Most Affordable Microphones

There is one golden and important rule for content creation.

Video quality can vary and viewers are more willing to forgive on but the ears are more sensitive and if your audio/microphone quality is bad, it will 100% make your viewers drop out way sooner and YT algorithm will punish your content for it that not even the title or thumbnail can change.

But what if you can’t afford $500 for a Shure SM7B microphone that your favorite streamer/youtuber uses? Is that it? Do you have to use a headset mic or worse, a blue snowball? Nope, unlike most of us a decade ago, budget hardware and tools for content creators became a realistic option these days.

Below this post, I will post all microphones that can/should be considered for purchasing and based on their pros and cons you can decide which is the one that fits your needs the most.

Microphone Recommendations:

• Fifine USB microphone with stand - 50$

This is the microphone that 90% of users should pick if they are on a budget. The audio quality of this microphone is very close to a Shure MV7 when used correctly and most viewers will not notice any difference.

• Pros
  • Very cheap, very solid
  • Audio quality with using the stand/arm makes it sound similar to MV7’s usb quality
  • Easily adjustable gain on front of the mic
• Cons
  • Only supports USB connection
  • Cable directly connected to mic so if cable is damaged, u need to replace the microphone
• Shure MV7 - 300$

If you are planning on investing in a microphone that has great quality but does not require extra money for audio interface and you are considering using a dual-stream setup without having proper audio hardware skillset, this is your must-have microphone.

It has great audio quality and has both a USB and XLR output so you can easily plug it into two computers at same time without any significant headache.

• Pros
  • Great sound quality
  • Has both XLR + USB output
  • Ideal microphone for easy dual-stream setup
• Cons
  • If using XLR, you will need an audio interface (Scarlet 2i2 for example)
• Shure SM7B - 400$

Not much to add to it, it is the current high quality standard for creators, podcasts. Sounds great, needs interface, sounds great and also… it sounds great but also giga expensive as it is a pricy microphone and requires audio interface.

• Pros
  • Best sounding mic for gaming/podcast
• Cons
  • Only has XLR support
  • Requires audio interface that will cost at least an extra 50-100$
• Rode Wireless Go II + Adapter + Lavalier Go - 270$

Now this is a mic that is a semi-odd mic for this list but if u make content that requires standing up/away from a standing microphone, u need a lav mic. Also if you are a content creator on the move frequently due to participating in events, etc. and u want a consistent good quality audio for your content, this is a great option.

However a mic lasts 2-3 hours so unless u buy a 2 mic setup, it may not last for the whole stream duration of your content.- Pros- Incredibly portable- Good audio but less bass compared to the above mentioned mics- It is wireless microphone so your audio quality wont be impacted if you move away from the desk- Cons- If you don’t buy the paired package (2 microphones) then you need to be aware that the microphone can run out of battery in 2-3 hours- If you dont have experience with lav setups, you may cause some scratching sounds with the mic

• DJI Mic
  • Same Pros and Cons as the Wireless Go II however DJI Mic has a slight advantage in most departments (battery, mic quality) so if you see this mic package on sale but not the GO 2, def. should consider getting this one (if u want to stick to a lav mic setup)
• Lavalirer Go - 50$
  • Part of the Wireless Go 2 recommendation, Lav Go is the cable microphone itself u can use with your lav recorder but if you use a DSLR/digital camera for your camera, you can directly plug lav Go into the camera and have the cam audio input be the main microphone in your OBS. This way you have a portable microphone for content creation that doesnt require a big microphone to be carried with you if u travel a lot

*Personal Opinion: I recommend going with the Fifine mic + stand as it is incredibly cheap for its value and it costs way less than the others and if this is your first proper mic, it is also the best for learning  experience. If you generate enough income or want to commit fully into proper setup in the future, I  would go with MV7 or the SM7B.

Wireless Go II/DJI Mic is however the best if you intend to make content where u dont just sit in front of the computer, it is a great microphone for those (If you are using a drawing board in the background, if you are interacting in the room with objects or if u make other content outdoors)*