Back in 2022, I took a leap as a budding YouTuber and invested in a budget-friendly microphone. The reason I didn’t immediately splurge on an expensive boom mic or a wireless mic was because I wasn’t sure how much I would use it or how consistent I’d be with my YouTube channel. But as it turns out, I was able to stay quite consistent, even after going through a rough year. I’m happy to share that by the end of 2024, I crossed the 1K milestone on YouTube!
In mid-2022, I bought the RODE SmartLav+, a budget microphone perfect for beginners, to improve the sound quality of my videos. Many YouTubers recommended using a mic for better audio quality, which would directly affect the audience’s reaction to my videos. In fact, according to research, most of the videos that rank high on YouTube have quality audio in addition to good video. Therefore, as a budding YouTuber, it’s important to invest in things that will help enhance my content—and it worked! My videos started sounding much better, and it was a pleasant change for my ears too!
Why a Lavalier mic?
A lavalier microphone is a small, wearable clip-on micr used for hands-free audio recording. You might have seen people wearing them during interviews, and public speaking. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I often talk about my recording and editing techniques using my phone. That’s why a lavalier mic seemed like the perfect choice. It was compact enough to carry in my pocket and easy to connect to my device of choice, whether it was my tablet, GoPro, laptop, or phone. For my phone, I used a 3.5mm jack-to-Type C converter to connect it to my device. For the GoPro and laptop, I simply used the audio port that supported a 3.5mm jack.
Why RODE?
A lot of my fellow content creators asked, “Why RODE when other companies manufacture similar mics at a lower cost?” One of the main reasons I chose RODE over other brands is that most of the content creators I follow on various platforms use RODE. This gave me access to hundreds of videos to check the quality of the product. In short, I was “influenced” to pick this brand over others. Moreover, it had better reviews than other products, making it an obvious choice for me. My second choice was the DJI lavalier mic, which also had equally good reviews and sound quality.
My overall thoughts
The RODE Lavalier mic is a great choice if you’re just starting your YouTube journey, as it requires less monetary investment. The only drawback is that it’s wired, which makes it harder to move around and vlog. I’d definitely like to switch to a wireless mic in the future, but I’m not sure if I’ll stick with RODE. Overall, the mic is easy to use and carry around. It’s compatible with all kinds of devices, and the sound quality is decent. These days, I prefer using my phone’s mic due to the advanced tech in Apple devices, which provides much crisper audio.
I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 and would only recommend buying it if you are just starting your YouTube journey, as it makes for a guilt-free investment.
Cost: $60 | Available on Amazon
