You’re starting your own podcast because you want to be part of the Information Revolution of the XXI century.
Good.
But lots of people have been getting into this business.
So you need to be at the top of your game.
Both artistically and technically.
I can’t help you with the former – that’s something that needs to come from you (and you wouldn’t want it to be otherwise).
Regarding the technical part, I’ll say this:
Good content deserves good audio quality.
The problem is that you’re just like the rest of us and don’t have a big budget to start out… so the question is: is it possible to record a podcast on a budget and still make it sound good?
The answer is yes.
I have researched extensively the market to find what’s the best budget mic for podcasting (and accessories, of course), so let’s take a look.
1. On a Small Budget? Say Hello to The USB Microphone!
On a normal budget, besides getting a microphone you would also need to buy a separate audio interface. But to cut down costs, we’ll choose a microphone that already has the interface built in it. This is what’s known as a USB microphone.
Some microphones just sound good by nature, and that’s what makes them very sought after. It’s safe to say you will NOT find any of those microphones at an entry-level price point…
But still, even amongst these low-priced microphones, some are bound to sound better than the others.
Luckily, I found this to be true.
From my research, I’ve found that the Samson Go Mic is the one that stands out from the competition when it comes to presence and clarity.
I would go as far as saying that it’s the only real option in its price range.
This is why I always recommend it to those looking for the best USB microphone for podcasting amongst the cheapest options available.
If, however, you have just a little bit more money to spend, then you should get its big brother instead, the Samson C01U Pro.
There are three factors that make it an excellent choice:
✓ It’s a large diaphragm condenser microphone, which are known to be appropriate microphones for vocals due to their rich and warm tone;
✓ It has a super-cardioid polar pattern that allows it to reject a little bit more background noise that the Go Mic, which has a cardioid polar pattern;
✓ It sound pretty decent for an affordable podcast microphone, which is why it’s very popular among podcasters.
2. Pop-Filter
Don’t record yourself without a pop-filter.
Pops make you sound unprofessional. This is what a ‘pop‘ sounds like:
Avoid this by putting a pop-filter in front of your microphone.
3. Mic Stand (Optional)
The Samson C01U PRO comes with a small desktop stand, so you don’t really have to buy any stand.
However, to have more flexibility over your microphone position.
You should buy either a stand that attaches to your table or a regular microphone stand (useful if you’re going to record music instruments).
4. Recording and Editing Software
Download Audacity for recording and editing. It’s free.
Click here to download Audacity
The editing process is essential to guarantee a proper speech flow and to remove unpleasant frequencies from the recording.
If you don’t have time or inclination to do the editing yourself, an audio editor like myself could do it for you.
But I’m not a budget sound editor, so no deal.
Instead, you should try to hire the cheapest podcasts editors in the market. Just follow the link below:
And that’s it! This is how you can get started with your own show. I hope this video was helpful and if you end up following my suggestions, do me a favor and leave a link to your podcast in the comments!
See you later!