Use Riverside's teleprompter without sounding scripted

00:00 Reading from a teleprompter sounds simple until you hit record and suddenly feel like you're reading a school presentation. Your eyes lock onto the screen, your voice gets stiff, and instead of sounding natural, you sound like you're trying not to mess up. So in this video, I'll show you how to read from a teleprompter without looking like you're reading from one.

00:18 Because a teleprompter shouldn't make you sound perfect, it should help you stay on track. And if you try to read every word perfectly, you'll probably sound robotic. But if you use the script as a guide, your delivery will feel much more natural. The first tip is to write the way you would actually talk. A lot of scripts look good on paper, but sound strange out loud.

00:36 They use long sentences, overly polished phrases, or words you would never say in a real conversation. So before you record, read your script out loud, a few times if you can. If you trip over a sentence, go ahead and rewrite that thing. Your script should sound like your thoughts just more organized. The second tip is to slow the teleprompter down.

00:54 One of the biggest giveaways that someone is reading from a teleprompter is when they start chasing words. Instead, make the teleprompter match your pace. With Riverside's teleprompter, you can adjust the scroll speed so it fits your natural speaking rhythm. Set it slightly slower than you think you need. Trust me. That gives you room to breathe, pause, and add emphasis.

01:12 It also helps if you need multiple takes of the same sentence. And those pauses are important, because real conversations aren't perfectly smooth. The third tip is to keep your eyes relaxed. Riverside does have an eye contact feature in the editor, so if you need to look to the side of your camera or below your camera for the teleprompter, that feature can help maintain eye contact with the camera.

01:31 When someone looks like they're reading, their eyes usually scan side to side, or they stare too intensely into the screen. To avoid that, make your font large enough so you can actually read it. On top of that, keep your lines short and position your script as close to the camera as you possibly can. With Riverside, your teleprompter can sit right inside your recording setup, just under your laptop camera.

01:51 That way, you can keep your eyes near the lens instead of constantly looking off to the side or down at your notes. The fourth tip is to build pauses into your script. Instead of writing one giant paragraph, break your script into short lines. Give important ideas their own space. This makes the script easier to follow, but it also helps your delivery sound more natural.

02:10 A pause can make a point feel more confident. It can also give your brain a second to reset. And that's important. The fifth tip is to practice once before you start recording. You don't need to memorize the whole thing. Just read it out loud one or two times so the words feel familiar. Especially in your space, not just reading it on your laptop or computer or something.

02:28 Once you get it all set up, run through it a couple of times so you feel comfortable. That way, when you actually do hit record, you're not discovering awkward sentences for the first time. And that's usually what makes the video feel more human, too. The goal of a teleprompter is not to make you sound like a news anchor, it's to help you speak clearly without losing your place or having to memorize an entire script.

02:47 So here's a simple recap. Write like you talk, slow the speed down, keep your eyes relaxed, and use short lines and natural paragraphs. And also practice before you record. And I think most importantly, don't be afraid to sound like yourself. So if you want to try this in your next recording, open Riverside, paste in your script, adjust the scrolling speed, and read it like you're talking to one person. Not a camera, but pretend you're talking with your best friend.

03:11 And if you want an easier way to record, edit, and publish your content all in one place, you can try Riverside for free using the link in the description. And if you want to keep improving your content creation experience using Riverside, you can check out this video next. And if you found this video helpful, make sure you like, subscribe, and stick around for more content just like this. If you have any questions about setup and using a teleprompter, feel free to leave them in the comments. I will be happy to answer them myself. Thanks for watching, and we can't wait to see what you create.