I've been producing The Breakthrough Brand podcast for over 5 years now, and let me tell you, it's become one of my absolute favorite parts of my business! Funny enough, I was re-listening to an old podcast episode to prepare myself for a speaking engagement earlier this week (at the time of recording), and I literally talked about how much JOY podcasting was bringing me 20 episodes in. Now 260 episodes later? That’s STILL true for me.
If you're even remotely considering starting a podcast this year, I cannot recommend it enough! But something that often hangs people up when starting a podcast is: what do I really need? What equipment should I buy?
Then you hear about things like audio equalizers, mixers, audio interfaces, headphone amplifiers, acoustic treatments, and cables, and it becomes harder and harder to figure out what you need. But here’s the truth: I do not use fancy equipment! So if you want someone to just TELL YOU what to use (instead of sharing all about the 1,000+ options there are out there), then this is the episode for you!
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Like I said, I am not a fancy equipment girlie on this podcast. I use the same exact podcast equipment today as I did when I started my show in early 2019. I haven’t even replaced anything, it all just still works great!
I use the world’s cheapest headphones that I love. And my mic is incredible, but also really affordable (and no it’s not a blue Yeti everyone else recommends). And I’d say I have pretty great audio quality on this show! So let’s talk about the podcast equipment I recommend and use today!
And guess what? You can grab all the exact links (with some discounts!) and see my recommendations for recording your show in this FREE guide right here.
1. The Best Podcast Equipment Microphone
You need a microphone, for obvious reasons. Yes, you could record your show with your airpods or something, but the truth is that audio quality greatly impacts the success of a show. You don’t want to have great content that people can’t comfortably listen to.
That being said, good does not mean it has to have a high cost. The mic I am using right now to record I have used for all 5 YEARS of my show is just $49 on Amazon. It’s very affordable (and no - it’s not a blue Yeti… in my opinion they pick up way too much background noise). The brand I use is Audio-Technica and you can get the exact link in my guide here.
2. Microphone Stand or Boom Arm
Next, you need either a mic stand or a boom arm that attaches to your desk! You don’t need both, and lots of mics already come with a simple stand, but sometimes a boom arm is helpful! A boom arm is what attaches to your desk and they look really cool. You see a lot of people, especially if you watch YouTube, people doing just face to camera, with these. It looks like an arm extending off of your desk. Boom arms are nice because you can adjust very specifically where the mic is without your desk needing to change height (or needing to put a book under your microphone or anything like that). We don't want to have to hold our mic like we're singing in front of an audience.
But you can also just choose to use your mic stand. So most microphones come with a simple stand that is just included. My $50 mic actually comes with a stand, and ironically, I have never bought a boom arm even at this point. I'm so used to just using my mic stand. It works really well. That said, most mic stands are not an adjustable height, so that’s something to keep in mind too.
My Adjustable Desk Set Up
In case you are curious about my desk set up, I have an adjustable sit stand desk. I wish I could say I stood at it a lot more than I do, but I do adjust it multiple times a day. I have pre-programmed heights, and I have one height that's my podcasting height. I also have one height that's my laptop typing height, and I have another one that's my video recording and zoom meeting coaching calls height. This makes it really easy to get myself set up and my mic stand ends up being the perfect height when I’m ready to record.
3. Pop filter or Windscreen
Next, you need a pop filter or windscreen. This is something that covers your mic and improves audio quality. Again, you need one or the other, not both. The reason you need one of these is because most podcast microphones pick up too much background noise without using one.
I personally use a windscreen, which covers your mic completely. Alternatively, a pop filter is what sits in front of the microphone. Windscreens are what we think of with a microphone a celebrity might use in a concert… while pop filters sit in front of your microphone without actually being directly on it. I feel like pop filters are more commonly associated with podcasting, but I’d argue windscreens can be better for video so that your face isn’t blocked. EITHER will work though!
4. Headphones
You need headphones to hear yourself as you record, which might sound weird. That's something I teach inside the Podcast Success Blueprint. You need to hear yourself as you record, but also to hear your guest as you are interviewing them. This is going to improve interview audio quality for sure, because it ensures your mic is not picking up what's coming out of your computer hearing them. So I would say it's a must for interviews.
That said, a lot of people would say it's not a must for solo episodes but I disagree. Again, I go deep into this in Podcast Success Blueprint when I teach how to establish your podcasting voice, but hearing yourself on solo episodes improves your own skills as a podcaster because it changes the way you literally speak when you're hearing that direct feedback through audio monitoring.
AirPods do not work well for this because there's often a delay when it's Bluetooth. At least that's been my experience.
Anyway, I do all my solo episodes this way and I teach you exactly how to do this. There's actually a behind the scenes video in Podcast Success Blueprint that I just love where I hired a videographer, and we filmed me recording a solo episode, start to finish. I show you the exact tech setup (from plugging everything in, bringing my notes up, bringing my recording software up, all of that good stuff). Then I show you how I pause and self edit while listening to myself.
The headphones I use are $18 from Amazon. So you can see again, some of the best podcast equipment is not that expensive.
5. Computer with Video Capabilities (or a webcam)
I almost didn’t include this, because again, this is the one that I said that you already have, but you need a computer. Your computer does not have to be a desktop computer or any specific brand of computer. I’ve used my MacBook to record my podcast and have the entire time I've had my business.
Plus, if you are doing video interviews or you are using video for your solo episodes to put somewhere like YouTube or to create clips from, you need your computer to have video capabilities, which is funny to say because most computers have a webcam now and a great one at that. But if yours doesn’t, you can also purchase a webcam or additional video equipment that you plug into your computer and connect. I don't do any of that. I just use the built-in webcam that comes with my laptop.
I have a lot of podcast friends that are way more into video than me though, and are using really cool technology with that that can get more expensive. And if you do feel like your computer's video quality is not that great, again, buying a webcam can help a lot with improving that.
6. USB Converter for Computer (maybe)
If you go with a USB mic, which is what mine is, and you have a newer computer, you may not have a specific USB drive anymore. So you’ll need to buy an adapter. The adapter I use is $18, and I actually use that adapter for lots of other things because I do have a lot of USB things, like my external hard drive, for example, that I use to store extra course videos on and family photos and things like that. My particular USB adapter also has a spot for a camera memory card (so make sure to get my free best podcast equipment guide for the link!).
Choosing Your Best Podcast Equipment
As you just heard, I don't use a mixer, I don't use audio interface, headphone amplifiers, acoustic treatments, cables, and things like that. I'm not saying this is the only way to podcast. So if you're listening to this and you're like, wait, I heard this other person say XYZ and I want to buy that way, do it.
What I'm trying to show you is that you CAN have fabulous audio quality and a great show that is fulfilling to you and earns you money in your business without having to buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment. You don’t have to record in a studio. I didn't even say this, but I actually record my podcast in my home office and have the whole time. I don't go to a studio or anything like that.
I actually cover how to improve your audio quality based on the room you're in inside Podcast Success Blueprint, because that is something that can be really challenging, right? Things like hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and stuff like that can actually make your audio quality worse. I cover all that in the course, but you're in charge of it.
But if you do want a simple setup that'll cost you around $100 or less (minus things like the computer that you already have), you can get the links of everything I use inside my best podcasting equipment guide here.
Read More: 3 Real Ways to *Actually* Make Money from Your Podcast
Are You Looking to Start a Podcast in 2024?
Now that you know exactly what equipment you might need, you might be wondering:
- What do I do with the equipment?
- How do I make strategic solo episodes?
- How do I make strategic interviews?
- How do I organize my podcast?
- How do I ultimately make money for my podcast so that it's not an expensive hobby of my business?
If you're wondering any of those kinds of things, you need my course Podcast Success Blueprint. It covers a TON, from helping you start your show and also exactly how you can scale it. Inside, I have podcasters in all different stages, from brand new to established podcast hosts inside. Plus, there is my “Idea to Launch Roadmap”, which is going to guide you through starting your podcast in just FOUR weeks, okay? It's a super detailed PDF guide that you can print out, but it gives you stuff to do every single day for four weeks (don’t worry - I give you a few catch up days!).
If you need some more encouragement, I actually got a really sweet DM a few days ago from someone who just joined Podcast Success Blueprint that I want to read to you guys because she actually was on the fence about joining because she was worried it was just the stuff you can Google and just the step-by-step of like, okay, buy this thing, do this thing, record this way. I told her that that is NOT what it id, it's really strategic, and it's not just stuff you're going to find at Google. It's not your average podcast course. Here's what she said when she got inside:
This isn't just a how to podcast course. This is a full on simplify and streamline your business content marketing course. That's why I want a podcast. I'm so happy I bought this. And yes, please screenshot this testimonial and use it because I mean it.
That's what my goal is with this course. It's going to help you streamline your business, simplify your content marketing using podcasting, and ultimately make more money in your business, create more impact, all of that kind of good stuff. Sign up now!
Links Mentioned:
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