I’d just echo this. Have had a show on Soho Radio for the last 10 years and really think your taste, passion, personality and information about the music etc. far more important than technical stuff, mixing and so on.
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Tis a fine medium the ol’ wireless. Interesting the differences between radio radio and the new platforms like online and on demand, plus podcasting. It used to be more important to keep introducing yourself and your program, and reminding listeners who you’re interviewing, as listeners were dropping in and out all the time, hopping in cars, entering their kitchen and switching on the windowsill radio. ‘If you’ve just joined us you’re listening to xxx and we’re here chatting with xxx about xxx etc etc’. Not as important in the on demand era perhaps, but still worth pondering. I mean people can open up online streaming station at any moment of the day and click play, so in some instances stuff like that still applies.
Yeah overdoing the chat can be very off-putting. It’s nice to let the music do the heavy lifting, it just needs a little bit of context around it. You can go the other way too, and not say enough. You want a little bit of personality stamped on a show. Listening back to yourself can be bit painful but helps you get a feel for the type of show you want to do.
Another thing is to try not to alienate anyone. They say not to labour on about personal things that aren’t universal. ‘Oh the kids were playing up this morning and made me late today, you know how it is, haha.’ Not everyone has kids etc. Or talking about cliques that you’re apart of and things like that, leaving a listener feeling left out (this is the thing that turns me off podcasting, I press play and two people are sharing ‘in jokes’ and ‘catching up’, asking how so and so is doing and any manner of personal stuff. It’s like I’m eavesdropping. Don’t really get it?)
Maybe more importantly it’s totally fine to be a noob for a while and bluster your way through it. Plenty of time to figure all the details out.
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Yes for sure. Another extra with online is the ‘chat’ feature you get on eg 1BTN. Can be great, can mean loads of annoying banter with a group chat you’re not looking at.
Love the chat room on NTS. Sort of makes it worthwhile otherwise you’re just doing a mix. Even if I pre record I try to sit and chat in the chatroom as it’s nice to connect…
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hope it goes well, Henry. will tune in.
some good tips on here. I’ve always leaned to radio which feels a bit more amateur and more like listening to a mate in the same room. The old Blue Room on Radio 1 was like that + Sweeney’s awkwardness on BIS (at least in the early years). I like a bit of humour too as well as good tuneage. Whereas I could never take to likes of Zane Lowe. Too loud, excitable, exhausting
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Really great advice here guys! Thanks a lot- gonna give the talking ago- I’m curious to see how i take to it- always good to challenge yourself
Just checking- does everyone think their own voice sounds weird when they listen to it back??
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That’s a universal experience in life isn’t it?
Apparently has something to do with the fact that your voice reverberates in your own skull affecting your personal impression of how you sound, which to others sounds quite different
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My voice is so nasally compared to what I think I sound like (a hunky, sultry voice obviously), so listening back is like nails on a chalkboard. I recently quit my radio show after about 8 months because I just couldn’t find my groove or angle on it. I’d interject with something like “that was __, a great record from 19_, produced coincidentally by __, also found on a recent compilation __.” I just don’t imagine anyone cares about the info so much as wanted a personality to shine through, but I have poor confidence expressing enthusiasm about a track even if I love it. These are all great tips here, wish I’d read them sooner. Best of luck!
My favorites with commentary are Andy Votel’s Randomonium, the Cramps’ Purple Knif, and of course Gilles has a way of talking about music that isn’t annoying, not sure how he does it. My radio hosts sent the below post as helpful guidance:
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Lots of great tips already. Everyone has their own style, and you’ll find what becomes comfortable for you, but I’d also add that how much info you give depends on what you’re playing really. When I was doing my show, I’d try and play about 80% new and 20% old. I took the view that if labels and promo companies were going to be kind enough to send me stuff, the least I could do was give as much info on each track as possible - I’d always prep the show in Rekordbox, then print off the playlist to include Title/Artist/Label/ Releaase Date, plus the odd nugget of information about the track or artist. That print out would then be pinned in front of my decks at eye level so I could just talk into the mic without having to look down. I’d also have a couple of extra backup tracks ready because things go wrong on a fairly regular basis, but the listeners rarely notice.
Good luck!
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-if you don’t have autoducking or talk over, 3/10 volume for whatever track you’re announcing over is a good reference.
This should be the top tip I reckon. I just skimmed back over some early shows I recorded and I wasn’t ducking the audio nearly enough, clearly wasn’t monitoring things properly, sounds like crap! 100% duck the music more than you think.
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Here tis! My first show, did it in one take so to try make it abit more like a live show. Next time will use a mic stand as was fumbling about abit with it in my hand and trying to mix in and out. Was fun tho! Not scared of it anymore lol
Be keen to hear any thoughts
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Just finished listening, sounded pretty good to me. More of this sort of thing, and don’t forget to post the next one
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Just listened, really good stuff. Sounded great on the mic to me.
Look forward to hearing more 
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Great stuff Henry, would not have guessed it was your first time, no ‘erms’ detected 
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