Brodie Goozee: pioneering immersive audio storytelling with QR codes in Melbourne and beyond
Location-based audio walks gain a second life through printed codes that guests scan on their own phones, cutting production costs while reaching listeners in laneways, galleries, and parks without any app download required.
Key Takeaways
- QR codes remove the app-download barrier that kills most audio tour engagement before it even starts.
- Placing a code at the exact physical spot where the audio was recorded or set creates a stronger sense of presence than a generic "tour start" code.
- Dynamic codes let sound artists update or extend a story after the signage is already printed and installed outdoors.
Only 2.47% of museum visitors bother downloading a dedicated audio guide app, according to Supercode, which explains why sound artists and tour designers keep landing on a simpler fix: a printed QR code that opens straight in the phone's own browser. Melbourne-based sound artist Brodie Goozee has built a body of work around exactly this idea, threading immersive audio narratives through laneways, heritage buildings, and public spaces using nothing more than a sticker, a plaque, or a flyer with a scannable code on it.
What makes Goozee's approach worth studying isn't the technology itself — QR codes have been around for decades — it's how the format gets used to layer sound onto physical place. A stretch of pavement outside a Victorian-era building becomes a listening post. A park bench becomes a chapter in a longer story. The code is just the door; the audio is the room. For anyone building their own location-based storytelling project, whether it's a heritage trail, a gallery soundtrack, or a self-guided city walk, this model is replicable with a free tool and a bit of planning.
How Brodie Goozee builds audio experiences with QR codes
Goozee's projects typically follow a pattern that any independent creator can borrow: record a short, site-specific audio piece, host it somewhere reliable, generate a code that links to it, then install that code physically at the location the audio describes or reacts to. The scan-to-listen model works because it asks almost nothing of the listener beyond opening their camera app. Museums have already proven the pattern works at scale — QR-based audio guides have been shown to lift visitor engagement by 45%, according to research cited by Scanova, and QR codes and museums street-level storytelling projects are essentially applying the same logic outside gallery walls.
Recording and hosting the audio
The audio itself usually lives on a platform like SoundCloud, a private podcast feed, or a simple hosted MP3 file, rather than being embedded directly in the QR code. QR codes have limited data capacity, so pointing the code at a hosted URL rather than trying to encode raw audio is the standard and more reliable approach — you can read more on this distinction in our guide on whether a QR code can store video, which applies the same logic to audio files.
Generating a code that survives outdoor conditions
Signage installed outside needs a code that scans cleanly in direct sunlight, at odd angles, and after months of weather exposure. Goozee's public installations rely on high-contrast printed codes with enough quiet zone margin to stay readable even on a slightly weathered plaque. Anyone can build one of these for free using the QR code generator, choosing a dynamic code so the destination link can be swapped later without reprinting the physical sign.
Placing the code at the right moment in the story
Positioning matters as much as production quality. A code placed too early gives listeners audio that doesn't match what's in front of them; a code placed too late breaks the immersion entirely. Successful audio walks map each code to a specific sightline or landmark, so the listener presses play at the exact second the narration references what they're looking at.
Tips for creating your own scannable audio trail
Building a location-based audio story doesn't require a studio budget or a developer. These practices, drawn from how public audio installations actually get built and maintained, will save you from the most common failures.
Test every code outdoors, in daylight, from at least three different phones before installing it permanently — indoor test scans hide glare and contrast problems.
Use a dynamic QR code so you can fix broken links or extend the story with new chapters without replacing printed signage.
Keep each audio clip short and self-contained (2-4 minutes) so listeners can finish one segment before moving to the next scan point.
Add a one-line caption near the code explaining what happens after the scan, following QR code design tips — "Press play and keep walking" removes hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do listeners need a special app to hear a QR-linked audio story?
No. A well-built code opens the audio file or streaming page directly in the phone's default browser, so no app download is required. This is the main reason QR codes outperform dedicated tour apps for casual visitors.
Can the audio behind a QR code be changed after the signage is printed?
Yes, if you use a dynamic QR code. The printed code points to a redirect URL you control, so you can update, replace, or extend the linked audio at any time without reprinting the physical sign.
What's the best way to protect an outdoor QR code from weather damage?
Laminate or use weatherproof vinyl stickers, mount codes under slight overhangs where possible, and choose high-contrast black-on-white designs, which stay scannable even as materials fade slightly over time. See our QR code stickers guide for material-specific recommendations.
How is this different from a standard museum audio guide?
Museum audio guides are usually contained within one building. Location-based storytelling projects like Goozee's spread codes across an entire neighborhood or trail, turning outdoor public space itself into the exhibit rather than confining the experience indoors.
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