If you\u2019re among<\/span> people as you read this, look to your left. Now look to your right. Statistically speaking, those on either side of you probably have their own podcasts. Odds are you have several people in your life that also fit the bill. The good news is that the prevalence of podcasts means better and better tools are being produced to help hosts up their games.<\/p>\n A couple of months back, I wrote a How I Podcast article<\/a> showcasing some of the tips and tricks I\u2019ve deployed for my own show, RiYL<\/a>. It\u2019s very much a one-man production at the moment, but I\u2019ve been able to upgrade my game considerably, thanks to new tech.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find a lot of what I personally use on this list. Some items are pricier than others, but the good news is that in 2023, you don\u2019t have to pay a ton to produce a great-sounding show. And if you\u2019re looking for new great-sounding shows, check out our podcasts covering startups, founders and the crypto space: Equity<\/a>, Found<\/a> and Chain Reaction<\/a>.<\/p>\n This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Price: $700 at Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Several years after its initial release, the RODECaster Pro remains the gold standard for building on-the-go studios. The system is great for in-person productions, particularly those without a fixed location. When I go ultra portable, nothing beats a Tascam and a couple of mics, but if you want to recreate the feeling of a four-mic studio, without the cost of a true pro soundboard, this is where you go.<\/p>\n It\u2019s super easy to use out of the box, and offers a ton of controls and customization, along with features like music cue trigger pads to produce a podcast in real time. It\u2019s a perfect gift for a seasoned hobbyist podcaster looking to take things to the next level.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I could have just as easily stuck this one in the travel gift guide. As someone whose work requires they hit the road once a month, I\u2019ve been looking for way to up my hotel recording game. The Tula Mic has it all: good looks, great sound quality and a compact foldable design that can sit comfortably in your carry on.<\/p>\n The mic connects to your computer via a USB-C port and offers a range of different settings. You can also take it on the go for field recordings, courtesy of a 12-hour battery and 8GB of internal storage. It\u2019s an extremely well thought out bit of hardware up and down the line.<\/p>\n Price: $269 at Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Shure<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ve been through so many USB microphones \u2014 especially over the course of the pandemic. The Shure MV7 is the first one I\u2019ve ever truly fallen in love with. Once I picked this up, I\u2019ve recorded every episode of my podcast, moderated dozens of panels and conducted countless meetings with it. In fact, it stays permanently plugged into my desktop at all times.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s not quite the pro level of Shure\u2019s SM7B \u2014 generally regarded as the gold standard of podcasting mics. But the MV7 is cheaper and, more importantly, features a USB input so you can get great sound without having to futz with separate audio interface hardware.<\/p>\n Price: $300 at Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This webcam is another fixture for my home desktop. It\u2019s a weird thing to say, but I get complemented for my video quality all the time during work meetings. The video goes up to 4K, but for most things, you\u2019re more than fine relying on 1080p. The extra resolution really comes in handy, however, when utilizing the 5x digital zoom with minimal image degradation. If you tend to move around a lot, no worries, the built-in electronic gimbal has you covered.<\/p>\n Insta360\u2019s desktop software is also foolproof, making sure things are correctly framed ahead of time, so you don\u2019t look like an amateur, adjusting things after you\u2019ve already logged in.<\/p>\n Price: $80 at Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Image Credits: <\/strong>Razer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Over the pandemic a lot of us were forced to confront just how bad our home lighting is. While a good webcam can go a long way toward improving your image, it\u2019s nothing without a good light source. There are a ton of ring lights on the market, but ultimately I landed on this one from gaming giant Razer.<\/p>\n The price is certainly right, and the system can be mounted to a tripod or the back of a monitor. My advice, however, is that straight on isn\u2019t always best \u2014 especially if you wear glasses. You\u2019ll want to experiment with the set up a bit, but thankfully, the mounting system gives you all sorts of options here.<\/p>\n Price: $429 at Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Brian Heater<\/p>\n<\/div>\n My advice for all podcasters is: wear headphones. And try to make your guests where them, when possible. It will make your job as editor significantly easier. For most hobbyist podcasters, I generally encourage a pair of over-ear headphones that you also intend to use in your day-to-day life. If you\u2019re recording remotely, you probably don\u2019t need a pair of high-end monitors.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going with the QuietComfort Ultra based on track record (they\u2019re currently up for preorder). Bose makes great all-day wear headphones, so you can use them for podcasts, meetings and take them on long flights, thanks to their ultra-comfortable design.<\/p>\n I also highly recommend looking at a pair with auxiliary input. That\u2019s a real helpful feature for editing, not to mention those fickle airplane seat-back video systems.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Riverside.fm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As a rule, subscriptions make great gifts. This certainly applies to podcasting. I feel like every month I hear about another service I want to subscribe to in order to take my show to the next level. Here are some of my current favorites:<\/p>\n Riverside.fm ($15\/month)<\/a>:<\/strong> I\u2019ve recommended Zencastr in previous years, but ultimately the platform gave me too much grief. For $15 a month Riverside gives you up to five hours of high-quality remote video and audio recording.<\/p>\n Auphonic ($10.50\/month)<\/a>:<\/strong> The newest addition to my workflow saves me several hours per month. Upload a track and Auphonic will level it and remove background noise in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n Otter ($10\/month)<\/a>:<\/strong> Otter is a godsend for both transcription and editing. For the latter, the AI-based service can help you find keywords in no time.<\/p>\nRODECaster Pro II<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tula Mic<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9813.jpg\")
<\/p>\nShure MV7<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/MV7_White_Noir_Streaming_Model_Landscape_3.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\nInsta360 Link<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"webcam\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/CMC_2990.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRazer Ring Light<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/razer_usb_led_ring_light_for_pc_and_mobile_streaming_5-_tejar.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBose QuietComfort Ultra<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9872.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSubscriptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Riverside.fm\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/riverside.jpg\")
<\/p>\n