Storytelling important for audio professionals: Reliance Broadcast CEO

Abraham Thomas says there are 'no voice artists anymore' but content creators with a good voice

Voice artists have made way for content creators, says ABRAHAM THOMAS, chief executive officer of Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd which operates radio network BIG FM. “Storytelling is an extremely important strength that audio talent must have,” Thomas, an audio entertainment specialist and media evangelist, told Namrata Kohli in an interview in Delhi. Edited excerpts: 

What is the most important attribute an audio professional must have?

If you walk into a party, you will always find some individuals who have a bunch of people hanging around them. They just tell great stories. Storytelling is an extremely important attribute that an audio professional must have. It is the ability to articulate and make the story really evocative. The rest is what we can still train them in.

What are the basic voice skills that are expected out of radio professionals and anchors when employers go scouting?

It is important that you learn voice modulation because otherwise your voice will not last. If you are speaking from your throat, then it will eventually damage your throat. You have to speak from deep within. That is the training that you're going to get.

The voice needs to have clarity, and modulation to give various expressions. But I think we have stopped looking at audio professionals as voice artists. They are not voice artists anymore. They are content creators who also have a good voice and clarity in terms of speech.

Content creation, voice, people connect: What would you rate the highest?

The number one would be authentic, real, relatable content creation. Content and connect are equally important. This would be my order in terms of how we find new talent and then try and train them. Technology is another very key factor. At every stage of your radio process, tech is playing some part, whether it is being used to write scripts or to increase recording quality or create advertisements or understanding audience interaction. I wouldn’t say tech savvy but at least not tech averse and someone willing to use these tools to create even better content. Voice and all are all hygiene now.

How important is it for an audio professional to be video savvy?

Every podcast now comes with a video. It may be just a camera and two people talking but even that is a great visual. So video is a given even in audio content now.

Suddenly, content has become multi medium. If I give you the idea, then you should be able to adapt it suitably to short-form content, long-form content, audio, video, on ground content etc. All our RJs (radio jockeys) are actually local influencers. So when we are looking for someone in Gorakhpur, we are looking for someone who can connect with the audience of those parts of Uttar Pradesh and be able to get engaging content and interact with the content. Ability to adapt your content to multiple mediums suitably is becoming the thing. 

What about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in audio?

We are indeed looking for people who can use AI and technology to create better content or improve the understanding of their audience. This kind of analysis on what the audience is thinking, what is trending, how your content is being received can tremendously enhance your output and help in creating relevant and relatable content.

Is imperfection the new perfection in audio medium?

Imperfections make you relatable, so that's what the audience is going after – that the person speaking is the guy next door. You may not have the deepest baritone or the strongest voice but if your content is relatable and real people get attracted to it, then you are there. Today’s audience do not really want the high-end celebrity endorsers, the way they want influencers. Even though there still exists a space for celebrity endorsers as they break the clutter but from a content consumption point of view, relatability, ability to create engaging content is the first point that is required for somebody to connect and that is what we are also looking for.

How authentic, how imperfect you are and how you can strike a chord and connect with the audience are deal makers. It’s about being real and that is the core strength for an audio professional today.