7 Best USB Microphones for Podcasters & Creators [2024]

🌟To start recording top-quality audio with your mic, check out Riverside.fm: riverside.fm/?...
Looking for the Best USB microphones for podcasting or content creation? We highlight the 7 top usb podcast mics and review options for all budgets, including: the Shure MV7, Rode NT USB-mini, and new brands like Tula microphones.
Chapters ➡
00:00 Introduction
00:31 Audio-Technica ATR 2100x
01:21 Samson Q2U
01:32 Rode NT USB-Mini
01:49 Blue Yeti USB Mic
03:01 Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone
03:42 Tula USB Mic
04:35 Earthworks ICON
📺 Videos Mentioned
Best Video Podcast Camera: iPhone Continuity Camera vs. Webcam vs. Sony Mirrorless
• Best Video Podcast Cam...
🛒 Products Mentioned
ATR 2100X
a.co/d/1yxn2vo
Samson Q2U
a.co/d/g20YE8Z
Rode NT USB-Mini
a.co/d/9yTpftS
Shure MV7
a.co/d/0uAi9qH
Tula USB Mic
www.tulamics.com
Earthworks ICON
a.co/d/crXTTA0
Blue Yeti
a.co/d/5uT3kbG
Mic Pop Filters
a.co/d/6UpvXCC
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Best Video Podcast Camera: iPhone Continuity Camera vs. Webcam vs. Sony Mirrorless - KZbin
• Best Video Podcast Cam...
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⭐⭐⭐ About Riverside.fm ⭐⭐⭐
Riverside.fm is the leading remote recording platform that makes professional podcast creation achievable by anyone, anywhere. The platform has easy-to-use tools to help podcasters record, edit, and promote their show.
The company, founded by brothers Gideon (CTO) and Nadav (CEO) in 2020, already helps renowned podcasters and companies, including Guy Raz, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marvel and The New York Times to record studio-quality interviews from anywhere, with no loss in recording quality.

[@robertwiruetin]

Super helpful and straight to the point. Thanks so much.

[@Riversidefm]

You're welcome!

[@stephaniebrown3410]

Simple and thorough. Thank you.

[@Riversidefm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-rq5tm9bc8x]

Awesome and informative video! Thanks man! I was wondering if you have any videos on recommendations for podcast guests who are not used to using external microphones on virtual calls? I'm aiming to have some guests via video call and want to avoid the issue of hearing rustling on the desk and the intimidation of a microphone being in front of the person (you know, to avoid the whole leaning in thing). Any insight would be very appreciated!

[@Riversidefm]

That's a great question, and a hard problem to solve for sure. If you're sending out kits to your guests, a lapel mic may be a good option, as they can play it high on their shirt and not mess with it. But that could cause clothing ruffle issues too. Honestly, a pair of wired headphones with a mic built-in to the lanyard may be a good option as well. They don't have to touch it, or mess with anything on their desk. If their environment is quiet enough and not too echoey, it should sound decent! Then you can run it through some AI audio tools to make it sound even better in post-production.

[@guided_imagery_with-betsy]

Thx for the recommendation. Picked up the audio-technica ATR2100x-USB and it sounds great. Solid entry point mic for the price.

[@Riversidefm]

You're welcome, and great choice!

[@heartstrings110]

I’m about to try it! It sounds great in this video. Shocking.

[@timbonnarens]

Great video! It's insane how different those mics sound

[@Riversidefm]

Thanks! And it's a wide variety for sure

[@goldenarm2118]

Thanks for the review. I'm looking into making some KZbin videos and need a microphone. I noticed that all of the microphones you reviewed sounded deeper or lower than the audio of your video. Why is that and what microphone did you use to make this video? Thank you.

[@Riversidefm]

You're welcome! For all my videos, I use the Sennheiser MKH416 which is a shotgun mic. The mics I tested in this video are more for "close talking" or podcast style, which creates that lower sounding audio. You can always EQ the audio afterward to address that, but I wanted to provide an unchanged sound test for each mic.

[@EarthworksAudio]

The ICON is our personal favorite 😉 thanks for including it!

[@christinabenner]

Thank you so much for your video. I would have loved to hear the post production sound to hear the difference.

[@Riversidefm]

You're welcome! I tried to leave all the audio raw as everyone has their own post-production preferences, but stay tuned as we have more USB mic reviews coming!

[@drewclifton610]

Thanks for this! Any recommendation for a foam windscreen for the ATR 2100x?

[@Riversidefm]

These work pretty well! amzn.to/3NVYU6r

[@drewclifton610]

@@Riversidefm Thanks! Give 5 to my friends? (Wait, resell as singles! Haha) 😄

[@adolfoforonda3363]

When you guys did the examples did you have the mics run through some sort of production console?

[@Riversidefm]

I connected each mic directly to a Mac Studio and recorded with Audio Hijack.

[@dariorotaclimb]

thanks for the video! Do I need an external sound board to use thee mics? tnx!!

[@Riversidefm]

You’re welcome! And no external board needed. These USB mics can connect directly to a computer or iPad with a single cable and that’s it!

[@CharlonClarke]

Still rocking the yeti which we've had for the past couple years now, the Shure looks and sounds amazing!

[@Riversidefm]

The MV7 is a *great* option

[@CharlonClarke]

@@Riversidefm thanks!

[@TheUpsideDownLife]

@@CharlonClarkefolks talk bad about the yeti. How’s it treating you?

[@CharlonClarke]

@@TheUpsideDownLife pretty good only issue would be the USB cable from time to time but that's minor imo

[@TheUpsideDownLife]

@@CharlonClarke much appreciated. I grabbed one on a deal then saw all the slander online. Glad it’s not a bust, just not the best haha

[@NicholasWrightHypnotherapy]

How did the Samson Q2U rate, in your opinion? I didn't see a test. Thanks

[@Riversidefm]

Samson Q2U is a very good value, and sounds similar to the Audio-Technica ATR 2100X. I just prefer the 2100x as it has USB-C instead of mini-USB (which the Q2U has).

[@GregKleist]

I currently use a Blue Yeti for my KZbin channel and seems to be very good. But I have a Samson Q2U available. Should I keep the Yeti for KZbin and switch out to the Q2U for my podcast (which I'm just starting)? Thanks!

[@Riversidefm]

If you find the Yeti works for you, it’s ok to keep using. It’s pretty sensitive as a condenser mic, so if you notice some echo or reverb in your podcast, or want a little more noise rejection, I’d switch to the Q2U

[@j.j.abraham8936]

Thanks, this was super helpful. While I'm a total noob at this, my company is 100% remote, so we don't have an office. I purchased an USBAT2020+ and have liked it, but I'd like for my mic to sound like yours, so how would I do that? I saw you mentioned that you use the Sennheiser MKH416 "Shotgun" mic. Is that something I should use? So far I've only used USB mics mounted to a boom, but I'm not very sophisticated at all, so would it be too complicated for me to use the one you have? Could use your help if you have a moment. Many thanks! J.J.

[@Riversidefm]

Hey there! Are you doing talking head style video like this, more podcast recordings, or using it mainly for video meetings? A good option may be the Shure MV7, being a dynamic mic it will sound better in a variety of conditions, but will need to be close to your mouth. If you want to use a mic like mine, you do need to have a fairly well-treated room with little to no echo or reverb. Let me know a few more details and I'll make a recommendation!

[@j.j.abraham8936]

@@Riversidefm Thanks for getting back to me! Yes, I'm only using it for Zoom meetings. I'm the CEO of my company and we are 100% remote. Although I'm thinking of going back to an office environment, I'm doing my best to make this remote situation happen and want our daily Zoom calls (which are pretty much all day long) to sound as good as possible. Some of our executive team members are really hard to hear, so I might get the same setup for some of those folks and see if that improves things. Currently I have the AT202+. I've been looking at the Shure MV7 but don't want to get it just to find out that it doesn't sound any better than my USB AT2020+. Since I've written you, I did more research on your channel (and others) to learn the basics (difference between USB and XLR, etc.), so I now understand how many factors impact the results and how this isn't just a simple answer. So now that I know that, here's my situation: I do 100% Zoom calls (just talking), my microphone is on a boom and sits just to my left about 1.5 feet away to my 11 o'clock, my office is quiet and is surrounded by windows on 3 sides. I'd prefer to have the mic isolate all background sounds (like vacuum cleaners during the day, my kids yelling downstairs when they get home from school, etc.). I'm willing to go invest into the whole XLR thing, but I'm not sure that's the solution. When you did your sound test, there was a huge difference between the other mics and yours. My ultimate goal is to get it to sound like your mic, or as close as possible. I realize at some point there are diminishing returns, but I just want to provide the best experience possible. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have!!! J.J.

[@Thequranverse205]

@@Riversidefmwhat do you think would be the best microphone for me. I’m currently starting a channel where I read Quran and I need a good mic.

[@oorietalmor]

I know this is not what you video was about, but what mic did you use in the main video. It sounds so good.

[@Riversidefm]

Thank you! It's the Sennheiser MKH416 amzn.to/3uhX3zs

[@orestes1984]

The Audio Techica is still one of the best I don't know where you get a broadcast quality 192khz micophone for the price with XLRs also that allow you to use both XLR inputs and USB at the same time. It provides the convenience of being able to record to a backup device, or a better audio device like the Zoom F3. Its been around for quite a while though. I can't think of a better device with dual inputs for the price up to about $130 at MSRP here in Australia. Can you think of something better? I mean the 2100 is so upgradable also because it seems to improve when its plugged in directly to better audio recorders. As a dynamic microphone it doesn't suit everyone but its still a really high quality device for the price with a Behringer capsule inside. Can you name a better microphone?

[@Riversidefm]

Love the 2100 for sure!

[@likeris2]

Is it works on my iphone 13 mini? Or I need usbc mini converter?

[@Riversidefm]

USB mics can be finicky on iPhone, but we would recommend the Lightning to USB camera adapter

[@kadencrow7200]

Is there a microphone that I can just set up in a room with a few people and it picks up all of our voices but it’s still good quality and doesn’t need to computer to be plugged into it?

[@Riversidefm]

That will be a difficult scenario to both record everyone with minimal background noise and high quality. You can try to use a self-contained recorder like this one, but it won't sound as good as a dedicated mic per guest: amzn.to/44wqONk

[@ahsanmohammed1]

Thanks. Helpful. BTW: All tested mics sounded better than the one you used.

[@Riversidefm]

Holding mics close to the mouth definitely helps sound quality!

[@keyboard_g]

The Rode has a lot of hissing in the sample.

[@JoseJuniorTech]

I have a lot of mics And tula is my favourite by Far... But It is quite expensive

[@Riversidefm]

Good to hear from another Tula user!

[@zephyrkhambatta]

Are all these basically condensers other than the first one?

[@Riversidefm]

ATR 2100X, Samson Q2U and Shure MV7 are all dynamic

[@shockwavez]

I had the Blue Yeti but the port inside the mic has broke and now just stopped working, it's a really great mic but I wouldn't recommend it as even others said that the port breaks at quick times.

[@Riversidefm]

Agreed, we really like the MV7 and ATR 2100X for sure

[@bigwhiskey7843]

Yeah I’ve had my Blue Yeti for only 3 years and the port is all messed up. And it dosent work half the time.

[@shockwavez]

@@bigwhiskey7843 Atleast you had it for 3 years because I only had it for a month and it broke on me

[@bigwhiskey7843]

@@shockwavez Dang that sucks, because it really is a good mic. I had a good run with mine but I’m moving on to an XLR mic.

[@shockwavez]

@@bigwhiskey7843 I agree, the mic has amazing quality. I moved onto The T.bone 450 and I couldn't be any happier, way better wuality and cheaper woth a pop filter. I should have made more research rather than just spending so much money on the blue yeti

[@skrupgolfs]

What mic did you use to record the main audio for this video?

[@Riversidefm]

Sennheiser MKH 416!

[@skrupgolfs]

@@Riversidefmthank you!

[@user-zy3zd3sx2d]

I'm surprised you didn't include the FDUCE SL40. It's an affordable knockoff of the Shure MV7. Has XLR and USB C.

[@Riversidefm]

Haven't seen that one yet! Will check it out

[@PokeBeardTCG]

Do these all work with Android??

[@Riversidefm]

It depends on your phone, which do you have?

[@PokeBeardTCG]

​@@Riversidefm thank you for the reply. I have the Samsung Galaxy fold 4. I'm just making videos off of there right now but I'm getting a camera in a couple months and i have a decent laptop. So I'm trying to get a nice microphone that will work with my phone for now but would also work with my camera when I get it. Also do you hook up a microphone to your laptop/PC or camera itself?? I'm interested in the nicer bigger microphones that I can mount to the desk or just have sitting right in front of me. Also didn't really like the ones where you said it has to be super super quiet cuz it picks up everything. I super appreciate the help. I'm so confused.

[@arunkumarsaini4754]

microphone which mic has crystal clear sound and good noise cancellation?? 1-blue yeti 2-akg lyra 3-senneheiser profile 4-rode mini usb Please tell me

[@Riversidefm]

The Rode mini USB is pretty good, but you may want to consider the Audio-Technica ATR 2100X. I find it has been room-noise rejection and it's a dynamic mic instead of condenser like many of these.

[@architjain9j]

My blue yeti mic is not properly working with riverside?

[@Riversidefm]

We're heard reports of issues with the Blue Yeti. What device and web browser are you using?

[@architjain9j]

@@Riversidefm using Asus laptop or oppo reno 11 pro with USB hub. Same issue coming. Kindly let me know the solution or suggest me best mic with riverside

[@architjain9j]

@@Riversidefm chrome

[@bluehawaii865]

What mic do you use in this video by yourself, please ?

[@Riversidefm]

The Sennhesier MKH416 shotgun mic!

[@bluehawaii865]

Thank you so much, I checked that price, and wow!@@Riversidefm

[@Thesolutionspodcast101]

That last one was the most expensive and sounded the worse, I do recommend and hopefully this channel does a review on the Fifine Dynamic Microphone K688, that one is affordable and sounds awesome both USB and XLR. 72 dollars on Amazon

[@Riversidefm]

That's a great looking mic! Will have to test 🤔

[@tango_gru]

Tula just won my heart....... Might buy it in future. For now I will probably go to a Shure or Elgato wave3

[@Riversidefm]

Tula provides an impressive sound at a small size!

[@ajpodcast9]

Blue yeti has issue with riverside fm

[@ajpodcast9]

Do not use it

[@Riversidefm]

What kind of issues are you having?

[@christophercis]

What you thinking about MIC?

[@Riversidefm]

I'm not familiar with that one! Link?

[@keestel6975]

The last microphone, while looking very nice, sounds the least good. Very dull. And even though it is the most expensive.

[@Riversidefm]

For most people we recommend the Shure MV7 for sure

[@heartstrings110]

Shocking…the cheapest one sounds the best.

[@Riversidefm]

It’s a great mic for sure!

[@ioan_jivan]

Atr2100x sounds muffled. I regret buying it :))

[@Riversidefm]

Really? How close are you speaking into the mic? You may also want to try adjusting the EQ of the mic. I explain how to do that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4DWaqCif8-Lbassi=4yEp0vbzWs5_CtOT

[@ioan_jivan]

@@Riversidefm I tried every position. If I speak very far away it doesn't sound muffled, but then I have to shout into the mic :))

[@ResidentCreator]

Aww you Missed the El Gato Wave 3

[@Riversidefm]

That's a good mic! Several out there we'll have to cover in a future video

[@michaeltyler5201]

bro forgot to do the shure sm7b

[@Riversidefm]

That's an XLR-only mic, but we do a head-to-head comparison with the SM7B here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXSkdGOGrLqDkLc

[@imnotyourdaddyx]

I'm curious what Meghan Markle Spotify podcast microphone

[@Riversidefm]

She actually used the Neumann BCM 709 XLR, Dynamic mic!

[@imnotyourdaddyx]

@@Riversidefm Thanks! I really thought it was because of her voice and some editing. It's so eargasm.

[@residuevideos]

It is not YUEZBEE. It is YUESBEE. (pronunciation of Usb.)

[@Riversidefm]

Right, USB!

[@HappyNBoy]

Folks with accents from the southern US have a habit of using a lightly voiced version of consonants, especially when followed by fully voiced consonants like a voiced labio-plosive like "B". So an "S" sound sounds a bit more like a "Z"