Streaming Audio - Ten Tips On Preparing For Your First Recording

By Michael Armand

Making your first streaming audio recording does not have to be a difficult or intimidating experience. Today it is easier than ever to make your first recording. You can, however, eliminate a lot of frustration by preparing properly.

You have a chance, but only a brief one, to grab the attention of your audience. You can capture their interest or lose them completely in the first few seconds following the click of the play button. What your visitors hear may determine whether they remain on your website.

Here are ten tips on preparing to make your first streaming audio recording a good one.

1) Think carefully about your message.

Before you go to your computer or pick up a microphone, think about what you want to say to your visitors. Take your time with this first step because it is crucial to the best possible end result. If you haven't clearly defined your message in your own mind you can't expect your listeners to figure it out.

2) Write your message down.

Once you have thought it through, write it down. Have some fun with this. Remember, this is your personal message and you want it to reflect the best aspects of your personality. Whether you tend to be the bubbly, vivacious type or rather on the serious side, your message must be compelling.

When you put your ideas on paper write the way you normally speak. This will help you to sound natural. Write the way you would speak to a friend or colleague.

3) Read your message out loud to yourself.

Do this a number of times until you are comfortable hearing your own voice. If you are new to listening to your recorded voice it will sound strange at first. It's like that for everyone.

You have almost certainly heard your recorded voice at some time in your life. Didn't it sound strange the first time you heard it? The more you hear it though, the more you will come to recognize it as your own voice and become comfortable with it.

4) Read your message to someone else.

This will work wonders to make you feel at ease when you make your recording. The microphone
can be a little intimidating at first because it is seems like a person, listening with a critical ear, to what you are saying. Once you become comfortable reading your message to another person, you are ready for the microphone.

5) Stand up when you speak into the microphone.

Standing gives you a greater feeling of authority and control. This authoritative feeling will be reflected in your voice. I don't mean that you should sound bossy or confrontational. You should sound confident.

6) Hold the microphone close to you.

Hold your microphone just a few inches from your mouth and do a test recording. Then do another test or two and see which sounds better. The best distance to hold the microphone from your mouth will depend on the type and sensitivity of your microphone and the strength of your voice.

Once you determine the optimal distance the microphone should be from you, stick to it. Make sure to maintain that distance when you record. Don't allow yourself to be distracted and turn you head away from the microphone.

7) Slow down, speed up.

I'm not trying to confuse you but typically one will either speak too fast, as though in an effort to get the recording over with or too slow, sounding indifferent, even lazy.

8) Try to sound natural.

Remember, you want your recorded voice to sound like you are speaking to a friend or business acquaintance. How would you sound speaking the same words to your best friend, your barber or beautician? Imagine that and hold that image in your mind as you record.

9) Remember to breathe.

You don't want to run out of breath and fade away do you? It is easy to control this by keeping your sentences short. A run on sentence might leave you gasping for air half way through.

10) Practice until your technique is perfected.

It does takes some practice but if you stick with it, it won't be long before you are producing excellent, high quality, streaming audio recordings.