3 Essential Pieces of Equipment to Start a Podcast in 2024

Our top tip for starting a podcast? Invest in a good microphone. Clear, crisp audio ensures your audience understands what you’re saying and is intrigued enough to come back for more. In this case, the built-in mic of your computer isn’t going to cut it.

A range of microphones on the market will do the job, but the best microphones for podcasting are typically USB microphones, which simply plug and play into the USB port on your computer. The Rode NT-USB Microphone is a great option for home recording and comes with everything you need to capture great audio, including a mini desk stand and a pop filter for eliminating “popping sounds” that occur when speaking or singing into a mic.

As you become more advanced and are willing to invest in a separate mixer to connect to your computer, an XLR microphone can help you take your sound quality up to the next level.

Ted’s recommends:

• Boya BY-M100UC Smartphone Microphone USB-C: As the best budget-friendly microphone, this Boya is ideal for capturing pristine audio on your smartphone and tablet. Its plug-and-play design ensures effortless setup, eliminating the necessity for mounting equipment or extra accessories. Sleek and portable at a mere 3 inches in length, this Boya microphone boasts a 180-degree rotation for optimal positioning, ensuring versatility and convenience in your recordings.
• Rode NT-USB+ USB Condensor Microphone: This Rode is one of the most versatile microphones, as it’s good for vlogging and even music recording. It stands out as a high-quality USB microphone, perfect for recording premium audio to your computer or mobile device. Noteworthy for its low noise and high-gain output, the audio produced by this microphone is exceptional.
• Rode Podcaster USB Broadcast Microphone: For professional projects, this microphone is a gamechanger. It’s a dynamic, end-address USB microphone that brings broadcast-quality audio straight to your computer via USB, no extra interface needed. It's got 18-bit resolution and 48kHz sampling, ensuring pristine sound without relying on your computer's sound card. It's perfect for serious recording work that demands both quality and simplicity.

Top Tip: Have co-hosts or a guest? For best results, each of you will need your own microphone.

Once you’ve hit ‘record’, you’ll need some way to ensure that your audio is recording correctly and without too much background noise. If you’ve never used a microphone before, chances are you’ll be surprised at how much background noise they pick up and how significantly environmental factors can impact your recordings. 

While the best headphones for podcasting don’t necessarily have to be top-of-the-line models that break the bank, the earbuds that come with your phone don’t quite make the grade. Instead, go for a pair of closed-back headphones with a neutral output that isn’t too heavy on bass or treble. This type of headphones will ensure that your microphone won’t pick up their output sound and give you an annoying echo effect.

Ted’s recommends:

• Rode NTH-100 Professional Over-Ear Headphones: As the best entry-level headphones on the market, these Rodes are your go-to for all your creative projects. Far more than just decent headphones, they’re perfect for mixing, recording, podcasting, and more, they deliver excellent sound and comfort. 
• Rode NTH-100M Broadcast Headphones: Expanding on the popular NTH-100 headphones, the Rode NTH-100M combines premium audio with a broadcast-quality microphone. Featuring a sleek design and compact size, these over-ear headphones offer exceptional listening comfort. Dynamic drivers, precise acoustic construction, and closed-back earcups with memory foam ensure clear sound and superior noise reduction. With a condenser microphone, they're ideal for voiceover work, podcasting, and more.

No matter how much of a smooth talker you are, chances are your raw recordings will need editing. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a professional to do this, as most basic audio editing software will do the job perfectly well. 

As with video editing software, your program will vary depending on your computer. Using a Mac? All Apple computers come preloaded with Garageband software, which performs all the necessary features. Otherwise, many beginner podcasters on Mac and Windows computers achieve great results with Audacity, a free audio editing software.

If you want to learn how to make a podcast sound professional, there are a few audio editing tricks you’ll need to master:

• Trimming files down to remove awkward silences and pauses
• Adjusting volume levels for consistency
• Merging recordings to weave together a finished product from several takes
• Using transitions to move between different scenes and segments

Once you’ve nailed these podcast basics, it could be time to consider graduating to a more advanced, paid software like Adobe Audition or Apple Logic Pro X.