The alternative would be to hold the microphone the entire time, which would be tiresome and not nearly as consistent. If you're recording a podcast for any length of time, chances are you'd want the microphone to be mounted properly on a mic stand. That being said, if you have a soundproof room or even an acoustically treated space, a more sensitive microphone (like a condenser) may capture the voice with greater clarity, picking up a wider frequency range and more of the detailed nuances of speech. It seems kind of odd, but a less sensitive microphone (like a moving-coil dynamic) may very well be a better bet for recording podcasts in less-than-ideal environments. You name it a sensitive microphone will capture it.

A leaky faucet, refrigerator hum, furnace, air conditioner, roommates chatting. With a poor recording environment, a sensitive microphone's output signal could include all the tiny sounds within a room or even an entire building and beyond. When on a budget, it's tough to construct or rent a soundproof space or even to acoustically treat a room. To learn about microphone sensitivity rating, check out my articles What Is Microphone Sensitivity? An In-Depth Description and What Is A Good Microphone Sensitivity Rating? Note that we're not talking about a microphone's sensitivity rating here but rather sensitivity in general. In this article, I'll note when a microphone is side-address.įor more information on top-address and side-address microphones, check out my article What Are Top, End & Side-Address Microphones? (+ Examples). This is simply because the top-address is more intuitive when it comes to pointing the mic in the right direction. To learn everything you need to know about microphone directionality and mic polar patterns, check out my articles A Complete Guide To Directional Microphones (With Pictures) and The Complete Guide To Microphone Polar Patterns.Īs an aside, it's often better to use a top-address microphone (the polar pattern's primary axis is through the top of the mic) rather than a side-address mic (the pattern's axis is through the side of the mic). Omnidirectional and bidirectional mics could work in some podcasting situations but are best avoided. Either of these 3 polar patterns works great for podcasting. Supercardioid and hypercardioid microphone polar patterns are tighter (more directional) than the cardioid but exhibit a small lobe of sensitivity to their rear (rather than a null point).

Mounting: how is the microphone held in position? Is it susceptible to mechanical vibration and noise?.Sensitivity: will the microphone only pick up sound when it's positioned close up or will the mic pick up all the nuance of the room?.Directionality: is the microphone more sensitive in a single direction? Will pointing the mic at the podcaster help bring out his or her voice while rejecting sounds from around the space?.Some important factors to consider when choosing a podcasting microphone are: Though a lot of this has to do with the podcaster's voice and the environment in which they record, it also has to do with microphone selection. When choosing a podcasting microphone, we should be looking for a mic that will pick up voices with clarity and accuracy and reject the background noise of the recording environment. It's an audio product, and crafting the best podcast requires proper tools! Remember that podcasting is more than just content. Though there aren't any strict quality regulations on podcasts (yet), it's still important to have a strong audio quality standard so your content stands out (and is actually listenable). What Factors Make A Great Podcasting Microphone? JUMP TO THE TOP 20 BEST MICROPHONES FOR PODCASTING (FOR ALL BUDGETS) IN 2020 Let's start by discussing the factors that make a great podcasting microphone along with the other essentials before getting into each of these microphones in greater detail. The top 20 best microphones for podcasting in 2020 (from least expensive to most expensive) are: A USB mic can be an excellent option for some podcasters, and these mics are generally simpler to use and less expensive. Note that the list has both XLR and USB microphones.

In this article, we'll talk about the top 20 best microphones for podcasting regardless of your budget. This means that anyone with a great idea, a microphone, a recording device, and access to the internet can start a successful podcast. Fortunately, podcasting has a low barrier of entry (unlike radio and television). Since their invention in 2004, podcasts have been steadily increasing in popularity.

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