Whether you’re quite new to the online streaming world or you’re a pro online streamer – it’s a good thing you’re reading this as you will learn the importance of protecting your voice whilst you’re interacting with your audience through your voice online.
First let’s start by saying that online streaming has certainly grown significantly over the past decade. Sites like Twitch and YouTube and a few others have helped many gamers reach bigger audiences and also helped many pro gamers earn a living. Playing video games for a living might seem like a dream, but now it has become very much a reality for many. Though there is a lot of pressure on an established streamers to make sure their fan base has longevity.
Being a pro gaming streamer isn’t just playing video games, you need to focus on making sure you keep broadcasters and audiences happy and entertained. Twitch is a live streaming video platform. Most influencers on this platform are streaming on average for three hours a day, most days of the week & it’s also a social network; chat rooms are embedded into user pages next to video streams, allowing the broadcaster and audience to interact in real time, meaning that the players are communicating by answering questions or commenting usually by using “witty banter” says Xminks. Take into account the duration of an average stream, the passion and competitive nature of the gameplay, and the need to maintain interaction with your audience through your voice; you can quickly see how the voice can be overused.
Overworking your voice is vocal abuse, and it can be permanently damaging to your vocal folds. Just as athletes must condition their bodies if they wish to perform well, as an online video streamer you should ideally condition your vocal folds too if you wish to perform your job properly. Regular practice, breathing and stretching exercises can give better stamina and control of the voice.
Many different factors can increase the risk of developing problems in vocal health, from the unconditioned air in the room to the bad habits developed over time without you thinking. To prevent vocal injury, it is important to condition your vocal folds with healthy habits. Read these tips below and you will see noticeable results in the future:
Warm Up:
When you get out of bed try not to shout, yell or talk too loudly; a good way to warm up your voice is to start humming in the shower. If you’re an early bird and like to start streaming first thing in the morning, you must warm-up before you start. Try and do more humming, pitch glides and repeat your favourite tongue twisters throughout the day. Sounds silly, but believe us it will help! To be more pro-active about your vocal health, you have to get into the habit of warming up your voice and strengthening it every day.
Hydrate:
Drink water! A lot of water please! Drink water before going to bed and have 2 glasses after you get up, ideally if you can before breakfast. It should give your body enough time to hydrate your vocal cords before you start streaming online. A minimum of 2 litres will help you keep your voice lubricated.
Avoid repeat throat clearing:
Whilst immediately gratifying, repeated coughing and clearing can damage your vocal folds. Try to avoid talking excessively over loud noise. Make sure you breathe deeply and easily before you have something important to say. If you take big breaths it will help generate volume, enabling you to power the voice from lower down, keeping tension away from the throat. Try to use your diaphragm by speaking from the belly rather than your neck.
Vocalzone Throat Care:
Vocalzone is specially formulated for voice care, and is designed specifically to relieve irritations due to excessive speaking or singing. It also soothes the dry, irritated throats that often accompany the common cold. Here are a few other benefits of using Vocalzone:
- Soothes, clears and relieves
- Does not contain anaesthetics and do not mask the problem compared to other sore throat remedies
- Contains natural active ingredients
- Helps keep a clear voice
Maintain a good posture:
Poor posture habits, such as twisting the neck around and having to look at different screens which aren’t positioned well while slouching on the chair can strain the voice because it prevents the lungs projecting the voice properly. Whilst playing sit it up tall, shoulder blades should be sloping down the back, keep your head comfortably balanced at the top of the spine to increase breath support & make sure the screen is fixed to eye level.
