5 best microphones for recording in 2024

Whether you’re a streamer, have your own podcast, or are an influencer of some kind, a microphone is crucial for getting good audio. The type of mic you use, and the equipment that supports it, will also have an impact on the quality of your audio. In this article, we’ll discuss both the type of mic you’ll need as well as our top recommendations.

Best microphones for recording in 2024

Here’s a list of the best microphones to buy in 2024:

1. Logitech Yeti: USB mic for interviews, podcasts, and livestreaming

2. Sennheiser MKE 600: Shotgun mic for outdoor use

3. Rode SmartLav+: For personal audio

4. Boya BY-WM3U: For smartphone users

5. Godox MoveLink M2 Dual: For interviews

1. Logitech Yeti: USB mic for interviews, podcasts, and livestreaming

The Logitech Yeti is a USB computer mic. You can plug this into a PC or tablet, and even a phone if you have the right adapter. However, it’s designed to be placed on a desk and isn’t very portable. This mic is a popular choice for several reasons, the most important of which include quality, ease of use, and most importantly, versatility.

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The Yeti is special because it supports cardioid, bidirectional, and omnidirectional pickup patterns. The pickup pattern indicates which direction the mic senses audio from. A cardioid pattern indicates that the mic will pick up audio only from the front and sides while ignoring the rear, a bidirectional pattern supports audio from the front and rear but not the sides, and an omnidirectional pattern is great for picking up ambient sound.

This versatility means that the Yeti can be used not only for livestreaming and recording audio for one-person videos, but also for podcasts and interviews with two or more people.

2. Sennheiser MKE 600: Shotgun mic for outdoor use

This is a shotgun mic. These mics are highly directional in that they only pick up audio from the direction they’re pointed and ignore everything else. They’re perfect for use outdoors, especially when you’re in a noisy environment and can’t get very close to your subject. Simply point your mic at the audio you want to record and start recording.

These mics have baffles along the side to cut background noise, but these baffles cause weird echo issues in closed rooms and during indoor use. Hence such mics are best avoided indoors. The Sennheiser MKE600 is an expensive mic so if you’re buying one, it’s important to understand its strengths and limitations before you do.

In terms of audio quality, this is one of the best mics you can get for the price. Do note that it requires an additional AA battery for power and uses an XLR output.

3. Rode SmartLav+: For personal audio

Our favourite lavalier mic is the Rode SmartLav+. It’s a tiny, unobtrusive mic with a TRRS connector. You simply plug it into any device that can accept a 3.5mm mic input and you’re good to go.

The mic is omnidirectional – it can detect audio from all directions – but is designed to be a personal mic in that it’s usually mounted directly to the clothes of the person speaking. Since the mic is close to the person’s mouth, the audio it captures is usually much clearer than if you were using a desktop mic or shotgun mic.

4. Boya BY-WM3U: For smartphone users

f you record on a smartphone, we’d recommend getting something like the Boya BY-WM3U. This mic connects to your phone via USB-C and is detected as a mic. The secondary unit, which you’ll have to charge separately, is a wireless mic that you can attach anywhere or to anyone.

The convenience with this mic is that you simply place the mic wherever you like and start recording directly on the phone.

5. Godox MoveLink M2 Dual: For interviews

Last but not least, we’d recommend the Godox MoveLink M2 Dual for interviews and professional work. The kit includes a base station connected to two wireless mics. The mics and base stations have their own batteries.  

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The mic stations are just transmitters with omnidirectional mics into which you connect other mics. The audio is then captured by these transmitters and sent to the base station or receiver, which records the footage to your camera or other recording device. It’s a great tool to have when you need to mic up multiple people for interviews.

When choosing a mic, don’t forget that the environment matters. A shotgun mic isn’t great indoors, and an omnidirectional one isn’t great in noisy environments. Look at the features and understand what you need to get the best out of the equipment you’ll be investing in.