Microphone technique for voiceovers and podcasting Last Updated 22 July 2021 by Michael Forrest
Where do you need to be in relation to that microphone?
Here are some tips to get good audio when speaking into a microphone.
Sit up straight
You need your neck to be straight so your throat is open. If you’re slouching into your microphone it will sound bad.
You can get close (just watch your levels)
The closer you get to your mic, the less problem “room sound” will be. If you don’t have good acoustic treatment or there is background noise (e.g. your laptop fan) then getting close to the mic will help.
Don’t breathe into the mic
It’s gonna sound boomy and horrible, pop shield or no.
Don’t eat
If you have just eaten something, the mic is going to pick up a lot of gross mouth sounds.
If you smile, it will sound better
See if you can summon a smile because it really makes the sound ‘brighter’.
If you turn up to the mic without being conscious of this, when you listen back it’s likely to be a mumbling, drab mess.
This isn’t to sound “cheerful”, it’s just to sound like you actually sound!
