The best mobile microphones for 2024

Rode’s Lavalier II is a slick-looking low-profile lavalier that sounds great. At $99, it’s somewhere in the sweet spot between budget and higher-end clip-on options. It’s easy to recommend the Lavalier II just on its sound alone, but it comes with a rugged case and a good selection of accessories. For even more flexibility you can pair this with Rode’s AI Micro interface ($79) which provides easy connection to an iPhone or Android phone (or even PCs) and adds support for a second mic – perfect for recording podcasts or interviews.

At $60, Sennheiser’s XS (USB-C) lav mic is fairly affordable, sounds great and plugs right into your phone (or laptop) without needing an adapter. This not only makes it convenient but reduces the overall cost as you don’t need a headphone adapter for your phone. What’s more, the XS has a 2-meter long cable which gives you plenty of scope for movement or framing.

When we tested the VideoMic GO II we were surprised at just how good it sounded right out of the box. At $100 it rivals many desktop microphones that cost three times the price. You’ll need a companion app to change settings, otherwise this performs well across the board.

If there was an audio “penknife” then the iRig Stream Mic Pro may well be it. It’s a chunky condenser microphone, but you can connect instruments or even other mics to it via a 3.5mm input. If you have background music on your phone or PC, you can also pipe that into the mix via a loopback mode. In short, whether you’re busking, podcasting or performing on the go, the Stream Mic Pro has all the core features you need to turn a basic recording into a professional one.

Mobile connectivity is a primary feature with options for Lightning and USB-C/Android included in the box. The mic itself offers four polar patterns that should cover most recording scenarios —- be that recording a singer, two people speaking face to face or the general ambience around you. The Stream Mic Pro might not be the most pocketable on this list, but it’s likely the most versatile.

This dynamic mic is a favorite with podcasters, with many production companies using it as their standard mic to send out to remote guests thanks to its excellent quality to value performance. The Q2U features both USB and XLR connectivity making it versatile for both desktop and mobile applications, but it’s the former we’re interested in here as that’s what allows you to connect it to your phone with nothing more than a USB cable and an adapter (see below).

What’s more, the Q2U is solid enough to endure a little bit of rough and tumble, so will happily live in the bottom of your backpack ready for when you need it. Meanwhile, the handheld design is versatile enough it can turn its hand to singing/instruments, podcasts, interviews and more.

You may not be familiar with the name, but Tula snuck into our hearts with its versatile, vintage inspired debut microphone. From a mobile perspective, the Tula connects to Androids directly over USB-C or iPhones with the right USB-C to Lightning cable (more on this below) or a USB “camera kit” adapter. What makes the Tula special is that it’s also a desktop mic and portable recorder with lavalier input and 8GB of storage and even features noise cancellation – perfect for cutting down on outside background sounds. With the Tula you could theoretically have one mic for home, mobile and standalone recording.

Most of the microphones in this guide will do a decent job of recording musical performances, but some are specifically built for it. Founded in 2019, Audigo puts artists and performers front and center. At time of writing, it only offers one model and all its focus goes into that. If you’re a musician on the go, or want something you can keep in your pocket for whenever inspiration strikes, the Audigo might be for you.

The square, puck-like Audigo mic is basically a pocketable rival to iZotope’s (now discontinued) Spire portable studio, right down to the companion app. The Audigo is far more portable than the Spire ever was and you can combine multiple devices for multitrack recording. Once you’ve recorded your track, you can add reverb, delay, equalize and more to give it some polish before exporting it out to your preferred platform. There’s a video mode, too, so it’s perfect for sharing edits to TikTok and Instagram.

The mic requires the app (iOS only for now) to work, which is not ideal and we’d love to be able to use it over USB to extend its functionality, but for performers on the move Audiogo offers features that are hard to find without having to shop around for various different apps.

With the iPhone 15 joining the USB-C family, there are tons of gaming and podcasting microphones that can simply plug straight into your phone. But if you want to use almost any pro microphone for recording field interviews, foley sounds, podcasting on the go and anything for broadcast, then an interface like the Centrance MicPort Pro is a must.

With its XLR-combo connection, the MicPort Pro works with all the broadcast standard microphones like Shure’s SM7B or the Electro Voice RE20 — including mics that need phantom power. Unlike other, cheaper XLR interfaces, there’s practically no self noise (hiss) and there’s a built-in battery that should last for around five hours of field use. You can charge it while in use via a USB-C should you need to.

Centrance has kept things simple, but you will still find important tools like real-time monitoring, a high-pass filter to combat wind or handling noise and there’s even a limiter that should stop any unexpected loud noises from ruining your recording. For shotgun mics, the MicPort Pro can even double as a handle. As mobile as this thing is, it’ll happily serve as a simple audio interface once you’re back in the home office too.

This guide is about mobile recording, and officially, Shure’s MVX2U XLR to USB interface doesn’t support phones. But you know what? It definitely does work with the phones we’ve tried, including several Androids and the iPhone 15. The good news is that it’s half the price of the Centrance. The bad news is that the settings can only be changed via Shure’s desktop app, so if you need to adjust something out in the field, you’re out of luck. Still, it’s a great value option if you can live with its limitations.