5 Affordable Mics for Podcasting

I just posted an episode of the Wonderfully Made podcast about starting your very first podcast, and I did so because I know so many of you have amazing ideas, but you’re hesitating.  Maybe you’re afraid to use your voice in a more public way, you think the market is already too saturated, or you’re not sure where to begin. 

If any of that resonates with you, I highly recommend listening to the episode.

Another thing you’ll need is good equipment. Here are my top picks:

1. Rode lavalier: (App $70) This is a very basic mic that can suit your needs starting out. You can plug it into any standard audio port and be on your way. When I first began podcasting, this is what I used plugged directly into my phone. Others use it connected to their computer (I still do at times). The audio quality is not going to sound like you’re in a professional studio, but what can really help is the environment you’re in. Record somewhere nice and quiet, and make sure you’re in a place that does not have a lot of echo. Make a pillow fort, or record in a walk-in closet—get creative!
2. Blue yeti: ($130) This is a go-to mic for many Youtuber creators who record audio to accompany their videos, or podcasters. If you’d like to record directly onto your computer, this is a nice and low-cost option.
3. Shure SMB 58: ($130)This mic is a great option if you have the equipment to support it. For a fairly reasonable price point, this mic gives you a nice full sound. You can use this together with #5 on the list, but just don’t forget your pop filter.  A pop filter will really help with the strong force of wind that comes from our mouths when we pronounce certain words. You can use this mic recording through a mixing board to a computer, or from the Zoom recorder. 
4. Shure SM 7B: At approximately $400, this mic is a favorite of podcaster creators, gamers, and musicians. With so many people working and recording from home, there was a time this summer where these mics were a little hard to come by. This is a cardio dynamic mic, and it does require some understanding of audio setup– it’s not one that you just take out of the box and begin recording with, but don’t let that scare you. There are plenty of tutorial videos available online.
5. H4n Zoom recorder: (Appx $200) This is the recorder you might see some people use when interviewing others on the fly, and also people use it to record the audio portion of their videos. The great thing about these recorders is that you can buy other mics to connect to them, especially those of us who do not have a whole set up like an audio engineer might. You can run a corded mic through this recorder and that will allow you to change recording important things like input settings or the type of audio file you want.