The way you use your voice is very important as it is the main link that you have with the listeners to your online radio show. You are probably presenting a music based show and selecting the right music for your audience is important but your voice will differentiate you from other DJs. Here are 7 tips for online DJs to use your voice effectively to improve your shows.
It is true that most people are uncomfortable hearing their own voice but as a DJ it vital that you get used to listening to your own. You need to be aware of how you sound on air. While this post is not a detailed explanation of voice and microphone technique, here are a 7 tips that you can use to help you sound better to your audience.
Use your voice effectively
- Remember that your voice is affected by your mood
- Make sure that you don’t let how you feel come across to the audience (unless of course you are feeling particularly happy that day!)
- Relax when speaking into the microphone
- This will help you sound much more natural
- Try to sound confident and use a friendly tone
- Think about the DJs you enjoy listening to and study their voices
- Speak as you would you someone sitting in the same room as you
- Some DJs put a picture of a friend or family member on the wall in front of them and imagine they are speaking directly to them
- Speak clearly and at a relaxed speed
- Don’t hurry, pronounce every word carefully and you will go a long way to sounding great on air as your listeners will be able to easily understand what you are saying
- Use shorter, simpler sentences
- Again this is about making it easy for your listeners. Consider that many of them will be multi-tasking while listening and will not be giving you their full attention
- Don’t get frustrated if you make a mistake – just carry on as if nothing had happened
- Drawing attention to your mistakes put negative thoughts about your ability into the minds of your audience
These tips will all help your listeners better hear and understand what you are saying. The key thing to remember is that your audience only gets one opportunity to hear what you are presenting and cannot say “pardon” or “please repeat that”. This is a key difference between radio and face to face conversation.
Do you have any tips that aren’t covered here? Leave a comment below and let’s start a discussion on other ways to stand out from your fellow DJs.
