses for an audio qr code
Museum and gallery labels
a curator's commentary beside the work itself.
Heritage and walking trails
a narrated stop at each marker along the route.
Musicians
a track or EP preview on a gig poster or merchandise.
Publishers
an audiobook sample on a shelf-talker or the back of a jacket.
Wineries and distilleries
a maker's note about the bottle you're holding.
Accessibility
a spoken version of printed information, for anyone who finds reading it difficult.
Where it's used
Industries where an audio qr code is a common fit
Audio QR Code at a glance
0
apps for a visitor to install before listening
1
printed label, however many times the recording changes
Live
scan analytics per stop or exhibit
Every type, in one place
Explore all 25 QR code types
Audio QR Code not quite what you need? Browse the rest of Unqode SmartQR's QR code types below.
URL / Website
Link to any website — static or dynamic and editable later
WiFi Network
Join a WiFi network in one scan, no password typing
Opens a pre-filled email with subject and body ready to send
Starts a WhatsApp chat with your business pre-loaded
Social Media
Sends scanners straight to one social media profile
Landing Page
Builds a full landing page hosted right on the QR code
Google Maps
Drops a pin and opens turn-by-turn directions in Maps
Coupon / Discount
Reveals a discount code or offer the moment it's scanned
A/B Split URL
Splits scans between two destinations to test what works
Image Gallery
Shows a whole set of photos from one printed code
UPI Payment
Opens any UPI app with your payment details filled in
Crypto Payment
Opens a Bitcoin or BIP-21 wallet, address filled in
vCard Contact
Saves a full contact card straight to a phone's address book
PDF Document
Open a menu, brochure, or manual as a scannable PDF
SMS
Opens a pre-filled text message ready to send in one tap
Phone Call
Dials a number directly on scan, no typing needed
App Store
Detects iOS or Android and opens the matching app store
Plain Text
Displays plain text instantly — no app or link required
Event / Calendar
Adds an event straight to a phone's calendar app
Feedback / Rating
Collects ratings and reviews right after a visit
Video
Plays a video on a mobile-friendly page you can update
Restaurant Menu
A phone-first menu you can reprice in seconds
Google Review
Opens your Google review box, skipping the search
SEPA Transfer
Pre-fills a euro bank transfer in banking apps
Getting it right
Best practices for audio qr codes
The code itself rarely goes wrong — how it's set up and where it's placed is what determines whether people actually use it.
Put the runtime next to the code
'Scan to listen — 90 seconds' converts far better than an unlabelled code. People are deciding whether they have time, and an honest number helps them say yes.
Keep each recording to one idea
One exhibit, one stop, one track. A twenty-minute file covering a whole room means nobody can find the part about the object in front of them.
Compress before you publish
A few megabytes is plenty for spoken word. A large uncompressed file is slow to start on mobile data, and the visitor gives up during the silence.
Say headphones are welcome
In a quiet gallery, people hesitate to play audio out loud. A line encouraging headphones removes the awkwardness and increases how many actually listen.
Which type to use
Other QR types worth pairing with audio qr codes
Questions
Frequently asked questions about audio qr codes
Not currently — you paste a link to an audio file that's already hosted, whether that's your own website, a podcast host, or a cloud drive with direct-link sharing. Direct upload isn't available yet, so it's worth knowing before you plan a project around it.
Ready to create your audio qr code?
Free plan includes 3 dynamic QR codes and 500 scans/month.