How to Sound Professional on Camera (Without Selling a Kidney for Gear)

Let’s get one thing straight: nobody cares if your video is a little fuzzy.

Your cat could walk across the keyboard mid-Zoom and people will chuckle.

But if your audio sounds like you're speaking from inside a tin can taped to a wind tunnel?

Click. Unsubscribed. Ghosted harder than your high school crush.

Whether you're teaching an online course, livestreaming your genius, or just trying to get through a Zoom call without sounding like you're in an airplane hangar, this guide will help you sound like a pro, without needing a tech degree or a $2,000 mic that glows like Iron Man's chest.

Why Bad Audio Makes You Look Sketchy

Crappy audio doesn’t just make people tune out, it makes you sound untrustworthy, like your mic was built by IKEA and you skipped the instructions").

If your message is gold but it’s wrapped in sonic garbage, people won’t stick around long enough to hear your pitch, your punchline, or your Pulitzer-worthy take on productivity.

Step 1: Use a Real Microphone (No, Your Laptop Mic Doesn’t Count)

Your built-in mic is about as qualified to record pro audio as a banana is to be a hammer. Get yourself a basic USB mic. It’s the easiest, fastest way to level up your sound.

Budget-Friendly Beauties:

• Samson Q2U – sounds great, won’t murder your bank account

• Audio-Technica AT2040USB– Reliable, sturdy, decent on gas

• Shure MV7 – a bit pricier, but smoother than jazz in a candlelit wine bar

Mic Position Tip: Put it off to the side of your mouth, about a fist away. Avoid direct-on to keep your "P" sounds from popping like bubble wrap at a toddler rave. Or alternatively, use a pop filter.

Step 2: Stop Echo From Turning You Into a Cave Troll

Unless you’re trying to sound like you live inside a cathedral (or a dungeon), you’ll want to cut the reverb.

Do this instead:

• Record near soft stuff (couches, curtains, existential dread)

• Hang a blanket behind you like a broke-but-resourceful Batman

• Lay down a rug (bonus: no cold toes)

• Avoid bare walls unless you like sounding like a DIY horror movie

Secret Pro Move: Got a closet full of clothes? That’s not clutter. That’s your new sound booth, buddy.

Step 3: Wear Headphones (Yes, Even If They Ruin Your Hair)

Without headphones, your mic picks up your speakers, which creates that nasty echo-loop-from-hell.

Any closed-back headphones will do. You don’t need something fancy with "monitor" in the name. Just don’t be that person who blames the internet when it’s really your setup betraying you.

Step 4: Balance Your Levels Like a Responsible Audio Adult

Before you hit record and wax poetic about your new offer or epic story…

• Make sure your mic input isn’t peaking (red = rage quit)

• Aim for your voice to hang out around -12 to -6 dB

• Do a quick test, then listen back

(Yes, listen to your own voice. Yeah, you'll think you sound weird. You're not alone. You’ll also get over it.)

Step 5: Add a Little Audio Sauce (Optional but Sexy)

You don’t need a degree from Abbey Road to make your voice sound smoother than a Barry White slow jam.

Start with these:

• EQ: Pull out the mud, highlight the sparkle, using the Audio Issues Speed EQ System

• Compression: Levels out your volume so you don’t whisper one second and scream the next like a haunted audiobook

• Noise Reduction: Use sparingly—you want to clean the hiss, not sound like you’re trapped in a vacuum-sealed bag of sadness

This may not be applicable if you're just on a Zoom call. But if you're recording audio for videos, making podcasts, or creating content where your voice is the lead character of your play, a little post-production goes a long way.

Don’t know where to start? The Easy Audio Starter Kit walks you through all this without melting your brain or emptying your wallet.

What to Do Next (a.k.a. Stop Sounding Like a Potato)

Look, tech is overwhelming. You just want to get your message out without sounding like a tin foil robot in a hurricane.

We get it. That’s why I put together the Easy Audio Starter Kit—a free guide that helps you:

• Pick the right mic for your space and budget

• Fix echo and hiss without foam panels or prayer

• Sound like the badass expert you actually are

All without having to spend $1,000 or cry in a Reddit thread about gain staging.

Grab the kit here and sound pro from your spare bedroom.

Written by Björgvin Benediktsson

Audio educator, author of Step By Step Mixing, and founder of Audio Issues. I help creators fix their audio issues—whether they’re recording music, podcasts, voiceovers, or video content—so they can confidently share their work without sounding like they live in a tin can.