A DJ can be center stage in front of thousands of people and still be the most shy person in the room. Most DJs have a passion for music and making people dance but that doesn’t mean they like to talk to people. Picking up a microphone can seem like a daunting task to even some of the best DJs in the world. Sometimes DJs are fortunate enough to have an MC rock a crowd with them while other times the DJ is solo. If you end up in a situation where you are expected to MC, these tips will help you get through your event.
Event Announcements
Before the event begins, ask the person in charge if there are any announcements that need to be made. Your job becomes a whole lot easier when you already know what to say. Half the battle is figuring out what to talk about. Once you know the drink specials or who the sponsor are for the event, you can broadcast that throughout the evening.
Shoutouts
People love to be acknowledged so one of the best ways to show your audience some love is by shouting them out. If someone comes up to you for a request or a general question, grab their name, write it down on your notepad and give them periodic shoutouts. Birthdays, graduations, engagements are all great reasons to shout someone out over the mic. It also doesn’t hurt to show some love to the person who is cutting your check that night.
Practice
Just like you practice your blends and cuts, take some time to practice articulating. A simple way to do that is by reciting tongue twisters; we found a list of 50 tongue twister to help you practice. You want people to understand you when you talk so you’ve got to pronounce words correctly and fluently. There’s no need to practice in the mirror per se, but it does help to record yourself to see how you sound. If you don’t like how you sound, change the tone or inflection of your voice. Some people hate their natural voice but can hold down a mean accent and sound good doing so.
When it comes to these three tips, repetition is your best friend. You can repeat the birthday shoutouts and the announcements every 15 minutes. Before you know it, you will find a rhythm just as you would while DJing. Speaking on a mic will eventually feel “normal” the more you do it.
I personally despised talking on the mic and was tossed into the fire of working on a cruise ship where I had to DJ + MC 7 nights a week! The repetition gave me the confidence and control to sound like a radio personality. Although I’d rather speak with my hands any day of the week, I get compliments on my announcing voice every single gig.
Try these tips out for the rest of the year and see how you sound as an MC in 2022!
Do you have trouble speaking on the mic? What helps you overcome that hurdle? Let us know in the comments!
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