YouTube video is a medium that is visual and also audial. So the quality of your audio and pictures both play very important roles in the performance of your content on this social platform. That is why we talk about YouTube microphone today.
Do I need to use external microphone on my camera, phone or laptop when making YouTube videos?
The answer is “yes” if you intend to make cool and professional YouTube videos. The inbuilt microphone in your recording devices like camera, phone, or laptop is weak in capturing high-quality sounds. It will be easily influence by wind. If you are talking a little far away from it, the volume will be low. Also, it may record ambient sounds besides wind.
What should I consider when choosing the best beginner microphone for YouTube?
First, consider the content to create and the place to record
Content
What you are going to record is one of the keys to choosing the microphone for YouTube. The followings are some questions you need to consider. Will there be talking or live music in your video? Will the volume change frequently? How many people will involve in your video and talk at the same time?
According to different needs, some mics perform better than others. For example, a condenser mic fits well in presentation or voice-over task while a dynamic one is a microphone for YouTube recording of live music or loud audio if you want to get professional audio in your videos.
Place
The place where you make YouTube videos also plays role in purchasing a good microphone for YouTube. Generally speaking, some microphones are designed for studio and others work better for on-the-go shooting. So understanding where and how your YouTube microphone will be used helps you know what features can satisfy your needs.
For instance, shotgun mic records as high-quality audio as it can in a studio but may not record the audio in the same level when you use it to record YouTube video outsides. However, the lav mic is on the contrary. It is light thus offering great portability to outdoor recording. But it is not feasible for it to produce audio of the same quality as the shotgun mic when in studio.
Second, think about your budget
It is necessary to consider how much you would like to spend investing in a mic for youtubing. There are microphones at every price point that are good at deliver good audio in the market. But the sound quality is relative to the price. The more you pay for the mic, the better quality you will get.
If you are an experienced YouTuber, spending a little more on microphone makes sense. The previous video production enables you to realize what features your microphone needs and how you can use it for better audio.
As for new creators, it is a good idea to start with a cheap or mid-priced microphone, or a best budget microphone for YouTube. This kind of mic allows you to know what a suitable one really needs. And you can update your equipment later as you master the knowledge on getting better audio output.
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Third, figure out what microphone features you need
Omnidirectional vs. Unidirectional
No matter you use the YouTube microphone for iPhone, Android phone or camera, the first thing you should think about is the polar patterns of the YouTube microphone. There are two common types and the followings are the brief introduction.
Without losing sound quality, an omnidirectional pattern picks up audio from all sides, including above, below, and even behind the mic. On the one hand, omnidirectional audio allows you to record everything and never miss a small piece of audio. The downside is that you can't block out sounds you don't want, so if you're in a crowded environment, your audio will rapidly get muddy.
A recording microphone for YouTube with unidirectional microphone will pick up high-quality audio that is being played in front of it. It performs well for interviews or even dialogue if the audio sources are stationary and will not move outside of the field.
Cardioid or supercardioid
To go further in directional polar pattern, there are cardioid and supercardioid.
For most video creators, cardioid mic is the first choice. As its name shows, it features heart-shaped polar pattern. This means that every sound in front and to the sides of it will be picked up, and small areas behind will be also covered.
When it comes to supercardioid, this polar pattern also covers the front area mainly. And it also picks up sounds from a tiny area behind the mic.
Compared to cardioid mic, it is a bit more precise and blocks ambient sounds much better thanks to the narrower pickup pattern.
Fourth, get the right type of microphone
At its most basic, choice of YouTube microphone generally boils down to:
1. Lavalier – good for recording on-camera talent, allows for free movement.
With a clip on microphone for YouTube, you are able to move around freely and free your hands from holding the mic. It is clipped on your clothes and small and discreet so as to be easy placed on on-camera talent. As is often the case, it work together with wireless transmitter, which extends the range of movement. For shooting in large indoor and outdoor locations, this can be really helpful.
2. Shotgun – ideal for recording on-camera talent and sound sources that face the camera all the time.
One efficient approach to utilize the recording equipment better is to use a shotgun model. It is a camera microphone for YouTube and records sound from the on-cameras sources. It also supports mounting on the stand. But pay attention, this kind of mic is highly directional, so it is recommended to use it when the the target sound won’t move or your device is capable of moving with the talent.
3. Wireless Microphone Systems (WMS) – perfect when recording multiple target sounds that are moving or that are reasonably remote from your camera.
If you want to move freely when record sounds with your YouTube microphone, WMS is the best choice. With a receiver connected to your recording device and receive audio signals from one or multiple mics within the transmission distance, you are able to move around or record remotely with the wireless microphone for YouTube videos.
4.Condenser or dynamic – choose the right type according to your recording environment
Condenser microphone is an ideal choice for recording audio details in quiet areas. It is good at capturing clear and clean sounds so even tiny innuendos can be recorded. As a result, it is a perfect studio mic and is usually used for voiceovers, vlogs, and podcasts.
On the contrary, dynamic microphone is a YouTube video microphone that is ideal for recording louder sounds. This means you may lose some finer audio details but don’t have to worry about the distractions from the environment.
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Something extra I need to buy for the professional microphone for YouTube?
Here are our suggestions about microphone accessories for your YouTube videos.
Invest in a pop filter. If you want to eliminate the /b/ and /p/ sounds, it will be a must for you. It is positioned in front of your mic and prevents the mic from overload due to the fast-moving air. Luckily, pop filter won’t cost a lot.
A mic scissor arm stand is also recommended. Though it seems large, but owning it will save your time for managing desk space especially when you use a mini microphone for YouTube.
Which is the best microphone for YouTube?
Like other video recording equipment, choosing a microphone is pretty subjective. However, if you are searching for a YouTube microphone, there will be some rules to make it objective.
It is sure that a professional studio mic is not in your list. And if you make vlogs mainly, a shotgun mic won’t be your ideal equipment. These are the kinds of qualifiers and questions you should consider before purchasing any piece of equipment.
In addition, your requirements on YouTube microphone setup will change as your YouTube channel develops and the types of video change.
In this article, we do not recommend a specific SYNCO microphone for your videoing; instead, we just try to tell you something about this hot-selling YouTube microphone on the market. SYNCO does provide microphones for YouTube, podcast, vlogging, etc. In fact, almost all recording microphones at SYNCO are suitable for this application and which one to choose just depends on your needs as we aforementioned.