You don’t need a $500 microphone to start a good podcast. That’s worth saying right at the beginning because buying podcast equipment can get out of control surprisingly quickly.
You start looking for a microphone.Twenty minutes later, you’re comparing audio interfaces, preamps, boom arms, shock mounts, acoustic panels, and microphones that cost more than your computer.
Most beginners don’t need any of that.
What you need is a microphone that fits the room you’re recording in, sounds good with your voice, and doesn’t make recording unnecessarily difficult.
For some people, that means a $70 USB microphone. For others, spending several hundred dollars on a professional XLR setup makes sense
What is the Best Podcast Microphones?
Here are some of the best podcast microphones to consider, from beginner-friendly options to professional studio mics.
1. Shure MV7+ — Best Overall Podcast Microphone
If you want one microphone that can follow you from beginner setup to a more serious podcast studio, the Shure MV7+ is difficult to ignore.
It’s a dynamic microphone with both USB-C and XLR connections. That combination is important.
When you’re starting, you can connect it directly to your computer through USB. You don’t need to immediately buy an audio interface or mixer.
Later, if you build a more advanced setup, you can use the XLR connection.
So you don’t necessarily need to replace the microphone when you upgrade everything else.
The MV7+ also includes onboard processing features designed to make getting clean voice recordings easier.
Being a dynamic microphone makes it particularly attractive for people recording in bedrooms, offices, and other spaces that haven’t been professionally treated for sound.
It isn’t the cheapest option.
But if you want something simple now that you aren’t likely to outgrow quickly, the MV7+ is one of the strongest choices.
Best for: Podcasters who want a premium USB/XLR microphone that can grow with their setup.
2. Samson Q2U — Best Budget Podcast Microphone
The Samson Q2U has been recommended to beginner podcasters for years, and there’s a good reason.
It’s inexpensive.It’s simple. And most importantly, it sounds good enough that you don’t immediately need to replace it.
Like the Shure MV7+, the Q2U gives you both USB and XLR connections. You can plug it directly into your computer today and move to an audio interface later.
That makes it particularly good for someone who isn’t sure how serious their podcast will become.
Why spend hundreds of dollars before you’ve published episode one?
The Q2U is also a dynamic microphone, which can make it more forgiving in normal home recording environments.
Is it going to sound exactly like a $500 studio microphone?
No.
Does your first podcast need a $500 microphone?
Probably not.
The Q2U gives you a straightforward way to start recording without making your equipment budget ridiculous.
Best for: Beginners and podcasters on a tight budget.
3. RØDE PodMic USB — Best Value for Growing Podcasters
The original RØDE PodMic became popular as an affordable XLR microphone built specifically with spoken-word recording in mind.
The PodMic USB makes the idea more flexible. You get USB and XLR connectivity in the same dynamic microphone.
Connect it directly to your computer when you want simplicity. Use XLR when you want to connect it to an interface, mixer, or more advanced podcast setup.
That’s becoming one of my favorite features to recommend to new podcasters. Hybrid microphones remove an annoying decision.
You don’t have to ask:
“Should I buy USB or XLR?”
You can have both.
The PodMic also has the heavy, broadcast-style design people often associate with professional podcast studios.
Keep its weight in mind when choosing a boom arm or stand, though. A cheap arm that struggles to hold the microphone in position can quickly become annoying.
Best for: Podcasters who want strong value and both USB and XLR.
4. Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB — Another Great Beginner Choice
If the Samson Q2U doesn’t appeal to you, take a look at the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB. The two microphones are often mentioned together because they solve a similar problem.
The ATR2100x is a dynamic microphone offering both USB and XLR connectivity. That makes it easy to start with a laptop.
Plug it in. Choose the microphone in your recording software. Start talking.
Then, if you eventually buy an audio interface, you can switch to XLR without replacing the microphone.
The handheld design also makes it useful for more than a permanent desk setup.
For someone starting a solo podcast, conducting remote interviews, or putting together a simple home studio, it’s an easy microphone to understand.
You don’t need to know much about audio equipment to get started. And that’s exactly what a beginner microphone should offer.
Best for: First-time podcasters who want a simple USB/XLR microphone.
5. Shure SM7B — Best Professional Podcast Microphone
You’ve probably seen the Shure SM7B even if you didn’t know its name. It’s that large black microphone sitting in front of countless podcasters, streamers, broadcasters, and musicians.
The SM7B is a dynamic XLR microphone known for its smooth broadcast-style sound.
With good microphone technique and the right recording chain, it can produce excellent spoken-word audio.
But here’s the important part:
Most beginners don’t need one. The SM7B doesn’t connect directly to your laptop through USB. You’ll need an audio interface or mixer with an XLR input.
It’s also known for requiring plenty of clean gain, so your interface matters. Then you’ll probably want a solid boom arm or stand. Suddenly your microphone purchase has become an entire recording system.
If you’re building a serious studio and understand what you’re buying, the SM7B remains an excellent option.
If you’re recording your first podcast tomorrow, there are easier and cheaper ways to get very good sound.
Best for: Experienced podcasters building a professional XLR studio.
6. Shure SM7dB — Best Premium Dynamic Microphone
The SM7dB addresses one of the biggest practical complaints about the SM7B.
Gain.
The SM7dB takes the basic idea of the SM7B and adds a built-in active preamp. That means you can get additional gain directly from the microphone rather than relying entirely on your interface or adding another inline gain booster.
For professional podcasters, voiceover artists, and creators who like the SM7-style sound but want a simpler signal chain, that’s attractive.
The downside is obvious. It’s expensive. Once you’ve added an interface, stand, cable, headphones, and other equipment, you’re building a fairly serious studio.
This isn’t where I’d tell a new podcaster to spend their money.
But if podcasting is already part of your business and audio quality matters every week, the SM7dB deserves consideration.
Best for: Professional podcasters who want a premium broadcast setup.
7. Electro-Voice RE20 — Best Broadcast-Style Alternative
The Shure SM7B gets a lot of attention in podcast studios, but it isn’t your only professional broadcast microphone option.
The Electro-Voice RE20 is another classic.
It’s a dynamic XLR microphone with a long history in broadcasting and voice work.
One of its useful characteristics is its Variable-D design, which is intended to reduce the dramatic bass buildup that can happen when someone moves very close to a directional microphone.
That’s useful when you’re recording people who don’t maintain exactly the same microphone distance throughout a conversation.
Like the SM7B, however, this isn’t a simple USB microphone. You’ll need an appropriate XLR setup. It’s also a significant investment.
But if you’re building a professional podcast studio and want a broadcast microphone with its own character, the RE20 should be on your shortlist.
Best for: Professional studios and broadcast-style podcasts.
8. RØDE NT-USB+ — Best USB Condenser Option
Most of the microphones on this list are dynamic. There’s a reason for that. Many podcasters record in untreated rooms, and dynamic microphones can be more forgiving of background noise and room reflections.
But what if your room is already quiet?
Then a condenser microphone becomes more interesting. The RØDE NT-USB+ is designed to give creators a straightforward USB condenser setup.
A condenser can capture more detail and sensitivity than many dynamic microphones. That can sound beautiful in the right environment.
It can also capture the air conditioner, computer fan, keyboard, traffic outside, and the echo bouncing off your empty walls.
Before buying a sensitive condenser mic, listen to your room. Your recording environment is part of your microphone setup.
Best for: Solo podcasters recording in quiet or treated rooms.
9. Audio-Technica AT2020USB-X — Best for Detailed Voice Recording
The AT2020 family has been around creator and home-studio setups for years. The AT2020USB-X takes that familiar condenser approach and makes it convenient for USB recording.
You don’t need a separate interface. Connect it to your computer and start recording. Like the RØDE option above, however, this is a condenser microphone.
That means I’d be much happier recommending it to someone recording in a quiet office or treated room than someone sitting beside a noisy air conditioner.
If your environment is controlled and you like a more detailed vocal recording, the AT2020USB-X is worth considering.
It’s also useful beyond podcasting if you’re recording voiceovers or other content from the same desk.
Best for: Podcasters and creators working in quiet environments.
10. Neumann TLM 102 — Best High-End Studio Option
Now we’re getting into serious studio territory. The Neumann TLM 102 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. It’s capable of capturing a great deal of detail.
That’s wonderful when the voice sounds great, the microphone is positioned properly, and the room has good acoustics.
It’s less wonderful when your room sounds terrible. An expensive condenser microphone doesn’t magically remove a bad recording environment. Sometimes it reveals the problems more clearly.
For a professional narrative podcast, voiceover studio, or highly controlled recording space, a microphone at this level can make sense.
For someone recording beside their refrigerator at the kitchen table, it probably doesn’t.
Spend money fixing the environment before buying a microphone designed to hear everything happening inside it.
Best for: Professional studios and treated recording spaces.
Dynamic vs. Condenser: Which Should You Buy?
For most home podcasters, I’d start with a dynamic microphone. Dynamic microphones generally work well for close-up speech and can be more forgiving when your room isn’t acoustically treated.
That’s why microphones such as the Samson Q2U, Shure MV7+, and RØDE PodMic USB are so easy to recommend.
Condenser microphones are more sensitive. That can give you a detailed, open recording, but it also means they’re more likely to hear what’s happening around you.
If you have a quiet, treated recording environment, that sensitivity can be an advantage. If you’re recording in an ordinary bedroom with traffic outside, it may become a problem.
USB vs. XLR
USB is the easiest option. You connect the microphone directly to your computer. That’s perfect for solo podcasters and remote interviews. XLR requires additional hardware, usually an audio interface, mixer, or podcast recorder.
Why bother?
Because XLR makes it much easier to build larger setups.
If you’re recording four people sitting around the same table, four XLR microphones connected to a suitable interface or mixer make much more sense than trying to manage four separate USB microphones on one computer.
This is also why hybrid USB/XLR microphones are so attractive. Start with USB. Move to XLR when you need it. Same microphone.
Don’t Forget Microphone Technique
Buying an expensive microphone won’t fix bad technique. Don’t put your microphone three feet away and wonder why your recording sounds distant.
Get reasonably close. Experiment with positioning.
If “P” and “B” sounds create blasts of air, try speaking slightly across the microphone rather than directly into it and consider using a pop filter or windscreen.
Keep your distance reasonably consistent. And record a test before starting a 90-minute interview. One minute of testing can prevent a very painful editing session.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a complete beginner, I’d keep things simple. Start with something like the Samson Q2U or Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB.
If you have more money and want something you can keep as your podcast grows, look at the Shure MV7+ or RØDE PodMic USB.
If you’re building a professional XLR studio, the Shure SM7B, SM7dB, or Electro-Voice RE20 become more interesting.
And if you have a properly controlled recording space and want the extra detail of a condenser microphone, consider options such as the RØDE NT-USB+, AT2020USB-X, or a higher-end studio microphone.