Iâm not a singerâI just sing for fun, especially songs from series or anime I like. Itâs just something I enjoy. But one day, I tried recording myself on Smule, thinking it would be cool to hear how I actually sound.
Big mistake.
The playback was rough. My voice sounded weak, off-key, and nothing like what I expected. I thought I was at least decent, but the recording said otherwise. Why did it sound so bad?
The Hard Truth About How We Hear Ourselves
Turns out, we donât hear our real voice when we speak or sing. We hear it through bone conduction, which makes it sound deeper and richer in our head. But a microphone only picks up air-conducted soundâthe way other people actually hear us.
So that âbadâ voice in the recording? Thatâs my real voice to everyone else.
Ouch.
Why Singing in Recordings Feels Worse
After looking it up, I realized itâs not just about hearing my real voiceâitâs also that:
- Mistakes are more obviousâpitch, breath control, and shaky notes all stand out.
- I canât adjust in real timeâwhen I sing, my brain smooths things over, but a recording plays back everything as it is.
- Even professional singers donât sound perfect rawâthey train for years, and their songs go through mixing and editing.
I wasnât necessarily bad, just untrained and unfiltered.
Final Thoughts
That first recording felt like a wake-up call, but Iâm glad I did it. If youâve ever cringed at your own voice, youâre not alone. Just keep singing and having fun. Thatâs what matters most.