What is the minimum equipment needed to start a podcast?

The absolute minimum: your phone or computer's built-in microphone, free Audacity or GarageBand software, and a quiet room. The recommended minimum: a $60-100 USB microphone (Samson Q2U, Audio-Technica ATR2100x), free recording software, and any earbuds for monitoring. This produces audio that sounds professional enough to not distract from your content. Upgrade equipment only after you have proven consistency in publishing episodes.

USB microphone or XLR microphone for podcasting?

Start with USB — it is simpler, cheaper (no audio interface needed), and adequate for most podcasts. The Shure MV7+ offers both USB and XLR, letting you start with USB and switch to XLR later. XLR through an audio interface provides slightly better audio quality and more control, but the difference is minimal for spoken word podcast content. Listeners care more about your content than the marginal audio improvement from XLR.

Best Tech for Podcast Studio 2026