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Whether you're going to be recording your first podcast or your 100th, read on for our top 4 microphones to decide which is best for your experience level and budget.
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A common misconception in podcasting is that personality and content are the most important attributes to having a successful podcast. That's only half the truth. It's been proven that even if your content is in fantastic, trash audio will cause listener retention to plummet.
So having a quality microphone is paramount to starting or maintaining a successful podcast. We've listed our 4 favorite microphones along with their prices and attributes to help you pick the best podcasting microphone for you.
Best Beginner Podcasting Microphone
Samsung Q2U
Dubbed the best entry level microphone by many, the Samsung Q2U has proven over time to be a solid and reliable microphone. This is a dynamic microphone, which means it focuses more on the vocals spoken directly into it, and ignores ambient noise.
It has a USB connection, but also has connections for XLR hookup allowing for later upgrading when you are ready for more advanced audio tweaking using a soundboard. In addition, there is a headphone input so you are able to monitor the audio as you use it. At the time of writing this, the Samsung Q2U is being sold in a "Podcast Pack" with studio earphones and a desktop boom arm for $69.99 making it perfect for building a podcast studio on a budget. You can find it on Amazon here.
Best Overall USB Microphone
Blue Yeti X
The Blue Yeti X from Blue is our favorite USB microphone. This is a premium USB condenser microphone with customizable LED lighting, enhanced audio effects, advanced voice modulation, HD audio samples and an instant mute button. And despite being a condenser microphone, the Yeti X features four different audio pickup patterns offering incredible flexibility so you can record vocals for music, podcasts, Twitch streaming, and YouTube videos. The recipient of PC Gamer's Readers Award, 2020 Best of Gizmodo, and the Wirecutter Pick of 2021, the sound recorded from this USB microphone sounds significantly better than other USB microphones. Blue has succeeded on making recording crisp audio easy, right out of the box, and with the added Blue Voice software you can access a bunch of advanced tweaks. Whether you are podcasting, streaming gameplay, or creating Youtube content, this is the overall best USB microphone around. You can pick it up here on Amazon.
Best Dynamic Microphone on a Budget
Rode PodMic
The RODE PodMic provides a lot of bang for your buck. Costing only $99 dollars at the time of writing this, the clarity and crispness that comes with this microphone is hard to beat. This is an XLR connection only microphone that is compact and built specifically for podcasting and promises "broadcast quality" sound. It features a professional looking mesh design, internal shock mount, and internal pop filter. Note that this is not USB plug-and-play microphone and may pose difficulty for beginner podcasters who have no experience with soundboards. However for it's price, it is hard to believe this sound and quality you'll get out of this small package. Get it here on Amazon.
Best Overall Dynamic Microphone
SHURE SM7B
A professional level dynamic microphone that can be found on the stages of live concerts and podcast studios the likes of Joe Rogan, the Shure SM7B is at the top of our tier list. The bar by which all other microphones are judged, the Shure SM7B makes your voice sound better. The SM7B is a cardioid pattern dynamic microphone that comes with no software, and no USB connection. At $399 at the time of writing this, the saying "you get what you pay for" rings true. However, for the sound quality coming out of this microphone, if you are ready to upgrade to professional grade, you can't go wrong. You can get it here, courtesy of Amazon.
What microphone do you use? Which one of these interest you the most?
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