What’s the best microphone to use for your podcast?

With everyone stuck inside, now is a great time to start that podcast you’ve been thinking about. You already know what you want to talk about. What you’re going to call it. You even convinced your roommate to be your cohost. But there’s one problem you don’t know the answer to.

What’s the best microphone to use?

For people that work in the audio industry, this is a question they ask everyday. Everybody has their favorites, and the debates are often endless.

But the answer is simple.

The best microphone to use for your podcast is the one that you have. I know. That’s not the answer you wanted. You want model names. You want prices. But none of it matters if you don’t have anything to talk about.

In a perfect world, we’d all have top-of-the line podcast studios with the best gear, but for most people that’s not going to happen. Maybe they can’t afford it. Maybe they can but don’t want to spend money on something they might give up on in two weeks.

Audio equipment is expensive and intimidating for people that are just starting out. Even the most basic podcast setup can cost several hundred dollars. And most new podcasts don’t survive longer than ten episodes.

The focus should be on how to make something you’ll enjoy producing. The content will always be more important than the gear. The most fun I’ve ever had recording a podcast was with a cheap headset mic. Sometimes I used the internal mic on my laptop. My favorite podcast when I started out was recorded by two guys that passed a Rock Band mic back and forth.

Did any of these sound good? Of course not. But that’s not the point.

If you don’t already have a microphone, search “podcast microphone” on your favorite online retailer. Find a handful within your budget. Read some reviews. If you can find samples of what they sound like that’s even better. If cost is a concern, check out the used market.

Get a few episodes under your belt. Experiment with your format. Find your voice. You can always upgrade your equipment later.

And don’t worry, I’ll talk about my favorite microphones in a future post. But this is something that needed to be said first. Now go record something!