The Best Budget Microphones for Podcasting from Home

The recent situation around the world has meant people have found new ways to communicate with their audiences.

Across a wide spectrum of industries, people have been experimenting with broadcasting tools. Whether that is for teachers to communicate with students, businesses with their customers, or content creators with their chosen audience. IBC reports that even radio presenters have been forced to broadcast their shows from home to keep some sort of continuity of service.

Most of these sectors would not normally have a need for home broadcasting and may have had to invest in equipment which makes it easier, and clearer to broadcast. Basic podcasting requires a lot of necessary equipment to get the job done well, with essentials including a good internet package and constant connection. Case in point, HP recommends having a fast internet speed if you want to work from home, as it lets you collaborate smoothly and use any online software without any hitches. A good connection will be vital to help with the quality of the podcast’s broadcasting, as sound quality can be a huge issue if your internet is too slow. Nobody wants to listen to crackly audio, or a conspicuous whistling in the background whenever you speak. To eradicate these problems, you will also need a good quality microphone. Home microphones can cost a little or a large amount, and with such variety, it can be hard to settle on one. It is important to know exactly what you need it for too; there is little point in spending $500 (₹37,770) on a top-of-the-range mic if you are podcasting once a week until things return to normal.

We have put together a list of microphones from across the different cost categories, starting at around $50 (₹3,777) and moving up in price to the $200 (₹15,182) bracket. These are four microphones that will help you sound much clearer on your next home broadcast.

Blue Snowball Ice

The Snowball Ice is a great value microphone which should come in at under $50 (₹3,777). For the home hobbyist, it has everything you will need, great sound quality and a stylish, strong build. It connects via USB and is instant plug and play, making it easy as well as versatile. The Economic Times India explains how it is powered by a cardioid condenser capsule which means sound coming from behind the Snowball will not be picked up easily, which is a huge bonus for the home broadcaster.

Delivering around 44.1 kHz/16 bit audio quality it has great clarity for the price range and is portable too. It is relatively small, freestanding on foldable legs with a base that unscrews. Great for when you need to be on the move, but equally stylish for your home setup.

Samson Go Mic

The next $50 (₹3,777) mic we have selected is the Samson Go, equally as portable as the Snowball, if not more. It is also a USB microphone and is plug and play, making it as versatile as its rival. It folds up which again makes it great for recording on the go, and for just slipping into a laptop bag.

If you are recording from home now, but need functionality once you can record elsewhere, then this is the mic for you. It would not be the best if you need to record music tracks, but for voice recordings it is ample.

CAD U37

Another USB microphone, the CAD U37 is a little more expensive, but could still be found for around $100 (₹7,554). It offers studio-quality recording, with a wide frequency response, from 20Hz to 20,000 Hz, as well as -10dB overload-protection.

Like the Snowball, it has a cardioid pick-up pattern that will minimize noise from the background, and it looks great too. The stand enables it to be positioned easily and it has a tough build quality. If you do want something that meets value and quality in the midrange, then this is certainly the mic for you.

Blue Yeti

Blue have either end of the market cornered, the $50 (₹3,777) Snowball being a great value, the Yeti coming in at under $200 (₹15,108) but not compromising on quality one bit. It brings the typical USB connection to the table, as well as an on-mic volume adjuster and the plug and plays flexibility of its sister product.

It has tri-capsule technology that delivers different recording modes: the cardioid mode is perfect for podcasting and streaming, whilst stereo mode produces a realistic sound image. The omnidirectional mode captures vocals from all directions, which means the Yeti can be used for conversations between several people, whilst the bidirectional mode is a simple front and back capture for a two-way conversation.

For the home hobbyist, any of these microphones should have you producing clear and audible content with ease.

If you are looking to become involved with a live broadcast using your mobile device, we’ve got some advice for you in our article Sound Quality Tips and How to Increase Volume in Android.