What is the MOST POPULAR Microphone on Twitch?

I gathered data for the TOP 250 Streamers on Twitch about EXACTLY which Microphones they are using, and the results are surprising!
🎙️ Podcast Episode with @Podcastage discussing in even more detail:
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🔶 5 Most Popular Microphones:
Shure SM7B: geni.us/tTi7knb
Blue Yeti: geni.us/xjwB
Audio-Technica AT2020: geni.us/EA4RWAN
Rode Procaster: geni.us/HDtn
Electro-Voice RE20: geni.us/Aq0qFW
⏩ Timestamps:
0. Introduction 0:00
1. How I Gathered the Data 1:25
2. Sponsored Streamers - Audio Companies 2:27
3. The 5 Most Popular Microphones 2:39
4. Pricing Groups, How Much They Spend 4:22
5. XLR vs USB Microphones 5:08
6. Dynamic vs Condenser Microphones 5:43
7. Which Brands Dominate the Streaming Market? 5:52
8. Testing the Most Common Microphone 6:29
9. Pros of the Shure SM7B 8:42
10. Cons of the Shure SM7B 9:38
11. Should You Upgrade Your Microphone? 10:28
12. Three Key Points about Microphones 10:35
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Hashtags:
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Disclaimer:
This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and buy a product, I receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@GamingCareers]

I just did a podcast interview with audio expert Podcastage (who commented down here 👇) where we go into even more detail about these results. If you enjoyed this video, you will 100% want to listen to the podcast episode, Bandrew has some incredible insight when it comes to microphones! gamingcareers.com/podcasts/secrets-to-amazing-audio/

[@notsobizzy]

Love the collab! Wonderful podcast and hope to see more of this in the near future!

[@kiera3540]

Great interview, thank you!

[@lloydchristmas4547]

I listened to the whole podcast, and had to rewind many times. I learned a whole lot. Thanks very much.

[@gunnar5345]

Watched a bunch of mic videos. This one was the best. Thanks

[@darbeargaming7513]

T

[@Podcastage]

I love that you called it a Fathead. I got far too much entertainment out of it. And thank you for saying "The looks are the least important aspect of a mic" and "Don't follow the trends". Although I love the SM7b, it's not right for everyone. Keep up the great work, and VERY interesting findings.

[@Wizur]

agreed

[@notsobizzy]

If only there was Pizza, PRONTO that would seal this deal.

[@hatiroth7919]

@@Wizur pleasure seeing you here!

[@cal-211]

BANDREWWW!!

[@fiwikruit965]

i think he's referring to the fethead, which works similarly to the cloudlifter.

[@EposVox]

Please, please, please, people, do not go out and buy a SM7b if you're not willing to buy the hardware to back it up. So tired of seeing $400 mics paired with $80 or lower interfaces. It's always a bad time. Cloudlifter is not a real solution, it's a band aid to cover up a mistake. It's a phenomenal microphone, but a high end microphone is useless without high-end gear to back it up.

[@neramp559]

Maybe rode procaster is good alternative?

[@EposVox]

@@neramp559 Procaster is a phenomenal value for the money. Still benefits from cleaner preamps/cloudlifter, though. If you're on a really cheap interface, start with the Q2U or podmic IMO and upgrade when you get better hardware.

[@neramp559]

@@EposVox thank you)

[@VosovioYTC]

@@neramp559 found a Russian

[@aldescora]

Neramp I’ve seen reviews on the AT2020 and the quality is more than suitable for the casual streamer for about 150

[@TylerTownsend]

Literally was about to buy a mic, this came at the perfect time

[@Alexandra-Rex]

I would also check the Podcastage channel which tests a lot of microphones, microphone boosters and interfaces, and has playlists for various price ranges :)

[@TylerTownsend]

Alex R E literally watched him all day, settled on the at2035

[@ethan6368]

@@TylerTownsend yes lad good choice that shits a beast

[@Alexandra-Rex]

@@TylerTownsend Nice :)

[@yonders0101]

Tyler Townsend Same lmao

[@rodemic]

REALLY interesting video! Great job on collecting all the data and analyzing it!

[@Super_GT]

Just want to say how brilliant your videos are and how helpful they've been to me. Very clearly spoken and well edited. Thanks for all of the content. On a side note, the mic i use is the Rode NT-USB which has been great.

[@tidgney]

[@jijingebob]

Hello viewers Super GT here

[@Misty-Mountain-Gaming]

The effort and time spent on this is very much appreciated. This kind of un-biased information is what "information seekers" like me, need more of! Thank you!

[@DenOfficielleViggo]

Consider making pros and cons for the other top used mics. You did a good job explaining the pros & cons for the shure I think. Good quality content as always ;) Keep It up.

[@ScottWallace5]

This was actually very impressive and I admire you taking all that time for your research. Well done!

[@darko390]

You buy $500 microphone Twitch channel: 0 views😅

[@dehkS]

Personally attacked

[@Mazza-]

literally me :(

[@SlickEvader]

But it for the passion of gaming and not for the viewers.

[@hotpants3150]

SlickEvader TRUE

[@diyaonclaw1130]

Just wanna ear rape louder with quality yk

[@HORNGEN4]

"If I move about a foot way" and then backs up 4 ft

[@dranben]

The pure amount of time and effort that went into this video is insane. Good stuff.

[@BinaryPLUR]

Literally the most well-made and informative KZbin channel for small content creators like us, I am like binging your content, phenomenal work as always! :)

[@DEATHRACERCHEVY]

Loved the charts! Seeing the breakdown with data was really cool. I too was surprised to see the Yeti so high, even though I myself had a Yeti and loved every second of it, I always got constant comments about how "it picked up too much noise" "it just sucks" when someone was looking for advice and they always wondered what I did to make mine sound so clean. I wonder if there was any correlation in the data for the people that had the lower end microphones that main focus wasn't "just chatting" or more gameplay focus so for them getting just good sound was more than enough than go full upgrade to a shure or something along those lines. Very detailed and awesome video Pete!

[@BigJayGaming]

I loved watching this video and the timing could not be more perfect! I personally have been looking to upgrade some stream equipment in the near future and microphone was near the top of my list. I currently use my headset microphone and was looking to get a stand-alone microphone. I would LOVE to see a similar video for webcams!

[@Chillrogg]

BigJay1066 yes. I’d love to know how many big streamers use a DSLR camera vs webcam as well

[@ThunderTHR]

Really interesting to see how many people have gone for the Shure. I just sadly don't have that sort of money to spend on a microphone. I've been using a FiFine K670B over the last few days which is only $50, but I've been very happy with it so far. Everyone I've heard from when I streamed with the mic said they thought it sounded good.

[@Homiloko2]

Those are the top-end streamers... They most likely started with a cheaper mic, and upgraded once the channel grew

[@TheSoulCrisis]

I loved seeing the stats! Great work pulling the data and visualizing it with the graphs. :) This is what I needed months ago lol, I went with a budget mic a good buddy of mine recommended to me who uses a similar model for his indie game studio session videos. It's also cool to see top streamers make budget USB microphones work well too and that content is at the end of the day is KING.

[@greatunz67]

I spent 10 minutes looking for that 'sillygnome' statistics website he mentions, only to find out later that it's 'sullygnome'

[@Mopantsu]

The HyperX SoloCast is an impressive addtion in the $60 range. It really punches above its weight for sound and functionality.

[@HelloHeadliner]

thank you so much for that reminder towards the end. I def felt a little pressure to have the "best" equipment, but you made a great point. Thank you 🙏🏾

[@jacoblindsey6888]

Thanks Pete! I have the hyperx Quadcast and I reality like it, especially the fact it can be "upgraded" from USB to XLR so I don't need a whole new mic when I'm ready to upgrade.

[@esotericfaerie]

Huge respect for all the hard work you did to get these stats! This was the video I was looking for when I started streaming 2 years ago, now it exists for others and so beautifully made! Your efforts do not go unnoticed!! 👏✨ Thank you!! 😃

[@mciarlillo1309]

Such good quality content as always! Rocking a Rode PodMic and eventually would like to add the GoXLR Mini

[@SheikMMO]

im looking into that one, what audio int are u using for it? i was thinking of getting it witht he rode a1 AF bundled. I like the sound of the podmic is there any negatives about it?

[@mciarlillo1309]

Robert Von Raccoon I’m currently using the Behringer UM2 interface as an entry level twitch/mixer stream setup. Anyways, I haven’t had any issues with it but I haven’t had it for very long either. I think you can’t go wrong with that combo!

[@epikdanny8887]

Great work, my friend. After all this work, you have made a great video/research and have helped me with my next purchase! Keep up the good work.

[@danmagoo]

Respectfully: Before you talk about the microphone, you're supposed to THROW THE BOX.

[@himynameisryan]

He insulted the entire microphone community by skipping that step

[@DogWaterManGuy]

I know this comment is a year old, but "throw the box"? I don't get it

[@danmagoo]

@@DogWaterManGuy You might enjoy the KZbin channel Podcastage, where Bandrew Scott does great reviews of microphones every Tuesday. Near the beginning, he always says "Let's see what comes in the box," as he throws the empty box behind him, that the mic came in. Sometimes he lofts it, other times it's a savage hurl, and occasionally he falls off the chair or the box falls back on his head. Sorry, it's something you'd have to see to get the humor.

[@ZZUtopia]

Thanks so much for making this video! Very helpful! Looking forward to checking out the guides on your site.

[@JoseGonzalezIII]

Now I wanna know who was using the Samson Go Mic. I wanna thank them for getting the most out of $40

[@swiggle0130]

very good mic for its price

[@ninetysdude6212]

Wow I really appreciate that you went through 400 users. We don't see such quality content from youtubers these days. Hats off to you. On a side note writing this comment gave me mixed feelings. Positive because you should be appreciated and this was an appreciation comment. Negative because comments were setting at exactly 400 comments and mine just ruined it.

[@effmltalks]

This is such a helpful video, thank you so much for your time and effort man!!!

[@DisruptedFate]

Thanks so much for all the content man!! I really hope you know how many people you have helped learn new things!

[@stevetriple8]

This was great video, appreciate the depth you went into it, thanks!

[@Upioti]

2:00 *Has two screens* He: ill just use one and unconfortable divide it

[@Nathansomething]

Haha

[@lasttwhisper]

i think this is the most informative video i seen in my life. i was looking for this type of info searching for a mic. but plot twisted: 45% of top streamers are sponsored by shure. :D

[@PrimeG2]

PERFECT!!! Well done! I am using the audio technica 2020 USB with Voicemeeter banana and some adjustments, sounds amazing. I want to try the Shure SM7B, but it requires a lot!

[@Arcintel]

Shure mic, Rode velcro strap. 😏 Also amazing video Pete! It's fascinating to see the data and how it applies to the microphone market. Also quick note I use a Rode NT1-A (a condenser microphone) and I have the noisest keyboard and console/pc right next to it and it's dead silent. Thanks for stressing that a huge part of getting clean audio is setting it up properly, I can confirm.

[@tomwilson7765]

Major props for going and doing all that research and making spreadsheets and circle graphs 📊 wow 👏 👍 Good job!

[@Butterman733]

Thank you so much for helping me know what to look for in a microphone. Very helpful video!

[@tyisafk]

I use an SM57 with an A81WS foam screen. With a little EQ, it's VERY close to the 7B for a lot less. Though if I ever feel justified to spend a lot on a mic, like if I ever stream full time, I'll probably get the RE20.

[@TheFrenchBiff]

I have a Rode Procaster and it sounds amazing for much less money than the Sure mic. Sending 160kbps audio to Twitch won’t let expensive microphones shine anyway. Thanks for your content :)

[@Hoserzzz]

Was the wave 3 available at the time of this video being released? I'm quite surprised it didn't show up if it was

[@Darkl0ud_Productions]

Great video. Thank you for bringing up the Cloud Lifter. I was contemplating getting the SN7B, but now $400 because $500+. I just started streaming so I think I'll go with something cheaper to start.

[@girthaversion]

Issue with your distinction between dynamic vs condensers. They can have different polar patterns i.e. reject directional sound, so you have to choose which mic you need/want. Condensers are usually more expensive but can sound better, whereas dynamics are cheaper and can be pushed to louder levels. Source: Am a sound engineer

[@williamgrady6075]

Thank you very much man, i was thinking about starting streaming and this popped up. Very helpfull

[@Enchurito]

I'm a little surprised to not see the one I use at all on the list. Akg c1000s it was about $185 and I use a $100 interface. It sounds great and I've gotten compliments from my viewers. Admittedly I've had at most 30 people in my twitch.

[@mightytoxic]

Those podcast mics were also used while Queen were recording bohemian rhapsody

[@BlarinDragon]

the yeti was the go to mic forever still everyone recently jumped onto the sm7b hypetrain when pro game streamers started using them

[@letbulletsfly9862]

Great research duded. it really helps me a lot. Thank you so much brother

[@antibanplay]

I'm glad with my blue snowball. My mom gifted it to me and it was the biggest audio upgrade from vebcam mice to a normal mic. Thack you

[@christianjmedia]

Great video, crazy in depth! Time well spent.

[@joaomansano145]

Really cool and detailed video man! I wish I could see like a correlation between the number of followers and the price of the microphone that is used! I mean, is a hell of work! Hahaha but great video! Thumbs up!

[@ChrisMowers]

Should def consider the Rode Procaster if your looking for a new mic. Its half the cost of a RE2020(which is the radio industry standard for mics) and the SM7B and it is neck to neck with those mics. I've been an audio engineer for many years and was raised by an audio engineer and for the price point of the Procaster, you simply can not beat it and its competes with some of the best!

[@marvinmack9674]

Great video man! One of the best that I've seen in regards to streaming, and podcast setups. Did you use any software to turn your data into graphics and percentages?

[@XdeadzeroX]

@MarvinMack I am also curious about this, did you ever get a reply?

[@mirzaarabferuvian136]

This video just got you likes and new subscriber mate, amazing piece of work!

[@schubird43]

I don't have a huge following on KZbin or Twitch, but wanted to share what I use because when I started a little over a year ago I was clueless as to what I should use: I use a Samson Q2U dynamic microphone. I began using it with the Focusrite Scarlet Solo, but had issues with that interfaces USB connection. I switched to using a Cloudlifter and the Yamaha MG10XU. The mic itself only costs about $50, operates in either XLR or USB, and does a SUPERB job at cutting out background noise! Seriously I'm in my basement with a furnace fan running 24/7 on the other side of the wall and a busy street behind me that is usually very noisy, but I bet only an expert could hear any of that come through in my videos or streams. If you're on a budget, it's worth a look!!! (This is not any kind of paid promotion, I just like this mic a lot!)

[@DHunt27]

" About a foot away": Goes to the other side of his room

[@AlexaRex]

That the Blue Yeti is so much used shows you don't need a great one to succeed. And the Røde Procaster is a great microphone, and the quality vs the SM7B makes the SM7B a hard choice IMO, though of course it is a great microphone.

[@PolGamesOnTwitch]

Man! That research it's IN-SANE! Nice job!.

[@QuaZdk]

Yay! More content for this slow and boring Thursday evening ^^ and finally something good!

[@reluctantartsy]

This has been incredibly helpful and timely.

[@albivex8610]

The fact that you decided to include that while a good mic is important it isnt going to be what makes you successful made me like and sub. Great honest info

[@makeupandqueermagic7557]

Thanks so much for doing this work and sharing it with us!

[@sunburn9606]

Do u think the Rode NT1 is good for streaming?

[@frantotti9754]

Best video ever, I hope you get 1 million views soon.

[@deadsea6714]

the dedication of this man is great. all i want is a decent microphone on amazon that comes with a boom arm and pop filter

[@M0HAK0]

9:12 is exactly why i want that microphone.

[@R3ar3ntry]

perfect timing for this vid, thanks Gaming Careers!

[@Whoopassvoice]

I bought a RODE NT1A about 10 weeks ago and I’m very happy with it. I did a ton of research before I bought it but I still learnt SO much from your video today. Great information clearly explained! (with exceptional pie graphs! 😀) I’ll be keeping the SMB in mind for my next mic upgrade. Great video!

[@Searxiny]

Question. Did you buy an Audio Interface to go with it, or is it not necessary?

[@Whoopassvoice]

Hi@@Searxiny . The Rode NT1A mic needs to plug into an XLR port, so I bought a GoXLR mini. So it’s MIC >> GOXLR MINI >> PC (usb). The XLR connector will plug into a wide variety of devices, just not directly into a PC’s USB slot. If you want to connect directly to your PC via USB i can recommend the Rode NT USB mic. I owned one before my NT1A. The quality is almost as good and it’s much easier to set up. It’s more of a beginner version of the quality Rode mics. Hope this helps.

[@Searxiny]

@@Whoopassvoice thank you very much!

[@luukdebeijer5062]

Bro this video is just perfection. Please keep going, instant sub

[@ThraxxMediaOfficial]

I wholeheartedly agree on the advice not to follow trends. This is what always baffles me when it comes to people wanting to buy microphones. Happened quite a lot to me actually, where a person I know came up to me and was like: "I've heard you have a setup like this, and I wanted to get one, too. Famous person XYZ is using this-and-that, I think it's the best, don't you think?" And whenever I tell them "No, please form your own opinion" they go ahead and buy it anyways... and then end up refunding it because they were unable to set it up correctly and were disappointed that it didn't sound the same right out of the box as for the Twitch or KZbin person. You can absolutely make a $300 mic sound like crap, and a $30 mic sound decent. You just need to know what the heck you're even doing. My personal TL;DR: expensive setups are for audiophiles. You don't _need_ it, but it's a nice thing to have, though ONLY if you can afford it and know how to use it properly. Otherwise, go with whatever fits your budget and current room / hardware configuration.

[@Jezza3110]

spending a day “researching twitch” I’d prefer to call it as productive procrastination lol. As with the prices of webcams going through the roof, it appears that microphones are also going the same way. A Blue snowball mic that was last week sold by a particular U.K. retailer was £67 (quite pricey IMHO) is now seeing a price hike of around 30% to just shy of £100. Clearly shows the rise in popularity of people wanting to be a streamer. Love the content ❤️❤️❤️

[@Homiloko2]

Most likely an effect of the quarantines.. Like supply issues from products and components coming from China, and a small increase in number of people looking into streaming because of being locked at home

[@JustDann]

I've just jumped from a Blue Nessie which was a USB mic and now discontinued to a SE X1A XRL mic powered by a Blue Icicle and I love it

[@poetparrot]

Would request you to also do a video on the top audio interfaces used by streamers for the Shure SM7B

[@drsirdiealot2812]

Can you please do a room tour and your lighting setup sometime? It looks amazing. Keep up with the good work, I have been watching your videos from a long time.

[@Leggenda88]

I have just buy recently the new Rode NT-USB Mini, after years of Blue Nessie. Good Video as always!

[@channelsdfafddsafsd]

we appreciate that you are doing all the research for the viewers..

[@spencershaw98]

This is an admirable level of dedication. Seriously amazing video!

[@slyderace]

I love that you said not to just buy what's popular - it depends on your needs. I stream gaming content so I'm satisfied with my headset mic and people always ask me what mic I'm using because it sounds so clear. All I'm using is a Steelseries Arctic 5 and it sounds great :)

[@XC2long4u]

I went with the Rode VideoMic Go shotgun mic. My wife watches TV in the same room so I needed something to get rid of a ton of ambient noise. It was around $100 and uses a standard 1/8" jack so I could plug it directly into my sound card.

[@trickstertom333]

Fantastic work! You are a blessing for all us wannabe streamers. I'm seriously considering the Blue Yeti due to it being a USB mic. I'm about to search your channel on if you have a review of it - but if you don't already, seeing as it's the second most used Mic, would love to see one before I purchase.

[@BorrietheBlade]

Terrific dedication. Thank you very much for the video.

[@tomwilson7765]

I don't know if you already have a video/ videos explaining how to install and setup the amps and mixers and such but that would be a great video!

[@TheGreatestLewis]

Incredible video mate, I checked price of the shure mic and it’s a bit out of my budget haha

[@Nathansomething]

VvwvV

[@TheRealEnate]

I need that Shure SM7B to go on that black friday sale so I can pair it with my Focusrite. My audiotechnica 2035 has been solid but man that mic would bring me to radio quality and really bring out the deeper tones in my voice.

[@TonyIceCream]

I love how he has a vertical monitor for the spreadsheet but just uses a single monitor split screen (idk maybe it's his second pc for streaming, that would explain it)

[@blake94allen]

I was talking to a music store employee that was pretty knowledgeable. They mentioned how the aston stealth has something like that cloud lifter built in and is a new direct competitor. Would love to see the streaming perspective of that mic

[@Th0rn3d]

Now you need to make this a series. You should do this for webcam (include the amout of people not using a webcam), maybe there are more things aswell?

[@sonicwingnut]

Anyone looking at an SM7B should consider the Aston Stealth too - very similar to the SM7B, except it's only £229 and it's got a phantom preamp built in and multiple voice modes (V1 and V2 are designed for typically male and female voices, plus one for guitar and one ribbon emulation) - LOADS of big music studios and artists using Aston Mics so they're legit top deck mics.

[@roflmeister1470]

i bought a really cheap usb mic, downloaded the fl studio 20 trial and tweaked the mic whit all the different plugins n shit, and it sounds really nice.

[@hazelfurball2751]

My dad has a shure sm7b and I’m going to steal it tonight for my stream.

[@jjNIGHTHAWKjj]

appreciate this video, must have took a while. Thank you for the info!

[@Mak933]

I'm a little surprised something like the Sennheiser MK4 is not on here at the $300 range.

[@Stew_Pid]

10:20 "If I move a foot away," proceeds to move no less than 3 feet away from the mic.

[@Dymund]

I'm pretty sure it is his camera lenses that gives the illusion of how far away he actually is

[@Dymund]

or it could be that he's from the UK and thinks a yard is a foot

[@usr1996]

Does anyone know what the mic next to the AT2020 in the thumbnail is called? Thanks.

[@JP-fm9wy]

Amazing video, thanks sharing this video. There’s seen the effort you put on it.

[@salesforcejeremy]

Amazing video! Thanks so much for all your work!

[@OGCaptainReid]

New Video, I watch. Thank you for so much helpful info

[@LtKregorov]

At 5:11, 77% of THE TOP 250 streamers uses XLR. I bet if you would poll twitch entirely, you would get WAY different results with an overwhelming win for USB. I really dig your content man just pay attention to the choice of words here!. XLR is expensive due to having to invest in mixers just to connect to your PC. You get better quality so it makes a lot of sense that top 250 (for who streaming is their job) massively aim for XLR (for other added benefits too). But there is just so many very good USB mic for 100-200 that there is no way you can justify buying a Shure SM7B if streaming is not your main source of income. I, myself, have the HyperX and it is a monster, quality of sound is insane for the price, I'm getting praise for it every day I stream. From that standpoint I can't justify buying XLR. Like shown here, a SM7B setup is 400 for the mic, at least 100 (I'm very gentle here) for a mixer, another 150 for a cloudlifter. Easy 600-700 dollars setup for this mic compared to 150-200 for blue yeti / hyperX. No way you get 500$ of extra quality. It is just not worth the price for small streamer. With that extra money you can buy keylight, capture card, a streamdeck, all of which will contribute much more to your stream than the SM7B

[@Slaqin]

I havnt watched the whole vid but I can tell you the answer is yes. But you don’t need a super good mic to start off I started KZbin with a blue snowball and now I use a blue yeti both cheap usb mics that work great for beginners if your just starting start cheap and see how it goes if you really like it or your getting a lot of views your gonna wanna start evolving your content and make it better.

[@222Julchen222]

you know, i'm really trying to make the most out of my blue snowball ice, but it's too quiet

[@JsTechTips]

Thanks for all of your hard work. The video was very informative.