I’ve been podcasting now for a little over a year! I’ve grown my podcast from 0 to 37,000+ downloads and gotten 60+ reviews on iTunes. Podcasting is an amazing way to interact with an audience and grow your follower base.

But, it’s intimidating to get started. There is so much different equipment that you can purchase, and a lot of it is pretty expensive.

These are the microphones that I’d recommend for beginner or intermediate podcasters. I haven’t reached the stage of “expert” podcaster myself, so I can’t speak to that audience. Hope you find the post to be helpful!

1. Audio-Technica ATR2100 USB Microphone

This microphone comes highly recommended by John Lee Dumas and Tim Ferriss, both of which are extremely popular podcasters.

It’s an affordable and high quality USB microphone that produces a great sound. It also has over 600 customer reviews on Amazon, most of them positive.

While not the highest end mic on the market, it’s a great entry-level starter microphone for a podcaster who wants something better than their computer or smartphone headset.

For a great price, I think it’s hard to beat the value that the ATR2100 delivers.

2. Blue Yeti

I might get some pushback on this, but I’m going to be recommending the Blue Yeti as my second starter podcasting microphone on this list! And yes, this is what I use.

The reason I decided to purchase this mic was twofold. First, I like that it has gain and volume control on the microphone. You can easily mute the mic and it also allows you to hear how you sound with a great headphone jack. Second, it has over 3,000 reviews on Amazon, most of them positive. I’ve put together a short review of it here.

The one downside of the Blue Yeti is that it’s very sensitive. It can sometimes pick up the humming of your computer or any movements that you make while you’re recording. That’s why I got a small soundproof box, which makes the audio quality perfect! I’ll show you a photo below.

Overall, this mic has a great quality and has some great audio controls for new podcasters, but it does come in at a higher price tag.

Right now it’s pretty cheap on Amazon.

3. Blue Snowball USB Microphone

This is another frequently used mic that I see beginning podcasters and YouTubers use to augment their audio quality. I find though that almost everyone will upgrade from it at some point.

Aside from being a USB mic One of the great things about the Blue Snowball is that it’s extremely affordable, and costs list then most mics.

The Blue Snowball has 2,000 reviews, many of them positive. One negative bit of feedback is that, “I went through two of these things, and here’s the deal. If you are going to be two inches from it, or you are going to be recording loud sources, you’ll be pleased as punch.

If you are going to be recording the normal volume of a human voice, or you want to record a number of participants around a table, you will find that the recording levels are just far far too low.”

To be honest, this is going to be true of many microphones out there. I’ve done live podcasts with my microphone and it didn’t have an issue picking up the sound, but if you’re far away from the source, I’d recommend using a headset with each speaker or a microphone that you can pin to your clothing.

4. Headset Microphones

Sometimes, it’s annoying to have to speak into standing microphone. I’m going to highlight two different headsets that you can use to record your podcast.

First, you can use the Audio-Technica BPHS1. This is what Lewis Howes uses on The School of Greatness. It’s on the expensive side, but the sound quality is great!

You don’t have to go all expensive though. You can also grab a Logitech headset microphone like the ClearChat Comfort/USB Headset, which is the cheapest option.

You might not be 100% pleased with the sound quality, but if you’re just looking to see whether or not podcasting is for you and want to try out doing a few episodes, I think this could suffice.

5. Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone

The last microphone that I’m going to be recommending in this list is the Heil PR-40 for high end podcasters. This is NOT for beginners in my opinion.

 One Amazon review reads, “The Heil PR40 is a fantastic mic. Just do your research and make sure you understand what it can and can’t do.

If you’re looking for an all-around studio microphone for recording music, this probably isn’t the mic for you.

But, if you’re looking for something with which to record voiceovers, chances are you won’t beat the PR40 without spending a whole lot more money.”

Again, this microphone is specific for voiceovers and podcasting. It does have a steep price tag but delivers a quality and professional audio experience!

Hope you found this list to be helpful!