What Type Of Radio DJ Are You?

Types of Radio DJs

When we turn the dial – or, in the case of radio streaming, click that precious ‘listen’ button – we want more than ads, jingles and great music from our audio programmes. No, we’re after a personality to come back to: jokes, banter and casual insight, the je ne sais quoi of a Radio DJ who’s a breath of fresh air.

Since internet radio software has broadened the playing field, anyone can, theoretically, be that welcome voice in someone’s ear. But how might your DJ style emerge if you’ve never done this before? Here, we’re thinking of the ‘types’ you might adopt.

The Cool Cat Radio DJ

“And that was James Brown with ‘Get On Up’, as fiery as a hot coal, going out to the lovers, to the shakers out there… now here’s a tonic of Fleetwood Mac to keep you dizzy”

The typical, much-parodied DJ tone is one of late-night sensuousness, the hushed privilege of being with a cool hipster who knows their songbook inside out. We’re drawn to these hosts because they’re smooth, evocative, and don’t talk more than they have to about why an artist is amazing. Everyone wants to be like this radio DJ, at least once in their lives.

The Motormouth Radio DJ

Taking aim at politics, culture, sport or the perils of being an Average Joe, motormouth hosts are a livewire act, zipping from one subject to another. They’re hilarious, and have the distinct ability to speak at lightspeed while being, somehow, perfectly understandable.

If your show has an element of comedy or a social agenda, it’s likely these traits are going to inform your DJ style. There’ll be an eager audience – if the content is top-notch – that follows every word, eager to hear your damnations of the issues we care about.

The Storyteller Radio DJ

People have always loved to huddle around campfires. Now, in the 21^st century, we’ve shifted our fondness for storytelling to the digital realm. Narrative-based radio is big for listeners who want to escape their 8.30AM train ride, or settle into sleep with your voice in their ear.

The permutations are endless: true crime, tales of success and overcoming the odds, horror fiction, the lives of those in your community… Framing a narrative with great production design is hard, but worth the loyalty you’ll get from those who click with it.

The Best Pal Radio DJ

As we mentioned, one of the best things about radio broadcasting software is the power it lends to anyone who’s harboured a DJ dream. Practically anyone, from any background, can launch and promote their station; fertile material, then, for the radio DJ who acts like your best friend down the pub.

They’ll do silly competitions, and moan about their interior decorator. Phone-ins are common, with chats skirting around a point just for the sake of hanging out on-air. Your skills may lie with this radio DJ subset – if so, embrace it, and be a jocular, down-to-earth platform for the common man and woman.

We’re betting you can think of more moulds to the hosting technique: let us know what we’ve missed, and prep your microphone for SAM Broadcaster Cloud, Spacial’s internet radio software package! Get your unique, boundless self on the digital airwaves, with a station or two to call your own…