As a podcaster, your voice is the way your content comes to life. It is the star of the show, the headliner, the main course. But sometimes there is a disconnect between the expert and entertaining content you are bringing to your listeners and the conviction with which you articulate it. What happens when confidence is lacking or fear gets the better of you? In previous blog posts, I have discussed vocal hygiene tips and how to keep your podcasting voice healthy. But ultimately, how you use your voice, the way it sounds, and the way it feels is largely psychological. 

In this article, I am delving into the psychological component of the voice and how lacking in vocal confidence can affect your podcast negatively. I want you to have a better understanding of how powerful your mind is over your voice so that you can learn how to gain control of your voice and improve your vocal confidence when podcasting! 

The power of the voice

Some people say that the eyes are the window to the soul but I disagree, I think the voice is! Hear me out: the power of the voice is significant. Even when trying to disguise emotional states, the voice often reveals true feelings. Your voice gives away clues about your personality and mood. The way you sound even contributes to the impression you make on people. And as a podcaster, the impression you make affects how your podcast will be received and its overall success! Your voice can be the difference between someone subscribing or tuning out in the first few minutes. 

Basically, the quality of your voice and your overall confidence have an astronomical effect on your show’s success! As a vocal coach, one of the biggest hurdles I see my students tackle is self-consciousness. Often, they have the tools, skills, and talents to do what they want to do with their voices. But are held back by the little monster in their head telling them that they’re not good enough. And because the voice often betrays our inner feelings and shares our intimate emotional states, this lack of confidence is obvious vocally! 

So what does this mean for podcasters? 

Well, it simply means that the stakes are higher. Multiply that obviousness we just spoke about by 100 for podcasters! With nothing else for listeners to focus on, they are subconsciously picking apart every aspect of your voice. Your voice is under more deliberate scrutiny than the average person’s because you quite literally put it out there for the world to hear. This can bring up feelings of fear, self-consciousness, and anxiety, and we all know that anxiety can lead to poor vocal performance! But don’t worry! That’s why I am here to help you with some actionable tips to improve your vocal confidence. 

Tips for Finding Vocal Confidence as a Podcaster

Tip 1: Focus on vocal health

If you make sure your vocal technique is sound and secure and you are working with a healthy muscle, the chances of something going wrong vocally are reduced substantially. A large part of the reason people lose confidence in their voice is because they worry it will be unreliable or betray them when they need it most. They worry their nerves will make their voice sound weak during a job interview, they worry that their voice will crack when making a public speech, and podcasters may be concerned that their voice will get tired after recording for a long time, and start to sound weak or ‘thin’.

All of these concerns are valid. However, you can hedge the odds in your favor by prioritizing your vocal health. As a podcaster, your voice is one of your biggest assets. But it is also a muscle that you can train and strengthen. And if you are secure in your vocal health and hygiene, you can rely on your technical knowledge will carry you through. If you haven’t already, check out my previous blog post to help you improve your vocal health.

TAKEAWAY!

A well-trained voice is far less likely to succumb to negative circumstances! So the first step to building your vocal confidence is to focus on your vocal health. 

Tip 2: Practice mindfulness and gratitude 

Now, let’s talk about anxiety and vocal confidence. It’s totally normal to have anxious feelings before a big interview, or even when recording solo. But being overly anxious can have negative effects on your voice. Which, in turn, can give your vocal confidence a knock.

So, how do we deal with this? Self-consciousness and anxiety often creep up in moments when we are not present in our bodies and are imagining scenarios that haven’t even happened. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude can significantly lower anxiety, and this, in turn, can then improve your confidence. 

Practicing mindfulness and gratitude allows you to remain present in the moment, focus on the positives, and enhance self-awareness. If you are more present in the moment, your nervous system regulates and you are able to cultivate a sense of self-contentment and self-assurance, therefore improving confidence.

A great habit to cultivate is to take some time to practice mindfulness before you next record an episode or sit down with that amazing guest. This will help you remain in the present moment, and prevent the anxiety monster from creeping up on you and your voice!

Bonus Tip!

Incorporate mindfulness and gratitude exercises into your daily routine!

It doesn’t need to take you long, just five minutes a day. I like to write down 5 things I’m grateful for each day and spend 10 minutes doing a check-in with my body to see how I’m feeling and to become mindful of my physical and emotional state. And over time, you should also find that this kind of mindfulness will greatly improve your overall vocal health as it teaches you to become more aware of how your voice feels. 

Tip 3: Practice makes perfect!

I have heard so many people share their struggles with vocal confidence and one of the biggest pieces of advice I give is to ‘change the script’ and reframe the narrative about your vocal confidence Sometimes, you just need to trick your brain into believing that you are confident about your voice. And the best way to do that is to use affirming language and practice speaking confidently even when you don’t feel confident. 

Don’t underestimate the power of practicing! The more you practice speaking slowly and clearly, the more confident you will appear to be. And therefore, the more confidence you will gain. When people lack confidence, they tend to speak faster and mumble a little, so practice doing the opposite. Before recording your next podcast episode, be sure to do an adequate vocal warm-up so that your voice is prepped and ready to go. You can even incorporate your daily mindfulness practice into this warm-up which will help you stay present and feel more in control of your voice. 

Be sure to stand/sit up straight to ensure proper breath support while recording and focus on using a good amount of airflow as you speak. All of these rather technical steps will help you feel confident when recording your podcast. And the more you practice, the better you will get!

Let’s Get Your Vocal Confidence Back!

Building your vocal confidence as a podcaster is an imperative element to your show’s overall success! I can spend hours giving you tips and tricks to unlock your vocal potential. But at the end of the day, the most important factor is your belief in yourself. I know it’s not easy to build confidence but it is possible! And by implementing these three actionable steps, you will see improvement! Remember, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and consistent practice will bring you long-term results. I believe in you, now it’s time for you to believe in yourself! 

I can guarantee there is at least one vocal tip in this article that you didn’t know you needed as a podcaster. 

But before we get into all that…why do you need to vocal tips for podcasting?

Your job as a podcaster centers entirely around your ability to speak. And often, we take for granted what it takes to produce this sound in a healthy way. As a vocal coach and singer, I have made it my mission to help all ‘chronic voice users’ keep their voices healthy so that they can last for the entirety of their careers.

And beyond!

As a podcaster, your voice is one of your greatest and most important tools. And it needs to be reliable and strong. We all know why it’s important to keep our bodies healthy with regular exercise and a healthy diet. The voice is a muscle like any other and it needs to be exercised and maintained to avoid damage and be at its strongest.

So, without any further adieu, here are 10 vocal tips you didn’t know you needed as a podcaster.

10 Vocal Tips For Podcasting You Didn’t Know You Needed!

1. Food for Thought Your Voice!

Did you know that everything you put into your body either has a direct or indirect impact on the vocal folds? For example, certain foods produce more stomach acid than others. And some foods are more nutrient-dense therefore supporting all muscles, including the vocal folds. Prioritizing healthy eating habits is important for the overall health of your entire body. But as a podcaster, it is especially important to be mindful of what you consume as it can have a huge impact on your vocal health. 

Before you even start recording, it’s important to make sure that you are eating the right kinds of foods. Foods that cause acid reflux are a no-go so be sure to stay away from them leading up to a recording session! Stick with high-fiber foods that will increase the regularity of bowel movements, thus reducing reflux! Remember, your vocal folds are part of your body and need the same TLC and mindfulness as every other muscle!

Want to read further on how diet affects your vocal health? Check out this article!

2. Don’t Hit ‘Snooze’!

Have you ever woken up with no voice? Or maybe you’ve tried to talk to someone just after waking up? That ‘morning voice’ is a little weaker and croakier than your usual sound, right? Kind of like there’s a frog in your throat (hehe). So if you want to keep your podcast recording a ‘frog-free’ zone, this is a tip I am sure you didn’t know about! You should be awake for at least 3 hours before recording in the mornings. 

Why? 

Because your voice needs time to warm itself up naturally. You need to give your voice (and yourself) adequate time to wake up which will contribute to the process of warming up. Let’s not bring the frog to the recording session this time (wink wink).

3. Preparation is Key!

Next up in my list of vocal tips is preparation. You wouldn’t run a marathon without a good stretch first, would you? Well, when it comes to podcasting, you shouldn’t speak for extended periods of time without warming your voice up first! A good vocal warmup before you record your podcast will help you get that rich and buttery-smooth sound in all your episodes. And it will help you avoid fatigue while recording!

This can be a tedious process… trust me, I know! My students get very frustrated because I never let them skip out on a proper vocal warmup. But they always thank me later as they hear their voices strengthening and find that those high notes are a lot easier to reach!

Bottom line? A vocal warm-up doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be done! Sliding and gliding exercises are a great way to warm up. Keeping within a comfortable range, slide through multiple pitches on any vowel sound with a consonant such as an ‘s’ in the beginning. Do this before every single recording session to be the best podcaster you can possibly be! 

4. Posture, Posture, Posture…

If your posture is incorrect and you are all scrunched up like a croissant (don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about), your abdominals will get squished. And your lungs will end up deflating like a balloon and melting like a very sad little ice cream on a hot summers day!

When you are not supporting correctly, you are not able to breathe correctly and produce sound clearly. When you are a deflated balloon, you cannot get enough air in. And the sound will, in turn, come out paper thin and it will feel (and sound) croaky and as if you are grinding it out.

So whenever you’re recording podcast episodes, it is important to be mindful of your posture, especially if you’re sitting down. Make sure you are sitting upright with your shoulders rolled back and down towards the base of your spine. And then, make sure your neck isn’t thrusting forward or backward.

This will help you to be able to breathe in nice and low which is essential to maintain optimum vocal health and create a full and rich sound! Trust me, not only will you feel a massive difference, your listeners will hear one, too! 

5. Blow Me Away With Fantastic Airflow!

This next vocal tip always catches everyone by surprise… you need to be speaking correctly. I bet you didn’t know there was a chance that incorrect and poor speaking habits were limiting your vocal potential? Now you may be thinking, ‘But Kyra, I’ve been speaking all my life! Surely I know how to do it properly?’ While that may be true, a lot of people do not speak in a healthy way, and the most vocal damage vocal coaches see comes from poor speaking habits more so than from poor singing! 

You want to make sure you are speaking with enough air passing through the vocal folds. This requires breathing in correctly and allowing the air to flow out. Imagine it coming out of your mouth in a smooth and straight line with speed. Release that air and I guarantee you will not only feel like a vocal expert, but you will sound like one too! 

6. Take Five

Resting is incredibly important for any job but especially for one that requires so much vocal exertion. I would argue that podcasting requires more energy and effort than a desk job, at least in the vocal department. So, next up in this list of vocal tips for podcasting is to take breaks! You need to give your voice enough rest to recover from extensive use and optimize its ability while recording. 

Make sure you are taking adequate breaks when behind the mic. No matter how long the final, produced version of your podcast is, I know it takes a lot longer to actually record it. So try to take a break every 40 minutes or so. If that isn’t possible, make sure to give your voice some rest after recording. That doesn’t mean you should stop speaking altogether, but just a little less than while recording (wink wink). And don’t forget to get enough sleep at night! 

7. Hydration Station

Water is liquid gold for podcasters so you need to make sure your water bottle is close to you while recording! So, when you’re podcasting, keep hydrating! Water lubricates your articulators, larynx, and vocal folds and is fuel for your voice so do not skip out on this tip! 

Grating some fresh ginger into boiling water with a little honey and even lemon is also a great way to stay hydrated and this concoction even has the potential to reduce swelling and reflux on the cords. And let’s be honest, the taste of water can get a little boring so this is a welcome change for the tastebuds!

8. Chill Out After A Recording Sesh With a Cool Down

In at Number 8 in my list of top vocal tips is don’t neglect a cool down! Cooling your voice down after using it for a long period of time is just as important as warming up! Your larynx needs to be returned to its normal resting position after being exercised extensively – kind of like stretching after a run. Cooling down will help you do that! 

Don’t skip out on a cool down after a recording session. You can use lip trills to cool down with the same principle of sliding and gliding. You don’t need to do it for long and you definitely don’t need to overthink it but you do need to do it. It will help to massage your vocal cords and begin the resting process while keeping your voice in mint condition. 

9. Listen to Your Voice!

If you are going to expect people to listen to your voice for hours on end on your podcast, then the least you can do is listen to it when it’s telling you how it feels. So, if there is anything I want you to take away from this article, it is the importance of mindfulness when it comes to the voice. If you are aware of how your voice feels when recording, when it feels great, and when it doesn’t feel so great, you can make the necessary changes to give it what it needs. 

Vocal mindfulness is incredibly important and I want you to make it a habit to check in with your voice. Make sure you are aware of how it feels when you speak, when your voice has had enough, and most importantly when you need to reschedule a recording session due to fatigue, illness, or other issues. 

10. Prioritize Vocal Health Daily

Finally, your podcast and overall quality of life will improve with daily mindful vocal practice. If you haven’t realized after reading this far, I am absolutely passionate about vocal hygiene and helping ‘chronic voice users’ protect and optimize their beautiful instruments – their voices! In fact, I am so passionate about vocal health that I wrote a whole article about it.

Check out my other blog post, How to Protect Your Voice: A Vocal Health Guide For Podcasters to get some more vocal tips and tricks to develop daily habits that will ensure good vocal hygiene and will ultimately lead to easier and better podcast episodes! So for my final tip, I want you to start adopting healthy vocal habits into your everyday life. Prevention is always better than cure! 

Now You Have 10 Vocal Tips For Better Podcasting!

Well, there you have it! 10 vocal tips for podcasting I am sure you didn’t know you needed, but will make a world of difference to your podcast, and help you take your show to new heights. Not only will they make the recording process easier, reduce fatigue, and potentially prevent damage, but they will make your voice sound richer, fuller, and stronger!

Remember, you only get one voice and it is something you should cherish and look after, especially as a podcaster. I want you to take ownership of your instrument, your tool for business, and the way you spread your message through podcasting. And I want to help and I want to see your podcast thrive. Let’s start the journey to vocal health together! 

This issue is even more prevalent for people who make a living from their voices. Teachers, lawyers, TV presenters, voice artists, actors, singers, and you guessed it, podcasters! Your vocal folds are a muscle just like any other. They can be overworked and even damaged just as you can strain a muscle in your leg or arm. So how can you avoid this and how do you use your voice properly so that it will last longer and be in better ‘shape’? The key is to practice vocal health and vocal hygiene. 

Take it from me…vocal health is important!

As a vocal coach who trains professional singers and actors all over the world, I have spent many years focusing on the importance of protecting your vocal folds so that my clients can have long, sustainable careers and a good quality of life. I was fortunate enough to be trained by Adele Strombeck, who is known as “South Africa’s leading vocal coach.” She also happens to be my mother, but that’s beside the point (wink wink). I trained in Musical Theatre at the Waterfront Theatre College, in Cape Town, South Africa. And I have been around performers, and, as I like to call them, ‘chronic voice users,’ my entire life! 

I am passionate about transforming the way people use their voices and developing a general mindfulness and respect for the vocal cords. The technique for developing good vocal habits and healthy vocal cords that I am going to share with you today has been devised to assist podcasters, singers, and ‘voice users’ alike with improving their vocal abilities in the healthiest way possible and protecting the vocal folds. 

In this blog post, I am sharing some signs that your voice is struggling, vocal health tips for rehabilitating vocal fatigue, and ways you can develop better vocal habits. Because, at the end of the day, prevention is better than cure, right? So let’s get down to business! Here are my healthy voice insights that will transform your podcasting career!

Signs of Vocal Fatigue

I want to share my knowledge and experience of how to have a healthy voice with you. But first, let’s talk about how you know your voice is struggling. Have you ever heard someone say that they’ve got ‘a frog in their throat’? Podcasters, I’m talking to you! If your voice sounds hoarse, disappears intermittently, or is gone completely, you are probably vocally fatigued. This may happen as you wake up in the morning or after using your voice for an extended period of time. (Hint: after recording your podcast…) And will most likely worsen without rest and rehabilitation. You might even feel like your voice is pitched differently; either higher or lower than usual and as if you have lost your normal speaking range. It will likely feel like you are exerting too much effort to produce sound. This is your voice’s way of telling you it’s tired!

The Biggest Sign of Vocal Fatigue…

But the biggest tell-tale sign that your voice is struggling is if there is pain when you speak. If you have a sharp pain in your throat or near your vocal folds, it is pretty obvious that your voice needs a rest. Pain is never good and it should never feel sore when you talk. Rehabilitation is essential in this case, and you may even need to consider seeking professional help if the discomfort doesn’t subside. The number one thing I always say is that if it feels wrong, it is wrong! You know yourself best so when you feel like something isn’t right, that is your sign to give your voice some TLC.

Vocal Hygiene Tips for Good Vocal Health

But don’t panic! If you’ve recognized that your voice may need some rest or may be overly strained and fatigued, that is the first step. Now, you can begin to take action! You know that prioritizing vocal health is important. Now, you just need some practical strategies. In order to start rehabilitating your strained voice, you can start prioritizing the following rehabilitation tactics:

• Rest: The most important thing your voice needs when it is strained and tired is rest! Rest, rest, rest! That doesn’t mean that you should stop speaking entirely. It just means you should only speak when necessary and be mindful about how you do it.¹ (But more on that later!)  
• Sleep: You also need to make sure you’re getting 6-9 hours of restful sleep at night so that your body can function properly. Sleep is essential in any healing process and rehabilitating the voice needs the same course of treatment! Your vocal cords need to sleep as much as you do.²
• Hydration: Hydration is essential for the vocal folds as it makes them more nourished and resilient. When the body as a whole isn’t hydrated, it takes the cords longer to recover and makes them fatigued faster. So keep that water bottle near your mic!³
• Reducing reflux: Lastly, make sure to watch your diet, particularly if you suffer from acid reflux. Acid reflux is problematic for the vocal folds as excess stomach acid causes inflammation, bleeding, and even ulcers! It’s best to prioritize foods with high fiber content. This can decrease acid reflux by promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation which can contribute to reflux. I hate to break it to you…pizza is not your best bet. If you still struggle after making dietary changes, you may want to take a trip to a medical practitioner to see if some medication is necessary.⁴

Actionable Steps You Can Take to Help Your Tired Voice (From A Vocal Coach)

While it’s true that there is no quick fix for your struggling voice, there are some exercises you can make use of to speed the process along. And they can even be used as preventative measures. If you are a podcaster, you need to build the following exercises into your routine! I guarantee that they are going to change the way you feel when you talk and start you on the path to a healthier voice!

Vocal Exercise Number 1: Straw and Water Exercise

This exercise is the gentlest form of vocal massage as it puts the vocal folds in the most optimum position to produce sound. When you hurt a muscle in your body, a massage is often the first thing you think of to ease discomfort, and the voice is no different. For this exercise, you will need a glass of water and a straw. Place the straw in the water and blow bubbles in it while producing sound. Sliding through multiple pitches smoothly is a great way to massage your vocal cords. You can do this as often as you like but if you are suffering from vocal fatigue, 5 times a day, spread throughout the day is a great start!

Vocal Exercise Number 2: Steaming

Steaming is a great way to bring down any swelling on the vocal cords. Swelling occurs when the muscle is trying to protect itself, so we want to try to keep that down if possible. For this, you will need a bowl (to avoid burning plastic, let’s stick with glass or metal!) and a towel. Pour boiling water into the bowl, place your head over it, and cover your head and the bowl with your towel. Breathe in and out, alternating between nose and mouth for about 20 minutes three times a day until your voice feels like it’s back to normal. Don’t forget to press play on your favorite podcast to ensure optimum vocal health. 

Okay fine, that’s not technically part of the exercise, but we all love a good podcast, right? 

Good Vocal Hygiene Habits to Keep Your Voice Healthy

Even if you haven’t experienced any of the above problems, if you are a podcaster, singer, presenter, or even just using your voice for prolonged periods of time, you need to know how to keep it healthy. If you want to be able to speak beautifully and clearly without experiencing fatigue and strain, then you need to create good vocal habits. And I’ve 3 good vocal hygiene habits to share with you today.

Always Warm Up Your Voice

Warming your voice up before recording is imperative to keep it protected. Semi-occluded exercises are best to warm up and strengthen the vocal cords. These particular exercises create pressure above the vocal cords to negate pressure from below. In layman’s terms, semi-occluded exercises take pressure off the larynx and put pressure on your mouth instead. You can use consonants such as an ‘S’ sound with any vowels or you can even do these using lip trills. Your warm-up should be 10-15 minutes long and no longer – warming up too much can be harmful, too. 

When should you warm up your voice?

If you use your voice for a living, you should be practicing these exercises frequently to keep that muscle active and healthy. I recommend warming up before every podcast recording session and doing a gentle cool-down afterward. If you want to improve your stamina and increase your range, practicing these exercises a few times a week is a great idea. They are easily incorporated into any routine so why not try to do them while cooking dinner or doing research on your next podcast guest?

Pro tip: You can even use your straw and water exercises as part of a warm-up!

Focus On Your Breathing

It is also important to be aware of how you breathe when speaking. Try to breathe in low and avoid letting your shoulders and chest rise when you inhale. Don’t overthink it, it’s easier than it sounds! By the end of a sentence, you shouldn’t be collapsed in your core. If you feel like you are squeezing out the final words of your sentences or running out of air, you’re probably breathing too high up and are likely collapsing. To avoid this, keep your spine straight and your abdominals activated. Imagine that you are growing instead of slouching as you speak.

Sitting or standing upright and activating (not crunching) the abdominals and obliques will make breathing correctly and speaking with air much easier! Make sure to allow air to flow through the vocal folds and ensure you are supporting correctly. During periods of fatigue, or before and after lots of speaking, avoid speaking on the phone, sending voice recordings, or creating voice memos, as you are less likely to support properly when doing so. Podcasters, take a step back from your mic for a little while!

Practice Vocal Mindfulness for Good Vocal Health

Finally, and most importantly, it is imperative to be mindful of your voice in general. How does it feel when you speak? When does your voice feel most tired? When do you feel discomfort (if any) and can you identify what triggers it? Keeping a food diary can also help you figure out what foods cause you reflux. If you feel you suffer from chronic vocal fatigue, or cannot relieve pain and discomfort after making these changes, further action is needed. If this is the case, we advise you to see an ENT specialist to rule out more permanent damage. But don’t worry, most things can be repaired and you should be back behind your mic in no time!

BONUS! Here is a free downloadable food diary template just for you! 

Make Your Vocal Health a Priority

Protecting your voice is no easy task. It requires a lot of dedication, discipline, and mindfulness. But it is so important for your quality of life! You only get one voice. Make sure you look after it! I want to keep listening to your podcast and hear those beautifully healthy vocal folds doing their work! You can be in control of the health of your voice! My goal is to help you feel empowered by this post and maybe even seek out vocal coaching to assist in your vocal journey. If you are someone who uses their voice for work, experiences any discomfort or vocal fatigue, or even if you are just someone looking to improve their vocal health and stamina, now is the time to start!

Sources:

1. St Olaf College: Resting Your Voice
2. CHARLOTTE EYE EAR NOSE & THROAT ASSOCIATES, P.A.: How Does Sleep Affect My Voice
3. Flypaper: How to Hydrate Your Voice So It Stays Healthier Longer
4. John Hopkins Medical: GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)