I’ve pulled together the best microphones for podcasting UNDER $100 with more than 10,000 5-star reviews!
If you’re starting a podcast, there’s just no excuse for crappy sound. Even better, you can use these microphones for your online meetings and presentations too!
How to choose the best podcast microphone for you
Choosing the best podcast microphone for you really depends on your needs and budget. Here are few of the criteria you need to consider before choosing the best microphone for podcasting.
Audio Quality: Don’t skimp on this
So, let’s talk about audio quality. It’s all about audio quality. Your goal is to choose the microphone with the best audio quality for the price you’re willing to pay.
The good news is that you don’t have to pay a lot to get professional quality audio. And, you don’t need audio equipment or to be an audio engineer to get crystal clear audio quality.
Amount of background noise: Be realistic about this
How much background noise you have in your recording environment is an element of your audio quality, so you don’t want to ignore that either.
There are two different types of microphones that are relevant to background noise — dynamic microphones and condense microphones.
A dynamic mic is pretty durable and does a great job of eliminating background noise.
If you have a pretty quiet environment in which to record, you’ll want a podcasting microphone that has a good condenser feature. The condenser mic will give your audio a rich and clear sound.
For the best sound quality, look for a USB condenser microphone.
Type of connection– stick with a USB port
Podcasting microphones can use two different kinds of connections — USB and XLR respectively. Microphones with a USB connection are a lot more popular and cheaper than XLR connector microphones. An XLR microphone is for more advanced audio equipment. So, unless you’re a professional podcast, stick with the USB microphones.
Durability and portability
Dynamic mics are known for their durability. So, if you’re doing your podcast on-the-go, you’ll want a dynamic microphone withe a USB cable.
Pop Filter
Pop filters are low cost mufflers that make ‘p’ sound less harsh. There are two types of pop filers; a sponge that goes over the microphone and a fabric filer that is attached to the microphone.
Pop filters can be purchased separately from your podcast microphone. But many podcasting microphones come with a pop filter specifically designed for the model.
My picks for the best podcast microphones under $100:
I chose these podcasting microphones based on their 5-star reviews, cost, and overall value. We believe that these microphones are the easiest to use and offer the best overall performance for the money.
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Blue Yeti USB Mic -
HyperX QuadCast -
FIFINE Studio Condenser USB Microphone -
Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone
With more than 26,000 stellar reviews, this is by far the most popular microphone for podcasting.
Here are just a few of the verified reviews:
“This microphone lives up to its reputation. I bought it based on reviews amateur and professional and they all were in awe of this thing. I am very pleased. I plan on using it for voice dictation and for doing podcasts. You can not go wrong with mic.” — excellent mic
“I bought this for podcasting and am very happy with it so far. Easy to use, plug and play. Sounds better than the mic’s I’ve previously used for live radio broadcasts.”
The HyperX Quad Cast is the ideal all-inclusive standalone microphone for podcasters who are looking for podcasting mic with impressive quality sound.
This low-budget microphone includes its own anti-vibration shock mount to help reduce the sound of any movements. It also has a built-in pop filter that reduces any muffles or popping noises for clearer voice quality.
If you’ve committed to building a full out podcasting studio space, you can’t go wrong with this set up. You’ll get an adjustable scissor arm along with a podcasting microphone and computer set up kit. With more than 12,000 5-star reviews, it’s a great value.
If you’d rather have a simpler setup, this might do the trick. This is a convenient on-camera microphone. This excellent recording tool captures the audio you need while being compact enough to not be a bother.
Conclusion
When it comes to picking a microphone for podcasting, what you choose is going to depend on your personal situation and preferences. To be honest, unless you’re a real music aficionado or audio engineer, any of these will be a solid choice.