What gear do you need to start your podcast?

You still want to start a podcast after going through the idea process? Let’s talk about what gear you’ll need. I’ll have varying levels of what you can get depending on your budget. But yes, you should have a microphone that is not the microphone on your AirPods or any other headphones if you are serious about starting a podcast.

If you just want something that’s plug-and-play, you’ll be looking at USB microphones. But first, you’ll want to see which USB ports your computer actually has because it will be best to not use any sort of adapters. Thankfully, more companies have released USB-C microphones now, so if you have a newer computer that might have done away with good ol’ USB-A ports, you’ll still be covered.

Røde is a company that I own numerous microphones from. They have a handful of USB microphones that range from $99 to a little over $200. You can check those out here.

If you need something under $100, I’d check out the Samson Q2U, it’s a handheld style microphone that also comes with a little desk stand. However, I wouldn’t recommend going much cheaper than this.

Maybe you want to take a step up and get yourself an interface and connect a microphone via XLR. That opens up your options a lot. Which naturally makes it harder to give recommendations, but I’ll tell you what I’ve found works for me. I will note that some of those recommended USB microphones do also have XLR connectors so if you do happen to get one of those, you could just upgrade your setup by adding an interface down the line.

Here’s my first XLR setup: a Tascam US 2x2 and the trusty Shure SM7B. I’ve since upgraded the interface (I now have an Apollo Solo, which is overkill, don’t get one of those), but I still have my Shure because I honestly haven’t found a mic that I’ve liked better for my voice. And that’s the thing, too, your mileage will vary depending on how your voice and the microphone interact with each other. I’ve tried Røde’s Procaster microphone and it picks up way more plosives when I talk than the Shure does. But the Procaster sounds great for other people!

If you prefer the handheld style microphones, the Shure SM58 is extremely popular (and won’t be as finicky as the SM7B as far as volume goes). For handheld, I have an Electro-Voice RE50/B, which I like the sound of as well.

The Focusrite Scarlett is a popular interface that I know a lot of other people love, but I have limited experience with them. I will note that I prefer interfaces with 2 inputs just in case you either want to record with a co-host or guest in person. If you need more than that though, and have the budget, the Rødecaster Pro II is a solid choice. Just know that it’ll run you $700. Additionally, you could also use a handheld recorder like the Zoom H4n Pro and it will handle four microphones as well.

As you can tell, there’s a lot of options out there. So really it will depend on your budget and your level of comfortability with audio. I was a music industry major in college, so I already had some of the know-how before I even thought about starting a podcast. It can be intimidating though, so if you need to start with a USB microphone and no interface, that’s fine! Just get to know the settings on that USB microphone and how it sounds with your voice and you’ll be good to get started.

You’ll also want to make sure you have a pair of headphones for recording so your microphone doesn’t pick up your co-host or guest coming straight out of your speakers. For this, just go with whatever’s most comfortable for you. I typically recommend using wired headphones though so there’s less lag, which you can get with bluetooth headphones due to latency.

Now, let’s talk about software. Because you’ll need to record yourself. If you choose to use the Zoom H4n Pro (or any other Zoom device), your recording will be on a handy SD card, but you’ll still need a program to put them in so you can edit and then publish your episode. That’s where a DAW (digital audio workstation) comes in. For normal people, it’s the app where you record and edit audio. And the good news is, there are a lot of free options out there that you can get started with.

I had a Mac already when I first started a podcast, so I went with GarageBand. Why? Honestly, because it was already installed and I didn’t have to think about it. If you’re on a PC, you can go with Audacity, Reaper, or Pro Tools Intro (previously, Pro Tools First).

Before you record, play around with the program you’ve chosen and get familiar with it. The main things you’ll need to know to start are how to create tracks, select your microphone as you input, set your levels (if you don’t have levels on your microphone or an interface), and find that big red record button. Feel free to do some tests so you’re comfortable with starting and stopping (and saving, of course) a recording.

If you have any quick questions about getting your setup, well, set up, feel free to contact me here.

Note: some of the above links are affiliate links that allow me to earn a small commission.