Now as I mentioned in my last blog certain things really annoy me and one of those is the use of voice. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people doing a presentation or voiceover and they are absolutely horrible. Some are so bad I can’t even listen or watch the presentation anymore.
For me, poor quality audio and voice are an immediate tune-out factor. And I can’t be the only one that feels this way. After all most radio stations don’t hire you for your good looks. So if it’s important for radio stations to have presenters with good voices why do we neglect that aspect in our own marketing.
Now before you get all up in arms hear me out, most people can be trained to improve the quality of their voice. If however you are in the minority whose voice sounds like Minnie Mouse on Helium or what comes out of your mouth equates to the mating call of a Vietnamese Pig then the answer is simple. Get a professional to do it for you, I mean really you spend all your time on brilliant copy and graphics and snazzy videos and then you turn up and sound like crap.
I have spent almost thirty years in the broadcasting industry and I have trained many radio presenters, Mc’s, and people looking to improve the quality of their voice. But David I hear you wail is their hope for me.
The answer is a resounding yes, and there are a few ways you can start to improve the quality of your voice immediately. Here are a few
1. Before you even start sharing your vocal talents with others first record your voice and then listen back to it. If this is something you have never done chances are you will be horrified. Fear not, the reason that our recorded voice sounds so different to us is that we are used to hearing it from inside of our head.
2. Your lungs and the volume of air they contain are important you need to exercise your diaphragm. This can be done by breathing in through your nose slowly to a count of 10, holding for a count of 5, and then exhaling slowly for another count of 10. Some of you may battle with this but keep on, the benefits of this kind of breathing are immense and cumulative. Breathing like this strengthens your diaphragm, oxygenates your blood, and helps you to relax.
3. Slow down, we need to talk a lot slower when presenting as your listener needs time to hear and comprehend what you are saying. When we are nervous or excited we tend to speed up the pace of our speech.
4. Practice saying the days of the week in a slower more precise manner in one breath. When you have that waxed move onto the saying the months of the year.
5. Another great exercise to warm up your voice is to use tongue twisters I have several that I use which I am happy to share with you if you would like.
6. Equipment, so many of us are prepared to spring for the high ticket software or camera or the fastest computer we can find but then we resort to using the headphones and mic that came with our phone. NO just NO Buy yourself the best Mic you can afford and the best headphones you can afford. Once again I’m here to help if needed.
7. Find out about adding some processing to your voice, I use Audacity for all of my recordings and after years of tweaking and fiddling I have come up with some quick and easy processing you can add to your voice which will improve the sound quality dramatically.
8. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a fully kitted-out soundproof home recording studio. Don’t stress I live on a smallholding of around 10 hectares and if the sliding door in my office is not open for some much-needed ventilation then the cranky old aircon is on a clanking and wheezing away. The sounds from outside might sound beautiful and peaceful if you aren’t recording. But let’s be honest who wants to hear barking dogs, bird calls, or the chug, chug of the tractor when you are trying to record your masterpiece.
9. This brings me rather nicely to this point because by now you are no doubt screaming “David Watts the solution” If I have to point out the pun there please stop reading immediately and go and look for a cheesy sense of humor online. The solution is simple, noise-canceling if you don’t have it you are missing out.
So let me recap after you have done your voice exercises you will need the following.
a. A half-decent computer with a decent amount of hard drive space.
b. Recording software I use Audacity it’s free and works like a bomb.
c. A decent mic the best you can afford.
d. Decent headphones or monitor speakers
e. Noise-canceling software
If any of this strikes a chord and you would like to know more drop me a line in the comments and I will do my best to assist.
Until next time keep on keeping on,
D
PS: If you want to check out the noise-canceling software that I use to make all of my recordings sound like studio quality then click here.
This isn’t usually a subject that gets much attention, and yet it is very important to use a pleasant and clear speaking voice that is well modulated, so many people should never be allowed anywhere near a microphone!
Especially these days when we expect to hear or watch content rather than read it, a bad recording for whatever reason will lose you money for sure!