Streaming is as popular today as it's ever been, and if you're interested in giving it a go, you'll need a good microphone for the job. A solid gaming headset will do the trick, but a decent mic will be your best bet. The question is: Do you need to pay for a premium model? Not all mics are built the same, and some are better for the casual environment of streaming than others.
Here are the best microphones for streaming you can buy, with recommendation for a range of price options and use cases.
Rode X XDM-100
Best Semi-Pro microphone for streaming
- Awesome audio quality
- Great build quality
- Includes shock mount and pop filter
- USB interface is simple and intuitive
- Requires a USB-C port
- Expensive
The Rode XDM-100 microphone is a high-end, semi-professional microphone for streaming that will make you sound fantastic when you're talking to your audience. It’s a cylindrical dynamic microphone that you connect with a USB-C connection, though there is also a 3.5mm connection for monitoring headphones. Although it's designed to be used with the company's Unify software, it includes a physical gain dial, so you can manually adjust that if you wish.
With the increased power delivery of USB-C connections, the Rode X XDM-100 shows that you can get away without using unwieldy XDR cabling and compatible hardware. It's also super straightforward. You just plug it in and you're ready to use it. You'll get more out of it if you install the companion software, but you don't have to.
It's a little on the expensive side, so this isn't the microphone to get if you're just starting with streaming, but it's a great option for anyone nonetheless.
Blue Yeti X
Best beginniner friendly microphone
- More affordable than many alternatives
- Offers additional controls over standard model
- Simple and intuitive connection
- Included stand is sturdy
- More expensive than standard Yeti Blue
If you close your eyes and imagine a streaming or podcasting mic, the Blue Yeti probably comes to mind. That’s because this mic was everywhere, and the Blue Yeti X is a worthy upgrade to one of the most popular mics around.
The new model comes with a four-condenser capsule array and four mic patterns, making it great for streamers who are recording in different environments or with other people. The Yeti X also has no DSP, which is a plus if you’re looking for a compression-free signal. Like its predecessor, the Yeti X is sturdy and functional. It also includes BlueVoice, a recording software that lets users apply DSP-like presets to the audio. It’s OK if you’re starting out, but users will likely migrate to their own software.
As a mic, though, the Blue Yeti X is another great option for streamers looking for a bit of flexibility and clear audio with no processing. Grab the original Yeti Blue if you want to save a little, but the Yeti X is worth the upgrade.
Elgato Wave 3
Best for simple setup
- Simple setup
- Compact design
- Great sound quality
- Clipguard helps avoid clipping
- Lacks in-depth customization options
There is a lot to love with the Elgato Wave 3, especially if you aren’t an experienced audio person. The Elgato Wave 3 was designed with podcasters and streamers in mind, and it provides a streamlined cardioid mic experience. It doesn’t have any other pickup patterns, which may not be best for people who want to fiddle with settings. But for someone looking for a mic that just works, the Elgato Wave 3 is hard to beat. The Wave 3 also includes free software to blend audio while you’re streaming.
The Elgato Wave 3 doesn’t come with a pop filter, but you can pick one up pretty cheap. It doesn’t have digital signal processing (DPS), but the Clipguard feature essentially does the same thing by limiting peaks in the signal. You can always disable this if you want a clean signal.
For a simple and convenient mic that’s been built from the ground up for streamers, the Elgato Wave 3 is our top recommendation.
HyperX Quadcast S
Best for advanced features
- Relatively affordable price
- Good sound quality
- Red recording lights are useful
- Works with PS4, PC, and Mac
- Simple to use
- Lighting can be a bit aggressve
- USB-only connection
The HyperX Quadcast S is designed for gamers first, which should come as no surprise coming from HyperX. This is most notable in the programmable RGB, but it’s also a high-quality mic that will appeal to streamers whether it’s for gaming or just talking. It has four recording patterns, a gain wheel, and support for USB-C charging.
The shock mount is only made of plastic, which feels a little cheap compared to the rest of the package. But aesthetics aside, the Quadcast S is one of the best streaming mics you can get. It doesn’t offer any flexibility for bit rates or sampling, so this is another option best suited for those looking for simple functionality.
However, the package comes together to be one of the most feature-rich mics available, and its simplicity and eye-catching RGB makes it perfect for streamers.
Shure SM7B
Best premium microphone for streaming
- Is specifically designed to record voice and vocals
- Gives a professional sound to your recordings
- Excellent built quality
- Used by professionals the world over
- Expensive
- Heavy
If you are starting to gain traction on your stream and need to bring your streaming setup to the next level, the Shure SM7B is one mic you should consider. This is an XLR mic, so you will also need to pick up an audio interface if you don’t already have one. It gives you a greatly improved sound profile over USB mics.
You may be spending a lot, but you get a lot with the Shure SM7B. It has a built-in pop filter to eliminate plosives, so you can talk freely no matter how close you are to the mic, and it has high-quality internal components. The Shure SM7B is durable and built to last.
If you’re ready to take your stream to the professional level, there’s no better way to do it than with the Shure SM7B.
Razer Seiren Mini
Best budget microphone for streaming
- Compact
- Affordably priced
- Good sound quality
- Lightweight and portable
- Sound lacks the depth and quality of higher-end models
- Not great at isolating sound
The Razer Seiren Mini is the smallest and arguably least impressive of its range, but it still gives you good sound quality in a very cheap and compact package. That makes this a great microphone for streamers on a budget, but it also acts really well as a backup mic for traveling or when there's a problem with your main microphone.
The short height is useful for packing it into cases, although working with it is a little awkward because of that. The lightweight design is great for transport, but less useful when you're trying to avoid knocking it over while recording. It doesn't have the widest range of features, but it's still much better than the kind of mic you'd find built into a laptop or most gaming headsets.
This microphone doesn't set the world on fire, but it's a solid upgrade over whatever you have right now and it's super affordable.
Now that you have a great microphone for streaming, how about a webcam? Here are our favorite webcams for streaming.
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