Soundtrap for Education is a cloud-based, audio-creating platform that enables teachers to follow the latest STEAM curricula and meet learning standards through music, podcasts, language, literacy training, and other sound recordings. Soundtrap for Education integrates seamlessly with Noteflight, Flat.io, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Schoology, and MusicFirst. Because it works across platforms and devices, students can collaborate on projects anywhere at any time. It is very easy to use, enabling learners to embrace the technology because it mirrors the intuitive nature of the other social and educational platforms they use daily. The platform has received a number of awards and recognitions, including the 2020 EdTech Breakthrough Award for Music Education Solution of the Year.

 

Formats/platforms used:

Soundtrap’s web-based platform works across all Wi-Fi-connected devices and all operating systems. It is especially suited for today’s mobile-intense generation because students and teachers can access their works-in-progress from any device. Projects are saved in a safe, protected environment and can be accessed at any time, from anywhere.

 

Website URL

https://www.soundtrap.com/edu/

 

Problem solved:

Soundtrap for Education offers endless possibilities for teachers and students to explore creative sound-making through podcasting, audio stories, music creation and more. The cloud-based studio offers a safe learning environment that can be accessed via any device, at any time, and offers a variety of features to make music making and storytelling simple and collaborative for everyone.

For music creation, the studio combines the use of traditional and digital instruments into a single platform. Students can use the built-in amplifier to connect their microphone, guitar or any other instrument and record directly into the studio, or access an extensive collection of quality loops, effects and software instruments directly within the studio to begin composing new tracks.

Teachers are also using the online studio to elevate student voice and engage with content in new ways through podcasting and audio stories. Students can record their own ideas, as well as conduct remote or in-person interviews to capture a variety of perspectives. Last year, Soundtrap released its interactive transcript feature, a game-changing tool for podcasting and audio story creation. The feature transforms spoken words into text so that students and teachers can directly edit audio recordings as they would a text document.

Soundtrap is an effective tool both in the classroom and in a remote or hybrid learning environment, giving all students an opportunity to stay connected to one another and their teacher, to collaborate and/or work asynchronously, and to do their work within a safe, secure environment on any device.

 

Grade or age range:

K-12 through Higher Ed

 

Additional information:

Soundtrap has been used in all subject areas, including music, math, history, science and more. Podcasting projects bring presentations to life across the curriculum. The versatile, accessible platform also keeps music education alive, including in schools who transitioned to remote or hybrid learning during the pandemic.

Accessibility features also make Soundtrap a great fit for learners with special needs. These features include transcription, progress monitoring and alignment to special education programs, activities to support students with dyslexia in practicing their reading skills, and lessons to support English language learners.

 

Lesson time needed:

Soundtrap fits within your existing curriculum, rather than requiring extra time. It can be a foundational tool for a subject, a collaborative platform for group projects, or a way for students to explore ― and iterate on ― their own presentations, podcasts and passions.

 

Pricing model:

Interested parties can sign up for a free 30-day trial at soundtrap.com/edu or through their preferred reseller.

The base package is $249 per year for 50 users (flexible licenses). Districts interested in a site license, large deployment or purchasing through a reseller, can email salesteam@soundtrap.com for more information. More information is here: https://www.soundtrap.com/pricing-education

 

Additional services:

Soundtrap makes it easy for teachers and students to get started quickly and successfully:

Soundtrap also has a dedicated team of Education Specialists ― all former educators themselves ― who work closely with schools on implementation and support long-term success with creative sound-making. Further, the Soundtrap Certified Educator Courses offer an opportunity for teachers to increase their skillset, and to ensure they are maximizing the impact Soundtrap can have on learning.

 

What makes Soundtrap unique?

Soundtrap for Education is a learning tool that fits beautifully in the digital environment that is expected for today’s students. Soundtrap’s intuitive platform works across all Wi-Fi-connected devices, giving learners the freedom to work on their projects outside of school, if necessary. Students have access to more than 4,000+ royalty-free quality loops, educationally vetted non-music sound effects, and 400+ instrument sounds, which allows them to create professional, polished projects regardless of their ages and ability levels.

Further, Soundtrap for Education is designed from the ground up for teachers, including in the way Soundtrap makes student safety and security the number one priority. The platform allows educators to create an invite-only group in a secure, protected digital environment (the “walled garden” of creativity). Teachers can check in remotely and create new assignments, comment on student progress, and check on project status. Only guests invited by teachers can join the project.

By default, Soundtrap for Education is designed to comply with COPPA, GDPR, FERPA standards and supports CIPA certification. All users are initially placed in a safe, protected environment where they can collaborate. Their profiles are not visible to the outside world and they cannot contact or be contacted by people outside of their group. A minimal profile allows only for the first name and last name to be stored in the profile. No profile picture, tags, locations or descriptions are stored.

Soundtrap has helped educators and students succeed across grade levels, subject areas, and learning environments, whether in-person, fully online, or hybrid.

 

Characteristics:

Soundtrap is designed with an appealing, versatile visual layout that’s easy to navigate on every device. To see examples, view the images included with the review or visit this introductory tutorial video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QNQlCyYEbQE

 

Here’s what users are saying:

“My goal is for my students to be people who can think on a deeper level. Project based learning, which Soundtrap greatly supports, takes them out of the 'give me the answers' mentality and forces them to think and create on their own.”

--Kelly Martin, New York City Teacher

“In exactly two minutes, Marlee expressed her love for Ghana, and really, her passion for life. She spoke a total of 183 words. This is more than 13 times what she was able to express in written language! Not only were we able to capture Marlee’s true spirit and the unique essence of a “five-year-old who is learning English vocabulary and grammar” in an audio recording, but I was also then able to use Soundtrap’s transcription tool to show Marlee what she had said as a written text. The ease with which I was able to complete this task allowed me to encourage Marlee as a literacy learner, use very little time in the teaching day, and capture my learner’s true self all in just a few minutes.”

--Becca Masse, kindergarten teacher from Maine, describing in a blog post how Soundtrap helped a young student bring her words to life

“Soundtrap is a game changer for my students. It has helped them learn that music is a tool that can spark the imagination and bring people together. Once those doors are open the possibilities are endless.”

--Melissa Salguero, Music Teacher at PS 48, NYC

This recent blog post, “The Music is Alive and Well,” shares how one Bronx educator kept his students engaged ― and even increased their engagement with music ― despite the challenges of remote learning.

 

This blog post shares a project led by educators in the San Francisco Unified district, in which students learned to share their voices as part of their Ethnic Studies curriculum, and this blog, also about SFUSD, describes a cross-curricular podcasting project.

This story features insights from three Los Angeles teachers about how they used Soundtrap to enhance English class during remote learning.