Using the Right Microphone for YouTube Videos

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Great videos on YouTube can help you get the YouTube views you need to boost business growth, but excellent visuals don’t just make such videos. Audio is a huge aspect of creating videos that will help fetch you more YouTube subscribers and grow your channel. While visuals are necessary to capture your audience’s interest, they can’t achieve much if your real YouTube subscribers can’t hear you properly.

Poor audio quality will leave your viewers guessing at the content of the video and eventually, you may see a dip in the number of YouTube views your videos get because viewers simply don’t know what’s happening. This is not where you want to be if you’re trying to grow your brand through YouTube marketing.

To achieve success with YouTube marketing, you need to make sure you produce quality content and high audio quality is essential for this. There’s a lot of competition on the platform and more brands are producing excellent content, so you need to step up your game if you want to have an edge over the competition.

Don’t rely on your camera’s in-built microphone

Cameras have their own in-built microphone and you may think that’s enough to pick up the audio you need, but you shouldn’t rely on this. Cameras are meant to prioritize visuals so the microphones on them are only secondary to the footage recorded. Moreover, these tend to pick up sounds from all directions rather than just focusing on the sound to be recorded. This can result in noisy footage and distracting background sounds that can throw your video off balance and make watching it unpleasant for your YouTube subscribers.

Things to consider before choosing a microphone for your YouTube videos

Type of microphone

There are different types of microphones in the market and the type of microphone you should use will depend on the kind of video you’re looking to shoot. A shoot done outdoors will need a different microphone meant for that purpose when compared to the microphone needed for an indoor shoot. You can choose between the following types of microphones based on your needs:

• USB microphones – if you’re filming near/at a computer, USB microphones are great. You can use it to vlog, create a podcast, or conduct an interview.
• DSLR microphones and camera microphones – if you’re shooting indoors without a computer system nearby or even outside with a DSLR or other camera, such microphones can help you get the audio quality you need.
• Lavalier microphones – these may be wireless or wired options for when you want to pick up on sounds while ensuring the microphones aren’t intrusive in the video. You can use these when recording performances, seminars, or even interviews when you don’t want the mic to be seen.
• Smartphone microphones – you may even want to use the high quality of your smartphones to record videos for your YouTube subscribers. If this is the case, you’ll need a smartphone microphone to pick up on the nuances of audio for the video you’re recording.

Cost

How much you’re willing to spend is a very important factor to consider when you’re selecting the right mic for your YouTube videos. Microphones come in a variety of price ranges and you’re going to end up making the selection difficult if you don’t decide on a budget to stick to. Decide on what you’re willing to spend on a mic and evaluate your options based on your budget.

Accessories needed

Microphones require additional gear for optimum functioning so see if the one you’ve selected comes with the additional gear you’ll need or if you’ll have to buy these separately. You’re going to want to invest in a good microphone stand, pop filters, shock mounts, and cases, especially if you’re going to be travelling to shoot your videos. In some cases, these may come as a package deal with the mic you choose while at other times, they may be sold separately, so make your decision based on availability of accessories.

Once you take these factors into consideration, you’ll be able to choose the right microphone to create quality videos for your YouTube subscribers.

Some of the best microphones to choose from

Now that you know just how important quality audio is for your YouTube videos as well as what you need to consider before buying a microphone, here’s a guide on some of the best microphones that you can use to enhance audio quality in your YouTube videos.

Blue Yeti

This powerful mic comes with the option of choosing between 4 polar patterns: stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional, or bi-directional. This offers versatility and can help you capture the right audio for your video under different applications. It has a 16-Bit/48 kHz resolution. You can even keep track of results without experiencing any latency thanks to the built-in headphone amp available. The mic’s gain control and mute options allow for easy usage and there’s even a foldable stand that makes transportation and positioning easy. Because it’s compatible with Windows as well as Mac, you won’t have a problem using it for your needs.

Rode VideoMic Pro

This microphone has a frequency response between 40Hz and 20KHz and is usable with camcorders, smartphones, DSLR cameras, and even portable audio recorders. A 9V battery chamber powers the mic for about 70 hours, giving long battery life. The self-noise output is minimal at just 14dB. There’s also a foam windscreen and an integrated shock mount that offers protection and helps to reduce additional noise. There’s a 3/8” thread camera shoe mount that enables boom-pole mounting in this compact mic (150mm/6” length).

Audio-Technica AT2035

This is a great option whether you want to use it at home or record professionally with it as it can give the feel of a studio-like condenser mic. Switching between the mic’s 80 Hz high-pass filter and its 10 dB pad will help to keep high sound pressure levels in control reliably. The big diaphragm helps to pick up the sound in front of it so that a warm, clear, and natural sound can be produced. There’s a built-in cardioid polar pattern and its special internal build helps with sound isolation.

Rode NT-USB

This is a great USB mic option that is compatible with Mac as well as Windows. It also comes with a lot of other essential equipment that makes it a good investment for your budget. Additional equipment includes a desk stand, storage pouch, mic mount, and pop filter. This will help you save money as you won’t have to spend on buying the additional equipment needed. The frequency range of this mic is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and there’s a front unit 3.5mm stereo headphone jack that allows for zero latency so that accuracy of audio quality is improved. There’s also a mix control from the mic and the source that makes usage convenient.  

Samson Go Mic

With this mic, you have the option of customising your approach based on the scenario of your recording. The condenser capsules here offer 2 patterns of recording: cardioid and omnidirectional. It’s also a budget friendly option that can be carried around conveniently because it can be folded to resemble the shape and size of a wallet. It has a wide range of frequency response from 20 Hz to 18,000 Hz and a 16-bit resolution that will help you get the audio quality your YouTube subscribers will love.  

Rode SmartLav

If you need to keep a mic close to you, this is the right option for you as it will be used directly on your body. Vocal plosives can be eliminated with the help of the mic’s foam pop filter. Although it’s small, it’s frequency response is between 20Hz and 20kHz and its maximum SPL is 110db. Setting it up is convenient. Just put it onto your subject and connect it to your smartphone or tablet before you begin recording. It comes with a windshield mounting clip and is a budget friendly option weighing just 0.01 lbs, sized at 4.5mm. It is also compatible with Android and iOS devices.

Blue Snowball

This is a convenient mic that offers dual pattern recording options: omnidirectional and cardioid. There’s easy connectivity possible for accessing and transferring recordings on your Mac or Windows. Minimization of sound distortion is made possible with a switch with -10 dB Pad. This inexpensive mic option comes with a USB cable as well as a stand.

Conclusion

Audio is one aspect of your YouTube videos that you can’t afford to compromise on. You want to ensure your videos stand out from your competition so that they can get noticed and help you grow the number of real YouTube subscribers you have. Different microphones come with a variety of features that you need to evaluate before making your choice of which one to use. You should select one that you find convenient to use and practice so that you’re making the most of your microphone to enhance your YouTube video’s audio quality.