What to Buy for Remote Podcasting

This is the equipment we recommend to new clients recording remotely with us from home or the office. It’s affordable, sounds great, and it’s easy to set up.

Once you’re properly equipped, check out our tips for looking and sounding your best on remotely recorded podcasts!

Note that this kit is only intended for a single podcaster connecting remotely over Zoom (or Skype, Teams, etc…). Planning on more than one person in the same room? Check out this blog post: What to Buy for Mobile Podcast Recording

Audio First

Most podcasts are audio-only, so we’ll start there. Keep reading below for video recommendations.

Microphone

Our go-to microphone is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB Cardioid Dynamic Microphone. It’s easy to recommend because it sounds great, it’s affordable, and as a bonus, it comes with both USB-A, and USB-C cables. So whether your computer uses the old “standard” rectangular USB, or the new small rounded style, you’re covered.

USB-C vs USB-A

If our top pick microphone isn’t available, get the Samson Q2U or the Audio-Technica AT2005USB. All three sound equally good, but these only come with the old-style USB cable (USB-A). If your laptop only has USB-C ports (smaller oval-shaped ports), you’ll need an adapter.

Microphone Windscreen

The On Stage Foam Ball-Type Mic Windscreen and similar products cost less than $5 and help reduce p-pops/plosives (don’t worry if you don’t know what those are, just get one and your podcast will sound better!).

Mic Stand

The mics recommended above come with stands, but they don’t raise the mic up high enough to be useful for podcasting. We want the mic within a fist’s distance of your mouth for optimal sound. Get the Neewer Table Top Adjustable Microphone Stand or another desktop mic stand if that one’s not available.

Headphones or earbuds

Headphones or earbuds are mandatory for remote podcasting. They vastly improve sound quality by preventing Zoom’s echo-cancellation from kicking in and by keeping your computer’s notifications from reaching your mic.

Get earbuds or headphones you can leave connected to your podcasting setup so they’re always there and ready to go. We like the inexpensive and discreet Single Side Earbud Headphones Stereo in-Ear Earphone Ear Hook Earpiece, but any cheap earbuds will do the trick (like the Sony MDREX15LP/B In-Ear Headphones).

You could use headphones or earbuds you already own too, just make sure they’re wired (not wireless) and DON’T have a built-in mic (introducing extra mics can cause issues).

What About Headsets?

We love a lot of things about headsets: they incorporate a mic and headphones into a compact package; they’re inexpensive; and the mic follows you as you turn your head, so you’re always “on mic”.

Unfortunately, we haven’t found a headset that sounds as good as the separate mics listed above. That said, they’re better than nothing and if you’re willing to trade a little sound quality for cost and convenience we’ve found the Sennheiser SC 60 and the more expensive Sennheiser SC 165 offer decent sound quality at an affordable price.

And clip-on “lav” or “Lapel” mics?

These are definitely the most affordable mics available (some are under $20), so they can be a good option to send to remote guests without worrying about return shipping. But we think of these as video mics (since they’re less obvious on camera) so they’re discussed at the bottom of the video section below.

Adding Video

When adding video to your podcast, you may want to consider these upgrades:

Webcam

The webcam you have may be fine, but if you’re not happy with the quality of the picture or the angle (laptop camera looking up your nose?), you may want to consider the Logitech Streamcam. It’s easy to set up and use, has great picture quality, and if you place it on an external monitor or stand, the angle will be great too. One drawback: it only comes with a USB-C connector (the small oval kind). If your computer uses “traditional” USB ports, you’ll need an adapter.

Lighting + Camera Stand

Good lighting can vastly improve the image coming out of your webcam. We like the inexpensive Neewer Selfie Ring Light, which comes with a stand to attach your webcam. You’ll need an adapter to make that connection though.

Alternative Mic Options for video

Do you want that “podcast” look with a mic visible in the frame? Stick with the microphone recommendation above. If you’d prefer a more subtle mic on camera, you’ll want to look at a USB lavalier mic. These clip-on lapel mics wont perform quite as well as bigger mics in terms of sound quality, but they make up for that by being tiny and surprisingly affordable.

We like the Andoer 150cm Portable Clip-On USB Mic (note that it ships slowly from China) or the Fifine Cardioid Condenser Mic (a slight step down in terms of sound quality, but with speedier shipping).

One gotcha for all of these USB lav mics is that they all use USB-A, which is the older "standard" rectangular usb. Some newer laptops won't have USB-A ports though, since laptop makers are switching to the smaller oval USB-C. So consider getting a USB-A to USB-C adapter to ensure compatibility with all laptops.