Another cause of sounding different on your recording is that your mic might suck. (No offense.) Before I had the funds to set up my studio, I sounded horrible on recordings. There's a certain clarity you get from real microphones. IF you were to get access to a high-end microphone, though, you would still sound different because the vibrations in your bones and skull cause the voice that you hear. A recording allows you to hear what others hear. I had to get used to this somehow, so I started recording myself talking. I would just say whatever was on my mind for hours. Sometimes 4-5 at a time! Then, I went back and listened to these recordings. I did that for a few months, and now, I imagine what I ACTUALLY sound like instead of hearing what I would normally hear. That lets me manipulate my voice so that I can "fix" my voice to sound how I want it. Most people probably don't have the attention span for that, but I'm bipolar, so don't judge.
I'm also a violinist, (among other things) which has the same basic principle since the instrument rests against your collarbone. Something I learned from that is that if you can achieve a real vibrato vocally, it REALLY helps your tone. The best example I can give of how to utilize vibrato is to put two fingers on the same hand onto your throat, sing a note, and try to make the lump you feel in your throat move up and down. It kind of contracts. Sorry I can't explain this better, I'm self-taught, so I don't know the fancy terms that real singers use.
As for what Brock said about picking a certain sound, I don't necessarily agree with that because I can't do it. My sound is probably most influenced by Patrick Stump (DON'T JUDGE ME!!!
) but if I'm singing, say a jazz song, I need a jazz voice, not an R&B, Punk voice, a jazz voice. I change my voice depending on the mood I'm in and the song I sing. (If that's weird, sorry. Once again, bipolar.) Just play around with it and find out who you are artistically and vocally.
Sorry if this came off as a bit too harsh, I was trying to help, but I have a way of insulting people without meaning to...