It stuns me how few air talents these days ever listen to their own show. Back when I was on the air (when dinosaurs ruled the earth), it was a given that the cassette “skimmer” that only recorded when the mic was on would be taken out and listened to on my drive home. At some of the stations I was part of, we’d listen to airchecks as a group, with everyone free to point out whatever they heard, good or bad.
Here’s why you should listen to yourself AT LEAST once a week:
- You’ll pick up habits, then work on changing them so you erase “crutches” from your vocabulary.
- You can check your timing, making sure you’re coming in at the EXACT right place – not too soon, not too late. (Every song has that perfect “last LOGICAL place” to come in or start the next song.)
- You can hear for yourself whether you sound like you actually enjoy being on the air. I’ve heard way too many music jocks that sound bored most of the time.
- You can get a feel for your voice acting skills. (NOT sounding like a typical disc jockey is essential.)
And finally…
- You’ll have an edge over any competitor who DOESN’T listen to himself. When you’re sharp and the other guy isn’t, he’s a dead man walking, but he doesn’t realize it.
If I’m searching for an air talent and hear someone who’s really making an effort to sound good every break, that’s the person I’m going to hire.