YouTube recently announced a podcast grant initiative with sums ranging from $50,000-$300,000 in an attempt to get talented creators to add a visual element to their audio-only shows. Granted, it might take new podcasters a while to get the following and marketability needed to win such a large grant. Nonetheless, the program is both inspiring and an indication of how popular podcasts, chat shows and streams are to watch and to make.
Today, there are tons of great microphones, headphones, webcams and audio interfaces that can help turn the average beginner podcast into a polished, organized and easy-listening product.
It might sound counterintuitive to add video to a podcast, but there are some great reasons to film your podcasts, though, for the benefit of listeners and the podcast itself.
Associating your face with your content gives viewers that extra human connection. In fact, humans are physiologically wired to recognize faces from birth. If your followers can see the person actually making the content, it adds to the credibility and helps people relate to the creator.
Supplements like graphs, tweets, photojournalism evidence and even simple animations can help the most interested viewers gain even more understanding and perspective on your subject.
You’ll have a hard time breaking into YouTube’s algorithm with an audio-only podcast. Adding a visual element gives you better access to YouTube’s millions of daily users and can greatly help to build your following.
Having a trove of outtakes and a visual breakdown of the aspects of your production gives you the option of creating behind-the-scenes episodes that further help fans to appreciate your show. This can go a long way in encouraging them to recommend your content to their friends and followers.
The microphone built into your laptop or Bluetooth headphones won’t produce a great recording. Neither will the cheapest generic microphones available on most online retailers. Consider a mic that supports both USB and XLR connections.
The base model in the podcaster-favorite Blue Yeti lineup is an excellent microphone choice for beginners. In fact, it may last you well into your professional podcasting career.
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This is one of the best microphone options for newcomers to podcasting, as it comes from a highly respected manufacturer of music-centric microphones. The kit highlighted here includes everything you need to mount it and start recording.
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From the most well-known manufacturer in the audio industry, this one’s meant specifically for video-friendly production.
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You want to make sure you’re getting high-quality video if you’re going to make it part of your production. If you don’t want to invest in an incredibly expensive video camera, consider one of these premium webcams.
Extremely popular among streamers, it can record 1080p video at 60 frames per second and is especially good at compensating for lighting that’s less than ideal.
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This Logitech webcam has the highest resolution and potential frame rate of any of the highly accessible computer-focused webcams.
It’s about as inexpensive as a dependable 1080p and 60 FPS webcam gets, and it doesn’t skimp on features.
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Instead of headphones made for dance or pop music, recording audio requires studio-quality headphones with a relatively flat response curve. That way, the creator has specific control over the end results. Luckily, studio-grade doesn’t necessarily mean highly expensive.
Although they’ve been unchanged for many years, these are basically the industry-standard cans for recording and mixing audio.
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Another extremely well-known pair of headphones, they perform very similarly to the Audio-Technicas above, but at a somewhat lower price.
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If you really want to save money, these budget-friendly cans deliver a flat sound profile with minimal high-end roll-off. They work surprisingly well given their cost.
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If you plan to record more than one person at once, you’ll need a USB-compatible interface for plugging in multiple microphones.
It doesn’t have many advanced features, but it gets the job done and costs very little.
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface
This premium external interface is the most recommended for podcasts overall due to its excellent sound quality and long-term reliability.
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
