You don’t need expensive podcast gear

The first time you hit record feels exciting — until you play it back and realize something sounds… off. The audio’s a little hollow, the lighting’s too dim, or your video looks flatter than you expected. Whether you’ve been creating for a while or still planning your first piece, that moment comes for everyone. It’s when you realize there’s more to creating than just showing up — and that production quality might be your next big step. 

This is the natural curve of improvement that your production will find at different stages of its lifecycle. Those moments are accompanied by the thought of having to spend some money on new equipment. And if I am being honest, there is no way to escape that. However, what we will talk about here today is how you can have great technical growth with a concise budget and even share tips on what to buy. 

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What matters most

For every audiovisual production, the key element that can’t go unnoticed is the audio. It goes without saying that for podcasts or videocasts, the quality is essential, but this rule must be applied even to visual-based productions. Audio is the foundation of any production — even video. It’s what immerses your audience, and it’s nearly impossible to fix in post if you don’t get it right during recording. And a bad audio quality will drive the audience away from your shows in a matter of seconds. 

Today, there are tools that will allow you to clean up your audio and pretty much save you from a lot of trouble, but if you are still learning how to perfect your audio editing and mixing, you want to make sure that your raw files are coming in pretty much ready to go.  

For podcasting, the best types are the dynamic or condenser mics. Those are the ones that need to be sitting right in front of your mouth and give you that podcasting vibe that you see in a lot of recordings. All of those mics are accompanied by cables that can either be plugged to an audio interface via an XLR or directly into your computer with an USB. Brands that will give you a boost in sound and still feel friendly to your pocket are: 

• Fifine

• Boya

• Yeti

Now, with a great microphone to capture your sound, all this audio needs to be recorded somewhere. A free platform like Audacity offers you a variety of tools for free that will allow you to record, edit and export your audio files. 

Tips and tricks to improve with no extra gear

After the audio is taken care of, you need to check what can make your video look better. Great cameras with professional lenses will undoubtedly do amazing things for your looks, but sometimes all you need is a webcam and a few lamps. 

And I know this solution might sound simple. And that’s because it is that simple. A crucial element for your successful look is how you control the lights around you or the subject you are filming. So, next time you decide to start a recording, make sure you set up lights behind the camera that will illuminate you directly and indirectly. A 1080p Logitech webcam plugged to your computer already gives you framing, lighting, zoom and white balance tools that every camera has. Once it’s on, you can monitor your own video to guarantee that nothing is left in the dark. 

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Always keep learning

It doesn’t get any more complicated than that. Improvements are gradual and they will come naturally as your content evolves. Before buying your next gadget, try mastering the one you already have. You might surprise yourself with what skill can do. As Jessie J once said, it’s not about the money— it’s about understanding what you’re doing with what you have.

Leo Godoy

Senior Podcast Producer

Brazilian journalist and producer during the day. Learning a music instrument during the night.

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