Best USB Microphones For Podcasting In 2025

The best way to get your hands dirty with podcasting and voice recording is using a good-quality usb microphone. It’s so simple:you just connect the mic through a usb cable to the computer and start recording. 

Most usb microphones come with a built-in 3..5mm headphone jack to connect a pair of studio headphones to monitor the recording in real-time. The only alternative to a usb microphone is xlr microphone. Often xlr microphone requires you to have a complex setup. Ideally, you will need an intermediary device called an audio interface or mixer to connect the mic to the computer. A microphone can be of two types whether its usb connector or xlr connector:1)dynamic 2) condenser.

Dynamic microphones are less sensitive to background noise and are perfect for any recording environment. On the other hand, condenser microphones are more sensitive to background sounds, making them ideal for a studio recording environment.

In this article, we ranked and reviewed the top USB microphones to consider for recording podcasts in 2025.

What is the Best USB Microphones For Podcasting?

Here are my top picks for the best usb microphones to use for recording podcasts and vocals this year.

• Blue Yeti
• Audio-Technica ATR 2100x-USB
• Rode NT-USB
• Razer Seiren Elite
• Rode Podcaster
• Blue Snowball
• JLab Talk
• HyperX QuadCast S
• Shure MV7
• IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2
• Audio-Technica AT2020USB PLUS
• Mackie EM-USB
• Shure MOTIV MV51
• FiFine K669B
• Mackie EleMent EM91CU
• ElGato Wave 3
• Samson Q9u
• Samson G-Track PRO
• Rode NT USB Mini
• Earthworks Icon USB
• ANTELOPE AUDIO AXINO

I’ll start with my favorite USB microphone as of September 2022:

Blue Yeti

The Yeti is my #1 pick when it comes to choosing the best usb microphone for recording podcasts and vocals. You will get a 3.5mm headphone jack on this mic to connect a pair of studio headphones to monitor the real-time sound recordings.The Yeti model comes with 4 different microphone polar patterns including:

• cardioid
• bidirectional
• omnidirectional
• Stereo

Under a $100 budget, you get a microphone that offers premium sound quality with all awesome features. The yeti model excels in YouTubing, podcasting, and vocal recordings. If you want to host a solo podcast, the cardioid polar pattern is what you want to use. For multiple host podcasts, the omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo mode works best as these modes allow the yeti mic to record sounds in multiple directions. The Yeti model comes in multiple colors and the pro model is available in both usb and xlr connections.

Audio-Technica ATR 2100x

The Audio-Technica ATR 2100x is one of the best usb microphones to use for recording solo podcasts. Its metal-construction microphone offers long-lasting performance for recording podcasts and voiceovers. You can easily connect this to your computer using the usb cable coming with this mic. The built-in 3.5mm headphone jack lets you connect a pair of studio headphones for monitoring the recording in real-time. On the bottom of the mic there is a button you can use to adjust the volume on the headphones. The atr2100x uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick sounds and reduces background noises from the sides and rear. There is an xlr version as well for the ATR 2100x model.

Blue Snowball

The snowball model is another good usb connector microphone from the company blue that comes under the $100 price range. Its 2-capsule design microphone allows you to use the cardioid polar pattern for recording and streaming and an omnidirectional polar pattern for remote meetings. The blue snowball has -10 dB Pad that helps to produce excellent audio quality from voiceovers to podcasts to singing. It comes with an adjustable desktop stand to position the mic in relation to the source of sounds. You can use the blue sherpa software app to control the snowball mic functions including; mic gain, polar patterns, and more.

Because it runs on plug and play system you can start recording podcasts quickly and easily on your windows or macOS computer.

JLab Talk

JLab Talk is a multi-polar pattern usb microphone for podcasting, gaming, YouTubing, and recording voice overs. Its a desktop-style microphone with three studio-quality condensers and 96kHz/24BIT resolution allows you to record the best quality voice overs and podcasts. You can choose to use cardioid, omnidirectional, stereo, and bi-directional polar patterns to pick up sounds in any recording situation. Whether you want to record podcast episodes, gaming streams, youtube videos, music, or voiceovers, JLab Talk offers the ultimate freedom to capture powerful sound quality with all the controls. 

You can easily control the gain level of the mic in case there is any sensitivity or lack of sounds and adjust loudness with volume control. There is a 3.5mm AUX input to connect studio headphones for monitoring the recording with zero latency. Jlab talk comes with a 6.5-foot USB/USB-C input cable to plug the mic into the computer and record podcasts and voiceovers instantly.

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HyperX QuadCast S

HyperX QuadCast S is a colorful usb condenser microphone that looks and sounds great. It comes with RGB lighting and dynamic effects that add style to your podcasting studio. You can easily customize your HyperX QuadCast S microphone using HyperX NGENUITY software. It has a built-in anti-vibration shock mount and pop filter to reduce plosive sound coming to the mic and records superior sound quality in any recording situation.

QuadCast S features 4 different microphone polar patterns to pick up sounds and a gain control settings to regulate the sensitivity of the mic over sounds. This mic model is certified by Discord and TeamSpeak, meaning it ensures that you can broadcast sound loud and clear to all your listeners and followers. It also comes with a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack to connect a pair of studio headphones for monitoring the sound recordings.

Shure MV7

The Shure MV7 is a dynamic microphone that comes in both usb & xlr outputs for use with computers and an audio interface/mixer. Its inspired by the shure sm7b and an excellent choice for recording podcasts and voiceovers. You can use the shure motive app to control the microphone settings such as-gain level, compression setting,EQ filters to adjust tone etc. The MV7 comes with a built-in 3.5mm headphone output that connects a pair of studio headphones to monitor real-time sound recording.

 Moreover, its an all-metal construction microphone that provides rich and natural vocal reproduction with outstanding reliability.

IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2

IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 is an awesome USB connector handheld digital microphone to use with iPhones,iPad, macOS, and PC. It is designed to provide all the power of high-resolution sound next to your hands so that you can record exceptional audio & video content anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The iRig Mic HD 2 features high-quality 24-bit converters with sample rates up to 96kHz to produce rich and unmatched sound quality. It uses a condenser capsule to record sounds and provides a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect a pair of studio headphones to monitor real-time sound recordings.

 iRig Mic HD 2 comes with an iOS Lightning cable, USB cable, table tripod, mic stand adapter, carrying pouch, and 5/8″ to 3/8″ thread adapter to record podcasts and vocals.

Mackie EM-USB

The Mackie EM-USB is a condenser-type microphone that is pro in quality, and affordable to record voice directly to your computer without using any audio interface/mixer. Whether you are looking for a convenient and great-sounding microphone for recording podcasts, home studios, voiceovers, or all types of content creations, you will love the EM-USB rich sound, onboard control sound, and ease to use. It uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sounds directly in the front of the mic to minimize room noise and keep your voice more clear.

Shure MOTIV MV51

The shure motiv mv51 is a metal construction large diaphragm condenser microphone that produces excellent sounds in any recording environment. You can easily use the mic such as gain level, adjust volume, and EQ settings using the ShurePlus MOTIV software. The ShurePlus MOTIV iOS app allows you to record, edit, and share recordings right from your iPhone.The MV51 model comes with a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack to monitor real-time sound recordings.

FiFine K669B

The FiFine K669B is a plug and play usb connector microphone that connects directly to your computer through a 5.9-Foot USB Cable for recording podcasts, vocals, and music. It is super easy to use and install on the computer and incompatible with smartphones. The K669B uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sounds directly in the front of the microphone and produce clear and crisp sounds without any background noise. 

If you want to isolate the mic from any background noise, then K669B is an awesome choice for gaming, streaming, YouTubing, vocal recording, and podcasting. It works great for streaming broadcasts, OBS, and TeamSpeak.

Audio-Technica AT2020USB PLUS

Audio-Technica AT2020USB PLUS is an excellent pick for recording podcasts, voiceovers, and singing. Audio-Technica is a well-known audio equipment manufacturing company that always makes quality products at affordable prices. The AT2020USB PLUS comes with a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack to connect a pair of studio headphones to monitor the sound recordings in real time. It solely uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sound at 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate and provides off-axis rejection to background noise. 

With this mic, you will also get a usb cable, pivoting stand mount for 5/8″-27 threaded stands,5/8″-27 to 3/8″-16 threaded adapter, tripod desk stand and a soft protective pouch.The AT2020USB PLUS is compatible with windows 7,8,10,11 ,vista,xp,2000 and macOS X.

Rode NT-USB

Do you want a studio-quality usb microphone under the $200 budget for your podcasting studio,then Rode NT-USB is an excellent option to go for. Its a usb cardioid condenser microphone that delivers exceptional sound quality. The NT usb comes with a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack to monitor the recordings in real-time and is compatible with the rode psa1 mic boom arm.

Razer Seiren Elite

The Razer Seiren Elite is a professional-grade gaming usb mic under $200 budget for live streaming on youtube or other video platforms. It uses its built in high pass filter to prevent unwanted sounds coming into the mic and pick only clear sound. 

If you want to record multiple host podcasts or looking for a gaming mic for live streaming then only you should get this mic as it uses a Unidirectional polar pattern to pick up sounds. There is also a 3.5mm jack to monitor the sound recordings.

Rode Podcaster

The rode podcaster is a broadcast quality dynamic usb connector microphone under $200 budget for recording podcasts and vocals.It uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sound and provides excellent off-axis rejection. The built-in shock mount and pop filter minimize plosive sounds getting into the mic.

 You can use the 3.5mm headphone jack to connect studio headphones to monitor the sound recording in the studio. The podcaster mic is an ideal choice for professional podcasters, and voice artists and comes with a 10 years warranty.

Samson Q9u

The Samson Q9u is a plug-and-play dynamic microphone with a humbucking coil and neodymium magnet. It uses a cardioid polar pattern to pick up sound and provides excellent off-axis rejection and minimizes background noise. Even though it’s an usb connector microphone, you can also get this mic with xlr connector as well. You will get a 3.5mm headphone jack on this mic to connect a pair of studio headphones for real-time sound monitoring.

Samson G-Track PRO

The Samson G-Track PRO is an all-in-one professional quality usb microphone with an audio interface that allows you to record vocals and audio instruments simultaneously. It is an ideal mic for streaming, vocal recordings, gaming, podcasting, and music recordings. For voice recording, you can select from 3 different pick-up patterns including cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional. The G-Track PRO produces audio in 24-bit, 96kHz resolution and comes with a built-in headphone jack to connect studio headphones.

Final Thoughts

When choosing the best usb microphones for recording podcast and music, the very first thing you want to consider is their sound quality with affordable pricing. You should try to stick at $50 and spend over $100 for a fully featured mic like the blue yeti usb model.

Lastly, you need to look at the polar recording patterns the microphone uses. The cardioid recording pattern is ideal for recording solo podcasts because it picks sounds in front of the microphone and reduces background noise at scale. 

If you want to record multiple host podcasts, you want to make sure that your microphone supports a bidirectional or omnidirectional polar pattern. In 2025, I recommend getting the blue Yeti model as its the world’s #1 usb microphone and comes with 4 different polar patterns.