CCA has made the difficult decision to discontinue our institutional license with VoiceThread (VT), with the last day being February 27, 2025.

Quick Links

• What does this mean?
• Why are we not continuing our license with VoiceThread?
• What will happen to my VoiceThread account?
• What will happen to my created VoiceThreads?
• How can I export and download my VoiceThreads?
• Will the downloaded VoiceThreads still have the same functionality as before?
• Will my VoiceThread activities in Moodle still work?
• Is there a way to bulk export my VoiceThreads?
• Can I download individual slides or comments and not the whole VoiceThread?
• What will happen to the VoiceThreads that have been shared with me?
• Alternatives to VoiceThread
• How do I delete my data or account from VoiceThread?
• Can I bulk delete VoiceThreads?
• What do I do if I encounter a VoiceThread I can no longer access?
• Who can I contact for assistance?

After February 27, 2025, CCA will no longer have an institutional license with VoiceThread and existing users will be removed from the institutional license and downgraded to the free version of VoiceThread. A free account allows you to create up to 20 VoiceThreads, comment by microphone and text, and share your VoiceThreads via a share link.

Pricing models for their licenses have changed drastically and have become prohibitively expensive. In fact, the cost has nearly tripled. Additionally, with existing platforms at CCA such as Panopto, Moodle, and Google Workspace, coupled with a significant drop in the number of active VT users, we have determined that there are enough alternatives to suit the community’s needs at this time.

Your CCA VoiceThread account will be downgraded to a Free account after Thursday, February 27th. Free accounts have several limitations:

• A limit of 20 VoiceThreads (your existing VTs will NOT be deleted, even if you are over the limit of 20)
• New VoiceThreads will be limited to 10 slides per thread
• New comments will be limited to a maximum of 3 minutes in length
• Exporting entire VoiceThreads is available but for a fee ($2.99 for one export or $20 for 10)

VoiceThread courses and groups will no longer be available for downgraded users, nor will the integration with CCA's Moodle platform.

All downgraded accounts will be subject to the VoiceThread retention policy listed for Free Users.

Finally, you will no longer be able to sign in using the CCA institutional login method (SSO), but you can sign into your free account using the “Sign in with Google” option or set up a unique password for VoiceThread using the “Sign in with Email” option.

Your Created VoiceThreads Will NOT Be Deleted

Even after being downgraded to a free account, you will still have access to all your created VoiceThreads, even if you have more than 20. You can continue to edit them in VoiceThread, such as adding new media, comments, or removing slides. However, if you wish to create new VoiceThreads, you will need to keep the total number of your VoiceThreads under 20.

Exporting and Downloading VoiceThreads

You may export your VoiceThreads to .mov files at no cost until February 27, 2025, and download them as permanent copies within 90 days of initiating the export process. After February 27, you may export your VoiceThreads for a fee (users are responsible for any export fees).

Important Notes:

• Exporting and downloading are two separate steps.
  • Exported VoiceThreads are saved in .mov video format (852x480) but remain stored in VoiceThread’s system and will expire after 90 days.
  • To keep a permanent copy of an exported VoiceThread, you must download it from the Export page within 90 days of initiating the export.
• Exporting requires credits after downgrading to a free account.
  • To avoid purchasing credits, please export your VoiceThreads by February 27, 2025.
  • You may still download exported VoiceThreads after February 27, as long as it is within 90 days of initiating the export.
• Free accounts allow you to download original media and comments at no cost.
  • You can download the individual original media files and voice/video comments from your VoiceThreads before and after your account is downgraded.

Export (at no cost up until February 27, 2025)

1. After signing into VoiceThread, navigate to your VT library by clicking the home button in the upper left corner. You will see all the VoiceThreads you have created and those shared with you. Use the drop-down filter to narrow your results.

2. Locate the VT you wish to export, click the vertical three dots and then the share/arrow button. In the pop-up Share window, click the export button in the upper right corner and then the yellow “Export” button.

3. The export will run in the background and take seconds to minutes to complete depending on the length and file size of the VoiceThread. Instead of waiting, you may exit the pop-up Share window and repeat the steps above to export more VTs. You will receive email notifications when your exports are ready to be downloaded.

Download (within 90 days of initiating the export process)

You must download exported VTs within 90 days of initiating the exports. Go to your Export page (click your profile picture in the upper right corner->”My account”->”Exports”) to download offline copies of exported VTs in a .mov video format. Click the “Download” button to download.

If you do not download your exported VT within the 90 day period, the export will expire, and you would need to re-export (fees may apply) the VoiceThread to obtain another copy.

For more screenshots of the process, please see VoiceThread’s How to Export and Downloading an exported VoiceThread help articles.

Downloaded VoiceThreads will be in the .mov format (852x480) and are an offline video version of the VoiceThread, suitable for archiving purposes or to upload to another platform. The video file includes all media, comments, and annotations that existed on the live version of the VoiceThread. Moderated (hidden) comments are not included in an export.

As the downloaded file will be a video copy, it will not have the same slide navigation or editing features as the original version in VoiceThread.

Alternatively, users may choose to download the individual original media or comments on a per slide basis.

Existing VoiceThread activities that use the Moodle “external tool” will no longer work after February 27, nor will instructors be able to add the VoiceThread "external tool" activity to Moodle courses. However, threads can still be linked (e.g. as URL resources) or manually embedded in Moodle, or shared directly with others. If threads were shared only with a course group, you will need to change their sharing settings so they are visible to "anyone with the link."

No, there is no way for users or admins to bulk export VoiceThreads.

If you own a VoiceThread or the creator of the VoiceThread has allowed it, you can download the original media that was uploaded to the slide. The download will be the original file that was uploaded, not any additional comments or drawings that were made on the slide. Click the blue "i" information icon in the right corner of the thread and then the download icon.

Similarly, you may click on individual voice or video comments in your VoiceThread and download the voice or video file as a .mp3 or .mp4 file respectively.

If you have editing access to the VoiceThreads shared with you, you may view, modify, export and download a copy to your device. If you only have viewing and/or commenting access, you may not be able to export or download the VoiceThread, but you still be able to view the VoiceThread as long as the creator has not deleted or turned off sharing for that particular thread. In such cases where the instructor has not enabled sharing, you may contact the owner of the VoiceThread to request access.

Record and edit slide-by-slide presentations

You can record presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Panopto, or Zoom. These platforms allow you to record or attach audio or video narration while presenting slides, generating a video file that can be uploaded to Panopto and shared via Moodle, Google Classroom, or a shareable link.

If you need the flexibility to replace slides or re-record specific slides, Microsoft PowerPoint is an excellent choice. Many users already use PowerPoint to create slides—the next step is to record your narration directly within the application. Please visit the Record a presentation page for the detailed steps to record slide-by-slide. If you’d like additional support, please contact Help Desk to request a live demo, a one-on-one consultation, or a group session with the InST (Instructional Services and Technology) team.

Host your downloaded VoiceThreads video on Panopto and Share with Others

Panopto is CCA's fully-featured video platform. It is integrated with Moodle in a similar manner to VoiceThread. VoiceThreads downloaded in video format can be uploaded to Panopto and then posted to Moodle or Google Classroom.

Create and share slides

Presentation software such as Google Slides, Keynote, and PowerPoint can be used to create slideshows. Presentations created in Keynote or PowerPoint can be uploaded to Google Slides or exported as video files in order to share with others via Panopto. Pre-recorded audio files can also be attached directly to Google Slides. Slides exported to PDF can be uploaded to Moodle as File resources and are accessible for a wide variety of devices.

The InST team is fully committed to supporting instructors in exploring alternatives and redesigning impacted learning activities. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with InST, please reach out to the Help Desk.

Up until February 27, 2025, you may contact Help Desk to have your account and data deleted. After February 27, please contact VoiceThread to have your account deleted. Note that this will permanently delete any VoiceThreads and comments that you have created, and any users who had access to your VoiceThreads will no longer be able to access your VTs.

Yes, you may bulk delete VoiceThreads owned by you before or after accounts are downgraded. After the downgrade, If you have more than 20 VoiceThreads and need to create new ones, bulk deleting existing VoiceThreads can help you stay under the limit. Please follow the steps on this how-to page to bulk delete VoiceThreads.

If it is possible to identify the owner of the VoiceThread, you should contact them directly. They may be able to change the sharing settings so you have access. Otherwise, contact the Help Desk with a link to the VoiceThread in question and any Moodle course it is contained within. If this happens after February 27, 2025, the Help Desk might not be able to assist, as institutional manager roles will be eliminated with the expiration of the institutional license.

For questions, concerns, or assistance with exporting your VoiceThreads, please contact Help Desk.

To contact VoiceThread support directly, you may reach them via their Support page.