What Is The Best Microphone For Podcasting?

I get asked all the time what microphone I use for my podcast or does it matter what mic they choose. Well I want to take some time to answer that question. Listen to the podcast episode for more in depth but you can read the short answer here.

When people ask that question what they really mean is “What mic should I use for my podcast?”. Here is the advice I always give.
1. If you don't have funds, start with what you have.
2. If you have some funds, invest in the best mic you can afford that works with your set up.
3. Save for something better in the future.

Now lets me show you some mics and why they may or may not be right for you.

Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means if you purchase through this link I will get a very small commission but you will not pay any more for the product.

Smart Phone

Rode SmartLav+ Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone ($53.95 as of January 2022)
Many people start with their cell phone when they don’t have extra funds. And if that is you and you want to step up your game just a bit, check out the Rode SmartLav+ Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone. It is a great little clip on mic that can plug right into your phone. I have used this mic when I was traveling in Europe doing some vlogging. This is really the only mic I recommend for use with your cell phone outside of the mic that comes on your ear buds. Be aware it is omnidirectional so it will pickup audio from every direction. So you may need to control the environment. Also I am a huge fan of the Rode company. I have used Rode mics on all of my short films and most of the video projects I have done in the past.

USB Mics

Blue Snowball USB Microphone ($59.99 as of January 2022)
Blue Yeti USB Microphone ($99.99 as of January 2022)
Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone ($148.50 as of January 2022)
Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone ($218.90 as of January 2022)
USB microphones can be a great way to go. They are simple to use and very plug-n-play and don’t require additional gear. You can also get one in about every price point. I have three that I recommend. The Blue Snowball is a great little budget microphone that comes with its own small stand. There are a couple of flavors of this mic. The ICE version only has one pickup pattern while the regular version has two. The quality is acceptable and is a step up from your phone. The Blue Yeti is a little more robust than the Snowball. With an all metal housing and its own hefty metal stand, this mic can stand up to some serious use. Tons of podcasters and YouTubers use this mic. I have tested it and felt like the pickup quality was very good. An improvement over the Snowball for sure. Be aware this mic comes with four different pickup patters. If you are recording alone, make sure you are on the Cardioid setting. It looks kind of like a heart shape. This setting will help reduce unwanted sounds and reflections. But that still does not make up for a well treated room. The other settings can be useful but are designed for specific situations. Also the cardioid setting makes this a side address mic. Meaning you speak into the side of the microphone not the tip. So make sure you have the mic facing the correct way and at the right angle. I see people use this mic incorrectly all the time and their sound quality suffers from it. So rule of thumb, know your gear and how to use it. Next, is the AT2020USB+ I have personally never used the USB version of this microphone but I love the XLR version. In side by side tests I have heard, the quality is nearly identical. Check out my comments below for the AT2020’s quality. And finally the Rode Podcaster. This is a great end address microphone. Meaning you speak into the tip of the mic. Many podcasters start out with this mic because of the quality and cost balance. Its one of the more expensive USB microphones but with the Rode quality in the mic element it is worth it. My one cation here is that with this price point, if you already have other gear or an audio interface, saving up a little more could allow you to move into a much higher range of microphones. This mic has come down it price in the past two years so I don’t make this point as strongly as I used to. Rode has also created an XLR version of this mic called the Procaster. Since the price difference is almost nonexistent, If you are considering these two mics and already have a quality audio interface go with the Procaster. But if you don’t or want to be able to use the mic on the go and not bring extra gear, go with the USB version

XLR Mics

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface ($169.99 as of January 2022)
Sennheiser E835 Professional Dynamic Cardioid Microphone ($99.95 as of January 2022)
Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone ($98.10 as of January 2022)
HEiL sound PR-40 Dynamic Studio Microphone ($322.42 as of January 2022)
Electro-Voice RE20-BLACK Dynamic Broadcast Announcer Microphone ($449.00 as of January 2022)

XLR microphones are the industry standard for audio. I don’t look down on people who use USB microphones, like some people do. That said, I am a bit of an audio snob and a gear head so I prefer XLR mics personally. Before you can connect a USB microphone to a computer for recording, you will need an audio interface. I wont go into this much but I currently use a Focusrite Scarlett. Its a great piece of kit and simple to use. I recommend the 2i2 to most people. It comes with two inputs. I use the slightly bigger 4i4. and there is a smaller Solo version but I think the 2i2 is probably best for most podcasters that don’t need more complicated setups. If you are thinking of investing in an XLR mic, don’t forget to count the cost of an audio interface.
Now on to the mics. Let’s start with the E835. This is a great, heavy duty dynamic cardioid mic. It is a workhorse mic. Very similar to the Shure SM58, however, I think the Sennheiser has a smoother sound. I have used this mic for spoken word as well as high powered singing vocals. Overall just a nice mic. Next is the AT2020 I mentioned the USB version earlier. I have used the XLR version of the AT2020 for more than a decade. It is still one of my favorite microphones. It has a great sound and being a condenser mic it is able to pickup nuance that some similarly priced dynamic mics cannot. With the recent price drop making it less expensive than the E835, it is a steal (as of January 2022). At this price, I really don’t think it can be beat. I have used to record paying voiceover work from my home studio and even started this podcast using this very microphone. You can hear it on the first 6 episodes from 2020. Next we have the HEiL Sound PR-40. I know what you are thinking. That is a huge price jump. But the middle ground is probably the Rode Procaster mentioned above. And if all I had was $200 and no interface, I would go with the Rode USB Podcaster. If I had $200 and an interface already, I would save up for the PR-40. I love Rode mics and I like the Procaster, I just feel like if you are going that far, just keep saving. So what about the PR-40. This is an amazing professional microphone. It is a dynamic end address mic with great sound quality. The biggest complaint from some people is that the output is not high enough and many people recommend a Cloudlifter be used to increase the gain on this mic. I used one, and it did improve the gain quite a bit. The mic as a nice crisp quality. Almost too crisp for my tastes. I had a friend loan me this mic for an extended time so you can hear it being used on most of my episodes from 2021. Last but not least is my all time favorite microphone. The Electro-Voice RE20. This is the industry standard for radio studios and spoken word recording. I have hundreds of hours behind one of these mics recoding audio books for a local publisher. I have wanted one of these mics since the first day I used one, as an intern at a local radio station in college. If has a wonderful smooth tone quality and is ultra clear. If you have the funds, it is well worth the expense. That being said I still stick by my original statement. Start with what you have, and save up for what you want. I spent years behind a $100 microphone so I could save up for a $450 microphone. I will never encourage someone to spent lots of money to find out that they don’t like podcasting. Once you know it is something you want to do for the rest of your life, invest in the gear you need to make your podcast as good as you can.

Your Voice

One last thing, your voice is the most important piece of kit you have. No gear is going to improve on what you have. It can only take what you have present it clearly. So invest in your voice. Spend time improving your diction, your tone, and your script. Take care of your voice by getting a good night sleep before recording and not blowing it out, screaming at the concert or sporting event. You only have one voice and you can’t buy a new one. It’s yours, its unique, and it is important.

If any of this article was helpful for you, please send me an email and let me know at ricky@christiannerdsunite.com.

I host my podcast with Captivate, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host™ - you can too, and get your first 7-days totally free! Clicking

https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=rickypope

My Microphone - Electro-Voice RE20

Join our Parteon

https://www.patreon.com/christiannerdsunite

Some of the links are affiliate links meaning at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.