The Best Podcast Setup for Beginners (Without Selling Your Kidney)

AKA how to sound professional on a ramen budget

So you want to start a podcast, but you also want to eat this month. Totally fair. The good news? You don’t need a fancy studio, a NASA-level audio rig, or a sugar daddy with a Guitar Center card.

You can get a killer podcast setup for under $300, gear included. No gatekeeping. No tech jargon. No bank-account gut punch.

Here’s how to build a legit-sounding podcast setup even if your current “studio” is a closet, kitchen table, or laundry fort.

What You Actually Need (and What You Can Gladly Ignore)

If you’ve been spiraling down the YouTube gear abyss, take a breath. You don’t need a wall of blinking gear or 14 plugins with names like “Vintage Tape Magic Supreme Deluxe.”

All you need is this:

• A decent microphone (the MVP)

• Headphones (so you don’t echo like you’re trapped in a canyon)

• A mic stand or boom arm (stop stacking books, it’s time)

• Recording software (free is fine, you rebel genius)

Optional but awesome:

• An audio interface (if you’re not using USB)

• Blankets and pillows (yes, your mom’s guest bed = free acoustic treatment)

Best Budget Podcast Gear (All Under $300 Total)

Here's your audio starter pack. No fluff. Just the good stuff.

Microphone:

• Samson Q2U
  Hybrid USB/XLR, cardioid pattern, great rejection
  Translation: Sounds pro and ignores the leaf blower outside.
  $60–$90

Headphones:

• Sony MDR-7506 or Audio-Technica M20x
  Closed-back so your mic doesn’t catch your guest’s voice doing a victory lap
  $50–$90

Mic Stand or Boom Arm:

• Simple desktop or floor stand
  Keeps your mic in place so you don’t have to MacGyver it every episode
  $20–$50

Recording Software:

• Audacity, GarageBand, or Descript (or honestly, you can even use Zoom in a pinch)
  Record. Cut. Polish. Publish. Cry tears of joy.
  Free to $15/month

Acoustic Fixes:

• Blankets, pillows, curtains, and good vibes
  If you want to get fancy: cheap foam panels on Amazon
  $0–$50

Total damage: $200–$280

That’s less than one overpriced coaching call with someone who “built a 7-figure podcast from their yacht.”

(Trust me, I know these people. They suck).

How to Set It Up in 15 Minutes (or Less, If You Skip Coffee)

1. Plug in your USB mic. Select it in your software.

2. Put on your headphones like the podcast boss you are.

3. Adjust your mic: about a fist away, slightly off to the side (no pop filter needed if you nail this).

4. Record a quick test. Listen back.

5. Hit record and start talking like people are listening—even if it’s just your dog and your future self right now.

Secret weapon: Your closet. Full of clothes = natural sound booth. Bonus: smells like fabric softener and hope. Downside: You're stuck in a closet...

What Not to Do

• Don’t use your built-in laptop mic. (this is bolded, underlined and italicized for a reason) You’re not calling into a radio show from 1997.

• Skip the fancy interface you don’t understand yet.

• Don’t blow your budget on plugins before learning your gear.

• Stop chasing "perfect." Just publish the damn thing.

Podcasting is about clarity and consistency, not sounding like Joe Rogan's evil twin. Show up. Sound decent. Ship it.

Next Step: Download the Easy Audio Starter Kit

Worried your first episode will sound like it was recorded in a public restroom? We’ve got you.

Grab the Easy Audio Starter Kit and get:

• Step-by-step setup checklist

• Room sound hacks that don’t involve construction

• Gear stack cheat sheet

• Mic technique tips (aka stop talking directly into the mic like you’re threatening it)

All for free. Because you’re not trying to win a Grammy. You’re trying to sound professional enough to be taken seriously.

Written by Björgvin Benediktsson

Audio educator and author of Step By Step Mixing, an Amazon #1 bestseller that makes mixing so simple even your non-musical uncle could do it. Founder of Audio Issues and full-time fixer of your “why do I sound like I’m underwater?” problems.