According to statistics, more than 56 billion people listen to podcasts every day. And just about as many people are making podcasts every day. Folks are always coming up to me to ask what kind of equipment I use for my podcasts, and after a brief initial period of shock where I think this person is trying to sell me dill pickle ice cream, I realize what’s going on and tell them I’m happy to share my expertise.
Of course, it’s a lot easier to tell someone like this over the internet, where I can put in all kinds of links to the products so you can explore them for yourself. Some of these are affiliate links, sure, but they’re all products I trust and recommend. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, then you’re back at the same place you were when you started reading this, which is not having a podcast. Let’s go.
Microphones
There are two main options for microphones. Sure, there are some other alternatives, and I suppose if you really wanted to you could talk directly into your phone or computer. That sound quality ain’t gonna be great, though, and I’m assuming (or at least hoping) you want something of passable quality:
USB Microphones: A USB microphone is generally cheaper and lower quality, though it plugs right into the computer, which means you don’t have to worry about a mixer. For USB microphones, a Blue Yeti or a Snowball is recommended. These microphones are condenser microphones, so they will pick up sound from any direction. Pro tip: if, for whatever reason, your microphone isn’t connecting, check the cable from the computer to the microphone. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve thought something was horribly wrong, only to realize that the plug had gotten jostled and wasn’t actually connected to the microphone. The Snowball also has this weird thing happen sometimes where you need to turn the microphone plug upside down and then it works again. Technology is wonderful.
XLR Microphones: For microphones to use with a mixer, it’s hard to top the Behringer Ultravoice Microphones for the price. Though they’re very inexpensive, they require male-to-female XLR cables (either 15 feet or 6 feet in length), since they’ll plug into a mixer. These microphones are dynamic, which means they primarily pick up sound that comes from in front of them. And here’s a fun fact: give a microphone to someone to hold themselves, and you’ll get a ton of excess noise. Turns out people like to talk with their hands — who’da thunk it? Luckily, you can pick up some mic stands without hurting your wallet too much. The Hamilton Nu-Era Tabletop Mic Stand is a great, inexpensive choice.
Mixers: Mixers are a bit more technical, but will improve audio quality tremendously, because individual channels can be controlled. I tend to be pretty loud when I talk. Particularly if I’m chatting with a guest with a higher, quieter voice, the differences can be quite staggering. While we all like listening to ourselves talk no matter the volume, it’s no guarantee anyone else will appreciate being yelled at. That’s where a mixer comes in. You can keep everyone’s voice at their own, unique levels.
When choosing a mixer, think about the number of hosts you have. Will you also be bringing guests on the show regularly? How many? The Behringer U-PHORIA supports up to four microphones and connects to editing software via USB. The U-PHORIA mixer also plugs easily into an outlet, so there’s no need to worry about a battery giving out midway through the episode.
If you’re going the portable recorder route, the Zoom H6 is hard to beat. This is essentially a recorder and mixer all in one. It supports up to six different tracks at once on an SD card with up to 20 hours of battery life. This is also probably the way to go if your hosts aren’t in the same room. Maybe you’re in Tulsa, Oklahoma and your best friend and cohost is living it up in Montpelier, Vermont. That could be an audio mess, but if you’re both rockin’ your own H6’s, you’ll be alright.
Editing Software
While there are certain digital audio workstations (DAWs) that you can edit in, such as LogicPro or Ableton products, there are two cheaper alternatives that work just as well. GarageBand and Audacity work with both USB microphones and microphones that require a mixer. GarageBand in particular is great with a mixer because you can set individual channels easily (and even just record one channel if you want to be particularly cruel to someone).
There are also sites and apps that offer podcasting capabilities for a modest (and sometimes free) cost. I’ve used Zencastr before to great success, and the buzz around Anchor has been growing as more and more podcasters test it out.
That’s really all you need to make your podcasts great. Anyone can just chat into their phone, export an mp3, and call it a day, but believe it or not, people want some audio quality around their podcasts. You don’t need to shell out thousands of dollars to rent out a studio, or to get a mixing board the size of a wall, or to buy chrome wheels for your unicycle. I guess you would only need one wheel, but the point remains the same: it’s totally possible to create a podcast that sounds great without having to go broke.
Now you just need great content to go along with your great audio. But that’s a post for another time.
