Your voice

Breathing: speak from low down

Almost all of us breathe into the top of the chest when we're nervous: the shoulders rise, the voice gets short and we run out of air mid-sentence. Diaphragmatic (or abdominal) breathing fills the lower part of the lungs first and gives you more control.

1. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, just above the navel.
2. Breathe in calmly through your nose: it should be mainly the hand on your belly that moves.
3. Let the air out slowly with a long, steady “s”, counting the seconds.
4. Repeat a few times before recording.

It's not about breathing strangely while you talk, but about making your natural breathing lower and more relaxed. Sit up straight with your feet on the floor: hunched over the desk, the air doesn't flow the same way.

Pace and pauses

Nerves speed you up. What feels like a normal pace to you often sounds rushed in the recording. Some keys:

• Slow down a notch compared with normal conversation, especially at the start of the episode and when giving facts, names or figures.
• Use pauses: a pause before an important idea underlines it; one after gives people time to take it in.
• Vary it: a constant pace, even a correct one, sends people to sleep. Speed up in the anecdotes and slow down for the essentials.
• Finish your sentences: many beginners drop their voice at the end and swallow the last word.

Filler words

“Um”, “like”, “you know”, “right?”, “basically”, “literally”… We all have filler words. In conversation they go unnoticed; in a podcast, repeated every few seconds, they become the only thing the listener hears.

• Spot yours: listen to ten minutes of a recording and note every one. You'll be surprised.
• Replace them with silence. A short pause is far better than an “ummm”; it sounds like thought, not hesitation.
• Don't obsess: the odd filler word is human. Removing them all in editing leaves the voice choppy.

Energy and smiling

The microphone “eats” energy: what feels like enthusiasm in the room sounds fine on the recording, and what feels normal in the room sounds flat. That's why radio hosts speak with a bit more energy than they would in conversation.

• Smile as you speak in the friendly moments: a smile changes the shape of your mouth and you can hear it. The listener picks up on it even though they can't see you.
• Gesture: moving your hands (without touching the microphone or the desk) helps bring the voice to life.
• Record standing up if you feel flat sitting down; many people sound more energetic that way.
• More energy doesn't mean shouting: it means intention. If you get much louder, check your levels so you don't clip.

Reading without sounding like it

Reading a text aloud and sounding natural is a skill you can train. The first step is to write for the ear: short sentences, simple words, one idea per sentence. You'll see this in script and outline.

• Read it aloud beforehand at least once. Wherever you stumble, rewrite.
• Mark up the text: a slash for pauses, the key word in bold.
• Use a large font and place the text at eye level, behind the microphone, so you don't drop your head.
• Think of one specific person while you read: you're not reading a text, you're telling someone.
• If a passage doesn't flow, try telling it in your own words, using the text only as a guide.

Looking after and warming up your voice

A long recording session tires the voice like physical exercise. A few simple guidelines:

• Stay hydrated: drink room-temperature water during the day and keep a glass nearby, away from the microphone. Avoid dairy and very sugary drinks just before: they increase mouth noises.
• An apple before recording reduces saliva clicks; it's a widespread trick among voice-over artists.
• Warm up for five minutes: yawns, lip trills (“brrr”), humming (“mmm”) up and down in pitch, and tongue twisters taken slowly.
• Don't strain: if you feel hoarse or it hurts, stop. If the hoarseness lasts more than two or three weeks, see a specialist.
• Take breaks in long recordings and avoid shouting or whispering for long stretches.

Your turn: listen to yourself like a listener

Record five minutes talking about a topic you know and analyze your own voice with a checklist.

1. Warm up your voice for five minutes and record without a script, as you would in an episode.
2. Listen on headphones and note filler words, speed, trailing endings and low-energy moments.
3. Pick just one thing to improve and record the same topic again.