Microsoft Songsmith: now free for UK Teachers

The UK Microsoft Innovative Teacher Blog celebrated its first birthday today and as a reward it looks like Kristen and Stuart are going to be giving away free stuff to members of the Innovative Teachers Network (ITN). Anyone can join the ITN you just have to register on the website to gain access to the resources and discussion forums.

Today they announced that they will be giving away Microsoft Songsmith. If you have not seen Songsmith before it’s a clever little product from Microsoft labs.It didn’t get off to a great start in the UK because it was launched with a pretty awful television / web commercial. But now I’ve had a look at songsmith I think it’s got some potential – particularly now it’s free!

Basically, you (or your students!) sing into your PC and and Songsmith adds a background track of your choosing to create your own song. The songs are produced as .MP3 files, and could be used in a number of ways.

Stuart Ball wrote about possible uses for Microsoft Labs Songsmith here.

To download your free copy of Songsmith, go to the UK Innovative Teachers Network. (You’ll need to register and log in with a free username and password if you don’t have one already.) You’ll see an announcement about Songsmith on the home page and a link for further information and download instructions.

Here is a nice little Songsmith song created by my friend Dan Roberts and his class at Saltash.net community school. Its on Magnets – more songs from Dan’s class here.

If you use Songsmith in your school I would love to hear from you.

You can also download Auto Collage for free from the ITN