You may believe you can sing, but how you sound to yourself and how your voice really sounds are totally different. A recording of your singing is how others hear you. To determine the quality of your sound, make a recording of your singing and listen to it. Singorama's Mini Recording Studio is an example of user-friendly software that allows you to record and play back your voice.
Some people are born with the gift of singing, but most are trained to become good singers. A new singer needs to attain and maintain a good voice; a voice trainer is expensive but worth the cost. Alternatively, train yourself using self-study singing lessons, which are available online. Foundations of any good singing lessons begin by teaching you how to warm up your voice before singing and how to breathe from the diaphragm while singing. These practices ensure good voice quality.
Your voice is your main asset. Take good care of it to avoid damaging your vocal chords. Your voice will have problems if you are constantly clearing your throat, your voice is raspy or hoarse, you can no longer hit high notes or your throat feels strained. Avoid these situations by avoiding spicy foods, cold temperatures, dust, smoking and shouting when singing. Drink water frequently. You can damage your voice permanently if you misuse and neglect it.
New musicians flood the music industry every year. To ensure you are not just a passing phase, create a niche for yourself in the industry by increasing your vocal range. Learn new muscle coordination, allowing you to use less air when moving to a higher range during your performance. As you practice the muscle-coordination technique, your vocal chords learn to close up when you sing the higher notes.