Vlogging has come quite a long way from being a fun-time hobby to becoming a monetizable full-time activity. Today, the audience for vlogs has come to expect a certain production standard and that translates to high-quality vlogging gear among other things.
One such item of gear to pay attention to if you are (or want to be) a professional vlogger is the microphone. Now while there are tons of microphones out there, not all of them have the same qualities.
Plus, there are different types of microphones for vlogging and some of them might not suit your particular vlogging method.
So how are you going to comb through the many microphones out there until you get to what meets both your needs and taste?
Luckily, we’ve put together a guide for vloggers and would-be vloggers covering the 6 best microphones for vlogging.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS (FOR PEOPLE IN A RUSH):
- Multiple Pick-Up Patterns
- Plug & Play
- Blue Voice Software
- High-quality sound
- Crystal clear audio
- Compatible with most devices
- Digital Switching
- Powered through batteries or Micro USB
- Easily replaceable batteries
Best Microphones For Vlogging – Top 6
The Blue Yeti is a desktop microphone that only allows USB connections.
With the Blue Yeti, you have full control over how the mic picks up sound thanks to the available pick-up patterns; Omni, bi-directional and stereo. The Blue Yeti can cut out the need for multiple microphones.
The Blue Yeti goes a step further than many other microphones as it comes equipped with a Gain Control knob. This allows you to control the sensitivity of your mic with the touch of a button.
This microphone also comes with a desktop stand that can be used to control the position of the mic.
The Blue Yeti is compatible with most PC and MAC systems like Mac OS X, Windows 10, Windows 11, etc
With the Blue Sherpa desktop app, you can customize your microphones settings easily.
- Multiple polar patterns make it very versatile.
- Has many features that make standard recording easy.
- Simple plug and play for PCs and Macs.
- Not portable.
- Only allows a single head set up.
- Other accessories are pricey.
This is another high-quality desktop microphone that is perfect for vloggers, thanks to its ‘cardioid-only polar pattern. If you incorporate streaming into your online presence, this mic presents excellent value mixed with quality.
It comes with a quality pop filter that reduces plosives and other harsh sounds resulting in the highest audio quality.
It also comes with zero-latency monitoring that allows you to monitor the quality of the sound in real-time.
This microphone also works well with PCs and Apple Macs.
- Excellent sound quality.
- Features a pop-filter.
- Filters out background noise perfectly.
- Only Cardioid polar pattern.
- Tripod is unsteady and not durable.
- No gain knob.
The Power DeWise is a high-quality omnidirectional mic that uses a 10-feet extension cord that allows for more breathing room.
This is very useful for situations where you might need to move around while interacting with a large audience.
This high-grade lavalier mic produces a sound that is clear and free from background noise and low-frequency rumbles.
This mic also offers a seamless plug and play function that is compatible with almost any smart device from android and iOS phones and laptops, even digital cameras.
- Seamless Plug and Play with most devices.
- 10 Foot cable.
- Sensitivity is low.
This is one of the highest quality lavalier mics available on the market.
Like the Power DeWise Lav mic, this is perfect for people who do a lot of movement in their videos and for out and about vlogging.
They are also perfect for videos where they will be multiple speakers positioned away from the central microphone.
This Microphone works well with a wide range of Android and iOS devices, as well as laptops, cameras, etc.
The mic is easy to use with “Plug and play” tech.
And the Rode SmartLav+ is extremely durable thanks to its strong, kevlar-reinforced cable.
- Very durable build.
- Works well with smartphones.
- Crisp, natural sound.
- The cable is short.
- No way to monitor audio recording.
- The Rode Rec app is only available on iOS devices.
The Audio-Technica AT897 is a high-quality microphone that is uniquely designed with a narrow acceptance angle of line and gradient design that makes it capable of picking up long-distance sounds crisply.
This shotgun mic rejects sound from the sides and back of the mic very well making it one of the best high-quality ‘supercardioid ’ shotgun microphones that you can find on the market.
With a smooth and elegant design, it is still very lightweight. This makes it perfect for handholding and attaching it to a camera.
This microphone also allows users to switch between both battery power and phantom power making it very versatile.
- Produces very little interference.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- High-quality audio.
- The windscreen doesn’t perform well in loud environments.
- Quite pricey.
The Rode VideoMic Pro+ is a high-quality uni-directional shotgun microphone that comes with a 2-stage High Pass Filter that reduces low-frequency background noise.
Equipped with a High-Frequency Boost, it will boost high frequencies and improve clarity and detail during your audio recording.
It also comes with a high-quality battery that can reach up to 20 hours on a single charge. And with an auto on/off feature that turns the microphone off and on alongside your camera, you won’t have to redo the shot because you forgot to turn the mic on ever again.
With a high-quality dedicated safety channel setting, this mic is also useful for covering live events where things may get very loud. It works by recording audio at two different gain levels so that if an unexpected volume increase clips one channel, you’ll have a backup.
- Smart power-saving mode.
- High-quality sound.
- Very easy to use.
- The windscreen doesn’t perform well in windy conditions.
- Not very durable.
Main Factors We Considered
While all these choices seem tempting enough, it is important that you know the factors we considered while compiling this list.
Once you know those factors, you can then select the microphone that best suits your needs.
The main factors we considered are:
Sound Quality
This is the most important factor to consider when looking for a microphone to purchase. And we made sure that each pick had very good sound quality before making it onto our list.
While some microphones will still have a small bit of audible background noise, the final quality of the sound should be top-notch.
I.e you should be able to hear yourself and other speakers clearly while receiving little background noise.
Polar Patterns
Microphones generally have different ways of capturing sound and those different ways are suited to different recording styles.
For E.g Cardioid pattern mics capture sound in front of the mic and from the sides.
So make sure to check the microphone’s polar patterns and whether it suits what you want to do.
Plus, there are some mics like the Blue Yeti that offer users multiple polar patterns to choose from.
Plug and Play
Ideally, a good microphone should be able to integrate well with your computer system or your mobile without much hassle.
While some devices can easily be plugged into your computers and phones, some others would require software to work well with your system.
Final thoughts on the best microphones for vlogging
As a vlogger, just as you want your audience to see you clearly, you also want them to hear you clearly.
With this guide, I hope you have been able to choose a microphone that fits your needs perfectly.
However, if you are still finding it a bit difficult to choose, a great mic that can be used for just about every occasion is the Rode VideoMic Pro+.
FAQs
What are polar patterns?
Polar patterns refer to the direction from which the microphone captures sound.
The main polar patterns are:
Cardioid – Capturing sound at the front and sides of the microphone.
Omnidirectional – Capturing sound from all sides of the microphone. Popularly used by lavalier microphones.
Bi-cardioid – Captures sound from both the front and the back but rejects sound from the sides.
What is a lavalier microphone?
A lavalier mic is a very small microphone that is kept very close to the mouth, usually on the lapel.
Lavalier microphones don’t obstruct the audience’s view and so they are perfect for interviews and tv presenters.
What’s the best microphone for vlogging?
The best microphone would depend on your individual vlogging needs.
Will your vlog feature many speakers, then an omnidirectional mic would suit you.
Would you be recording outdoors? Then a shotgun mic would be better.
