I make helpful tutorial videos (and the occasional vlog) for YouTube. I know how important it is to get the best microphone for YouTube, as you will create content other people will watch and listen to.
In reality, audio quality is just as important, if not more important, than video quality. Most can watch a low-quality video with high-quality audio, but not vice versa. As such, the internal audio on your camera, webcam, or iPhone is unacceptable if you’re serious about creating engaging content.
You need an external microphone, so which one is best? Let’s get into the breakdown on the best microphones for YouTube.
Rhode Video Mic Pro
An excellent shotgun mic that provides superior audio without picking up too much background noise.
Shure MV7 USB
Primarily a USB mic with an additional XLR connector. This mic looks great, sounds even better and does not pick up background noise.
Shure SM7B
The YouTube podcasters microphone of choice. Superior sound for professional audio.
DJI Wireless Mic 2
The best wireless microphone system you can buy.
Consider the Content You’ll Be Recording for YouTube
It’s essential to consider the YouTube content you’ll be making, as the style will dictate the best microphone for YouTube. From interviews to YouTube shorts to travel content. There are both optimal cameras for YouTube as well as microphones.
No microphone is perfect for all situations, so depending on how you make your videos will determine the best microphone for YouTube.
Types of microphones for YouTube
As a YouTuber, there are four categories of microphones I would categorize external microphones into:
On-camera microphones – Also known as a shotgun mic, these can be mounted onto a camera and plugged in directly. This is the simplest option for leveling up your audio. Plug the mic in, mount it on top or position it close to you; using a cheap boom arm and you’re done.
USB Microphones – Plug-and-play devices that can connect directly to your laptop. You need a USB mic for any on-screen recording.
XLR Microphones – These are professional condenser microphones requiring an audio interface. Ideal for a professional podcast setup.
Wireless Lapel Mics – Wireless lapel microphones are tiny microphones that can attach to you directly (or hold in your hand and speak into. They provide quality audio, allow you to sit away from the camera and are great for interview content or talking head videos.
The Best Microphones for YouTube
From studio recording with an XLR microphone to a travel vlog or YouTube video recording in your bedroom with a budget camera, here are my top YouTube microphone purchase suggestions:
Rhode Video Mic Pro+ – The best shotgun microphone
The Video Mic Pro provides the best audio quality of any on-camera mic I’ve used. This is my current microphone I use for all my YouTube videos.
Video Mic Pro+
Excellent mic that picks up your voice, good sound isolation and handy features like turning on and off automatically with your camera.
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It comes built with its own wind filter, automatically turns on when you turn your camera on so you don’t end up recording video content with the microphone off, is outstanding at blocking out unwanted noise from your recording environment and has a long battery life.
The only slight issue with the Rhode Video Mic Pro is that it is a bit large, so if you’re looking for something for on-the-go, you may want to consider a smaller mic. It’s also one of the more expensive options. But if you’re looking for the best microphone for YouTube, this is what I use for my videos.
Features I like
It’s plug-and-play and features three settings on the back to control the signal output level. You can set it to -10, 0, or +20. This adjusts how sensitive the microphone is. A +20 setting is what you would want to use in a quiet environment and a -10 for a situation with a noisy background.
You can also turn a high pass filter on and off, which helps reduce low-frequency noise. Get this microphone if you want professional audio, and play around with the settings to see what you like best.
Pros:
- One of the best shotgun mics you can buy.
- Excellent external microphone for recording YouTube videos in a studio or outside.
- Great sound quality from this classic choice.
- When plugged into your camera it turns on and off automatically with your camera.
Cons:
- A bit big and bulky. Good for talking head style content.
- One of the more expensive microphone options.
- Needs to be charged independently.
- For best results, you’ll want to position the microphone close to you.
Shure MV7 USB – The best USB microphone
The Shure MV7 is the best USB microphone I’ve ever used. From screen capture content using OBS to interviews over Zoom, it has the highest quality audio compared to the competition.
Shure MV7
The MV7 is a USB version of their popular XLR podcasting version.
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You get a small microphone with a premium build and a wind muff to help reduce your plosives. It also comes with software to adjust the sound profile (specifically the highs and lows), and you can adjust the mic sensitivity.
On top of that, this USB microphone comes with a USB-C wire, a traditional USB wire as well as an XLR connection. If you want to the flexibility to connect it with an audio interface or your laptop directly you can.
This is the microphone I personally use for recording all of my YouTube video tutorial content on my laptop. It is easily one of the best microphone for YouTube if you need to do voice over work, tutorials or on screen narration.
Pros:
- The best USB microphone for voice recording. Deep rich sounds.
- Plug and play. Just connect it to your laptop and it works.
- Helpful software to adjust the sound profile.
- A versatile mic with both a USB output, XLR and USB-C connections.
Cons:
- Mic stand not included. It does stand up independently, but I suggest purchasing a separate stand.
Mic stand: This is a must-have. This affordable stand pairs perfectly well with the Shure USB microphone to make recording optimal.
Shure SM7B – The best XLR microphone for podcasting
This is your go-to microphone to create a podcast YouTube channel. From the Joe Rogan Experience to countless other shows, you’ll almost always see a Sure SM7B on display.
Shure SM7B
XLR microphone that professional podcasters use. Deep, rich sounding audio you’ll love.
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It provides superior audio quality when compared to its USB version. However, you will need several additional items if you choose the XLR route. First, you’ll need a sound mixer or a USB audio interface, and then you’ll need a high-quality XLR cable.
On the back of this mic are a few switches. The first is a low cut filter which will reduce the low end of the recording and the other switch is a presence boost which will increase the higher end of the recording.
Unlike the USB version that has an added XLR connection, the SM7B is strictly an XLR microphone with no way to plug it into a computer directly via a USB connection. Overall this is one of the best microphones for YouTube if you’re looking for an XLR connection.
Pros:
- One of the best dynamic microphones you can buy.
- Perfect for a podcast.
- Deep rich sound.
Cons:
- You’ll need a lot of extra gear to get this microphone setup properly.
- Not designed for singing.
DJI Wireless Micophone – The go-to wireless mic
You’ll see this microphone all the time in short form interview content. It’s small, comes with a wind muff and has an option to turn on noise cancelling.
With the DJI Wireless microphone you get two mics and one receiver, so doing an interview/podcast with a budget setup is quite possible. It’s small, but not the smallest option.
But for me, I’ve found this to be the right balance of size and audio quality.