The Top 3 Voice-over Mics for 2022

Whether you are looking to start out as an online music reviewer, turn your record collecting habit into a passionate podcast or need to record some spoken word passages for a new album, a voice-over mic will be high on your shopping list.

Photo by Will Francis


Before showcasing the microphones themselves it is well-worth asking the question – what makes a great voice-over mic? It’s a great place to start and a quality voice-over mic is defined by some of these qualities, although what works for one voice and recording room may not necessarily hold true for another. Here are three of the top features to consider:

  • Sensitivity – assuming you are recording in a soundproofed room, a sensitive mic will accentuate the unique nature of your voice. If, however, your room is not sound-proofed, you will not want an overly sensitive mic, as it will pick up background noises. In such a case, you may need to look for a dynamic mic over a condenser mic (traditionally used for voice-over work).
  • Flat frequency response – A mic with this characteristic will most accurately reproduce the human voice, making it a must for voice-over work.
  • Low self-noise – this is applicable to those recording with a condenser mic in a soundproofed room. A mic with a low self-noise rating will even more efficiently reduce ambient noise under such circumstances.

Now let’s look at our picks for the top three choices for best voice-over microphone in 2022.

Best USB Condenser Mic under £150


Rode NT-USB USB Condenser Microphone

An outstanding condenser microphone – perfect for those recording in soundproof rooms, or rooms with low background noise. It is a studio-quality microphone among USB models and benefits from some superb features, separating it from much of the competition, including:

  • A great pop filter, which helps to remove irritating plosive sounds. A plosive is a strong blasts of air that create a massive pressure change at the microphone's diaphragm, caused when people enunciate p, k, b and t sounds.
  • A tripod
  • High-power headphone output yielding zero latency
  • On-board monitor level and headphone mix controls

The Rode is a favourite among YouTube community, content reviewers and voice-over artists alike. Alternative to consider: Blue Yeti USB Condenser Mic.

Best Premium USB Condenser Mic


While for most, the outstanding features of the Rode will suffice, for those working in voice-overs looking to extract the absolute maximum out of their voice, a premium option should be considered.

While it is possible to spend into the £1000s on a Condenser mic, it really is not necessary in most circumstances.

With an RRP of around £419, the AT4040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone is an outstanding choice. The AT4040 benefits from an advanced large diaphragm, tensioned specifically to provide smooth, natural sonic characteristics. A real point of difference from some of the less premium models.

Best Dynamic Mic for non-soundproofed rooms


Finally, it is worth highlighting a dynamic mic, for those looking to do some voice-over or video reviewing work in less than ideal recording conditions, where a sensitive Condenser mic would pick up too much background noise. For this you cannot look beyond the:

Shure SM7B


Despite being a dynamic mic, it is still one of the industry standard microphones for voice-over work, which speaks volumes of its performance. It will cost just under £300 and is so popular as it offers smooth vocal reproduction without the risk of any booming, which can be so off-putting, while its premium pop filter deals with those nasty plosives.