Interactive media system using audio inputs

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for operating an interactive media player on a client device, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

• obtaining a metadata file comprising a sequence of instructions for controlling playback of interactive media via the interactive media player;
• executing, by the interactive media player, a first instruction of the metadata file to retrieve a first media segment specified by the metadata file;
• playing the first media segment;
• executing, by the interactive media player, a second instruction of the metadata file to activate a microphone of the client device;
• capturing audio from the microphone of the client device;
• initiating, by the interactive media player, a text-to-speech conversion of the audio captured from the microphone to obtain one or more input keywords;
• comparing the one or more input keywords to a predefined set of expected values specified in the metadata file;
• detecting a matching response of the predefined set of expected values that corresponds to the one or more input keywords;
• executing by the interactive media player, a third instruction of the metadata file to perform a first action associated with the matching response in the metadata file.

A method for creating an interactive media file in an interactive media editor, the method comprising:

• obtaining, via a graphical user interface, a first input to associate a first visual element corresponding to a media segment stored at a first network address with a first time period of the interactive media;
• obtaining, via the graphical user interface, a second input to associate a second visual element corresponding to an audio input prompt with a second time period of the interactive media;
• obtaining, via the graphical user interface, a third input to define a predefined set of expected values and store the predefined set of expected values in association with the second visual element;
• obtaining, via the graphical user interface, a fourth input to associate a set of third visual elements with a third time period of the interactive media, the third visual elements corresponding to respective actions associated with each of the predefined set of expected values;
• displaying, via the graphical interface, the first visual element, the second visual element, the set of third visual elements, and visual indications of associations between the first, second, and set of third visual elements and the first, second, and third time periods;
• generating the metadata file based on the first, second, third, and fourth inputs;
• and
• storing the metadata file to a metadata file store.