How to Prepare an Artist Name-Pronunciation Guide for Radio and Press

A pronunciation guide is a small press asset with a large job: it helps a host, editor, DJ, venue announcer, or collaborator say an artist's chosen name correctly without guessing from spelling. Build it from the artist's own voice, keep it easy to use under deadline, and update it whenever the public name or preferred pronunciation changes.

The guide should support the artist's identity, not flatten it into whatever is easiest for a broadcaster. Ask what the artist wants said on air, whether there is more than one accepted pronunciation, and whether any part of the name should remain unexpanded or unexplained.

Start with the artist as the primary source

Record the artist saying the complete public name at a natural pace, then once more slowly with a short pause between words. If the name has an origin or inflection that matters, let the artist explain it in their own terms. Do not substitute a manager's guess, a fan's video, or an automated voice when direct confirmation is available.

The Library of Congress pronunciation guide says the person is the major source whenever available. NPR's accuracy checklist likewise tells journalists to verify personal names, spell them correctly, and confirm pronunciations. Treat the recording date and confirmer as part of the evidence.

Build one compact entry

Put the approved display name first. Under it, add a plain-language respelling, the stressed syllable, an audio reference, the source, and the last review date. A working entry can look like: display name; spoken breakdown; “sounds like” cue; artist audio; confirmed by; confirmed on.

Use capital letters to show stress if that convention is familiar to your recipients. The Library of Congress “Say How?” key, for example, places stressed syllables in uppercase and provides a consistent sound key. Avoid relying on capital letters alone when capitalization is already part of the artist's brand.

Write for the person who must say it once, live

A respelling should be readable without specialist training. Divide the name into pronounceable chunks, mark the strongest stress, and add a short comparison only when it genuinely clarifies the sound. If the name includes sounds that ordinary English spelling handles poorly, include an optional IPA line—but never make IPA the only usable aid.

Do not rewrite a name into a joke, stereotype, or unrelated celebrity comparison. If a regional or language-specific sound matters, say so respectfully and provide the artist's recording. A host needs a route to the sound, not an essay about the artist's background.

Record a clean audio reference

Use a quiet room, a close microphone or phone, and an unprocessed recording. Begin with the display name, not a long introduction. Capture the full name, the slow version, and one natural sentence such as an introduction the host can model. Export a common format and keep the file small enough to open quickly.

Name the file with the public artist name and a revision date. Add a text transcript beside the audio so the reference remains useful when sound cannot be played. Test the file on a phone and a laptop before it enters the press folder.

Cover aliases, groups, and featured credits

If the artist uses an abbreviation, stage name, collective name, or alternate pronunciation, list each approved form separately. State which one belongs in the introduction, which may appear in writing only, and whether initials are spoken as letters or as a word. For a group, confirm the order and pronunciation of every member who may be introduced.

Match the spelling used in release and video credits. When you are researching a visual release, the IHHR music-video credit discovery workflow explains how to keep names and roles attached to verified sources instead of assumptions.

Deliver it where people will find it

Place the guide near the artist bio, one-sheet, press contact, and approved photos. Use a descriptive link such as “Hear the artist's name pronunciation,” not a bare filename. In an email pitch, include the respelling in the body and link to the audio instead of attaching a large media folder without context.

Artists who want a fuller sponsored profile can review the paid IHHR Artist Spotlight service. A pronunciation asset remains useful whether or not the artist purchases promotion, and a paid profile must stay clearly disclosed.

Run a final verification pass

1. Ask a person who has not seen the guide to read the name aloud.
2. Compare the attempt with the artist's reference recording.
3. Confirm spelling, stress, audio playback, and mobile access.
4. Remove outdated aliases and private notes.
5. Record the approver and next review date.

Send corrections quickly and without blame. The goal is not to prove that a host should have known; it is to give the next person a reliable, respectful tool. Keep the artist-approved source recording, the current public entry, and the change history together so an old pronunciation does not return during the next campaign.

References: Library of Congress NLS, Say How?; Library of Congress NLS, C'est What? An Introduction to Say How?; NPR, Public Radio 101 Handbook: Accuracy Checklist. Checked November 10, 2026.