You’ve invested in a podcast microphone. How can you make sure it’s worth the money?

How you can ensure your podcast microphone is worth the money? Great question. This is right in my wheel house. OK. First of all, place your microphone in front of you. Then, take the palm of your hand, and place it on your chin. Extend your hand out so your fingertips are touching the microphone. Take a breath. And then yell at it "ARE YOU A BLUE YETI?????" If the microphone starts whimpering and sobbing while saying "yes, I am. I'm sorry!" then you know your podcast microphone is absolutely not worth the money. Throw it in the bin immediately. Then, locate your nearest coastal town, and get in the sea. Shame on you.

You've taken the plunge and invested in a podcast microphone – good move! Now, let's make sure it's worth every penny. First off, familiarize yourself with your microphone's features and settings. Play around with it to find the best sound quality for your voice. Next, ensure you're using it correctly – position it properly and adjust your recording environment for optimal sound. Experiment with different recording software and editing techniques to make your voice shine. And finally, listen to your recordings critically – if you're happy with the sound, then rest assured, your investment was well worth it. So, grab that mic, let your voice be heard, and watch as your podcasting dreams take flight!

There are many mics to choose from but a key point is what will you do with the tech and gear. Many people overbuy for their current situation, meaning, they do not have the support in their current software/hardware setup. If you get a condenser mic and have no way to power it, you've just over bought. You may want to start with a dynamic mic first.

You should invest in a dynamic microphone unless you plan to soundproof your recording space. Condenser microphones are great at picking up crisp and clear sound, which is why they are common in professional recording environments. But that's also their drawback for podcasting. They can pick up traffic noises, neighbours mowing their lawns, pets, air conditioners and furnaces, etc. Dynamic mics minimize the noise they pick up to what's close to the mic and are more suited for spoken word audio. However, if you are doing video, you must consider whether or not you want a microphone visible in your frame. Dynamic mics must be close to your mouth, while condenser mics can be further away and out of frame.

If you are starting out then even recording from a laptop or phone microphone is enough. Content should be more important in the beginning over sound aesthetics. Once your listener base starts increasing invest in a good microphone from Shure or Rode to enhance the experience for your listeners.

A large number of people don’t understand the microphone MUST be at least 1-3 inches from your mouth in order for it to work properly. Too close and the mic will be muffled. Too far away and the mic won’t pick you up. Test it out and see what works best for you. Make sure you’ve got headphones so you can actually hear the mic and adjust accordingly. But for the love of all things podcasting, don’t just set a mic on your desk 5 feet away and expect it to work.

The closer you are to the mic, the better it will pick up your voice. This applies to both dynamic and condenser microphones. The difference is the distance. Dynamic mics work best when close to your mouth. Make a fist and place it between your mouth and the mic. That's the distance you must maintain while recording. Condenser mics can be further away, but the closer you are, the clearer your recording will be. Aim for 8 to 16 inches for best results. Test your mic by recording at different distances to figure out how close you need to be. And never talk directly into/towards the mic as this may cause unwanted mouth noises. Always aim your mouth across the top of the mic head.

Saturation is the biggest issue when using your mic. So, you have to be sure you don't speak too loud or too close to the microphone. But the most common trouble is burst of air. Depending on the sort of mic the solution is different. For most of them you can use an anti-pop accesory that evites "p, "b" and "t", but even then your mouth breath can cause a burst on the mic. If you use a lavalier, for example, try placing it under your chin, out of the breathing line, and it will sound better, specially if you like low tones.

Although you can fix many issues of the recording when editing, it's important to consider some levels when recording. If you get too loud sound it can clip even at the recoring phase and you lose the sound information, so editing won't be the solution later. It's better to keep around lower levels and and rise them during post-production. Yes, rising levels in a pro-way is not that easy but it is for good results. Don't forget you are compressing your final file to an mp3 that is not so high fidelity! You'll be able to edit the sound information that you get at the recording. If you lose information because your levels are too high or low, you cannot edit what you don't have. About -16dB or -12dB can be a starting point.

Record yourself using different settings and setups. Make it easier on yourself by recording what you are doing. Example: "This is test #1. I'm 6 inches from the mic, and the gain is set to 3." "This is test #2. I'm 6 inches from the mic, and the gain is set to 5." "This is test #3. I'm 12 inches from the mic, and the gain is set to 3." This makes it much easier. When you determine which one is the best-sounding recording, you'll know exactly what settings you used.

Before you go buy a mic, make sure the environment you are recording in is optimized for best sound quality, like all doors/ fans/ etc turned off. Now before you make a purchase, compare models that best suit your requirements. And always keep the mic 1-3 inches away from the mouth while speaking so it doesn't have any plosives. Do the due diligence and the rest will take care of itself.

Optimizing your recording environment doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes, the simplest solutions make huge differences. I eliminated a reverb problem simply by hanging a piece of foam from my boom arm directly behind my microphone. This foam pad prevents my voice from bouncing off a nearby wall and back into my microphone.

If you're having trouble with reverb/echo in your recording space, there are plenty of ways to improve it without decking the whole room out in acoustic paneling. Firstly, if you have wood floors, get a large 100% wool rug, the chunkier the better. Also, add plants wherever possible. If you never use video and you can't get your audio to where you want it to be, just record under a duvet.

If you are a solo podcaster and do remote recordings: USB: YES If you do an in-persin interview podcast: XLR: Yes Being a solo podcaster, you don't need a complicated set-up, and you don't want too much hassle, specifically if you are not a technically sound person. If you do remote recording, the USB mic will suffice because you can easily plug it into your laptop. For the in-person interview podcast, you need XLR mics and a mixer, at least a basic recorder like ZOOM H6, or a sound console to record and control audio output. So, choose wisely. Hope this helps! :)

USB ❌ XLR ✅ Plus, LISTEN to every episode you producer to see if you’re popping Ps (a pop filter isn’t necessary, you just need to work on mic technique), using crutch phrases and words, ticks, etc.

If you’re conducting interviews, keep in mind that your guest’s microphone will dictate the overall sound quality of your episode. Be sure to offer your guests simple guidelines and recommendations for equipment and set up. For example, if there is any echo on their side, requesting that they wear headphones/ear buds can be a simple way to improve the audio quality in a big way.

One of the most important things to consider is which mic to pick. I started my podcasting journey in May 2023 and I knew I didn't want to compromise on the quality so I invested in SHURE MV7 USB Podcasting Microphone. It's totally worth the money I spent coz I use the XLR cable to record the podcast episodes and I also record my voice-overs for my reels and shorts. It's very important to switch off any fac or AC while recording so that there's no extra noise while recording. Hope this helps :)

To my fellow podcasters in their early stages, do not think too much about the type of microphone. Pick one in the $50-$100 range and move on. Your focus needs to be on volume and getting your reps in as a podcaster. And with AI tools that can help you have studio-sound quality, don't worry too much about the mic. Just make sure is a decent one and carry on. My #1 rule of podcast equipment and software: Keep it simple! The more complicated your setup, the harder it will be to record. Choose tools, equipment, and setup that make it EASY to record so you can focus on having great conversations.

The mic will only pick up what you put into it so get some voice coaching too. Knowing what your voice needs to be at it’s most expressive and engaging will mean you get the most out of every on mic performance. Even the best mic in the world can’t help you be a brilliant sounding podcast host. So explore your voice range, learn the words that trip you up and get familiar with your day to day speaking voice on mic so you can sound human, tell your story and affect your listeners authentically

You don't need an expensive mic to sound good, but a little investment will go a long way. $60-$100 microphones sound 100x better than mics that cost under $50. $100-$900 mics will give you minimal (1x-5x) improvement over a $50-$100 mic. Unless podcasting is your full-time job, there are better things you can invest your money in to improve your podcast than an overly expensive microphone.