In the ever-evolving world of content creation, live streaming has become a powerful tool for interacting with audiences in real-time. Whether you're a gamer looking to broadcast your gameplay, a content creator sharing your thoughts and experiences, or a business aiming to engage with customers, one question commonly arises: Is it necessary to buy a microphone for live streaming?
In this blog post, we will help you make an informed decision about whether you should invest in one.
The importance of audio quality
Before delving into the necessity of microphones for live streaming, it's crucial to understand the importance of audio quality. Audio quality plays a key role in live broadcast experience and content quality.Here are some details.
01 User Experience
Good audio quality can enhance audience’s immersion and engagement. Clear sound and high-quality audio effects make it easier for the audience to understand and feel the content, which contributes to their retention of viewing time.
(image source:Streaming tips for everyone from beginners to pros, Restream,Feb 1 2023)
02 Information Delivery
Audio quality is crucial for effective information transmission, especially in fields such as linking up, education, news, speeches, and training. Clear sound and audio quality ensure that the audience accurately comprehends the speaker's content.
03 Entertainment Value
In entertainment live broadcasts such as music, performances, and sports events, audio quality is vital for the audience's entertainment experience. Only high-precision microphones can reflect the artistry of artists and the athleticism of athletes.
04 Professionalism and Trustworthiness
Poor audio quality in a live content broadcast may lead the audience to perceive anchors as unprofessional, thereby reducing trust in the content provider. Conversely, high-quality audio quality can enhance the image of professionalism for content providers, helping attract more viewers and create a reliable brand image.
05 Market Competitive Advantage
In the field of live content broadcasting, competition is fierce. Offering exceptional audio quality can become a competitive advantage for content providers, attracting more viewers and advertisers.
About built-in microphones
Most devices used for live streaming, such as smartphones, webcams, and laptops, come equipped with built-in microphones. These built-in microphones are convenient, as they are portable and require no additional investment. For casual live streamers and beginners, using a built-in microphone can be a reasonable choice to start with.
(image source: https://livevoice.io/en)
However, they often have limitations in terms of audio quality. The built-in microphones in mobile phones and computers are typically designed for convenience rather than high-quality audio. As a result, they often capture sound with lower fidelity and clarity, leading to audio that may sound distorted, tinny, or muffled.
Secondly, mobile phones and computer microphones are sensitive to background noise, moreover, the built-in microphone usually has a weak ability to handle noise, which can be distracting in recordings or during calls. This noise may include ambient room sounds, keyboard clicks, fans, or other environmental factors that affect the audio quality.
(Image source：How to Make Your Cell Phone Calls Sound Better，By Sascha SeganApril 13, 2018)
Thirdly, Built-in microphones are not as durable and stable as professional microphones, which can withstand frequent use, because related research and invention companies have some superior and more stable hardware technology and software technology, whereas built-in microphones are limited by the space available and are often unable to utilise newer technologies.
Last but not least, Built-in microphones are usually not fine-tuned, such as only start and end buttons. In the decibel, sampling frequency and other specific parameters, they can not be adjusted.
There's a good saying, "Audio is half of video." If you need the highest audio quality and fine control over your recordings, a professional microphone is the preferable choice.
How to choose a external microphone?
As to the best choice of external microphone, someone here has summed up a formula, may wish to refer to:
Best choice = actual budget x audio quality x stability x duration x portability x compatibility
Based on this, AWM20T may be a good choice. NearStream AWM 20T is a compact, lightweight, and powerful wireless microphone system that delivers exceptional sound quality.Priced at $129 on the official website, it offers a great value for money and is affordable for most people.
The AWM 20T has an improved sampling rate of 48kHz and 16-bit, allowing its omnidirectional microphone to capture the sound of the vocal range with exceptional detail, giving you perfect sound and rich audio detail.
The AWM 20T uses ATH transmission technology for stable transmission. It supports an audio transmission range of up to 200 meters (650 feet) in an open, unobstructed environment free from interference.
Extraordinarily, it has a built-in LCD display screen that allows you to easily monitor audio quality in real time and perform some basic adjustment operations.
It also has a longer battery life, 7 hours of battery life on a single charge, 20 hours with the charging case.But the total mass of a set of AWM20T (2TX,1RX,1Charging Case) is only 150.7g! 20.3g lighter than an iPhone15.
Finally, the receiver has USB-C, Lightning and 3.5mm TRS ports, making it compatible with mainstream smartphones, cameras and laptops.
The AWM 20T is the best wireless microphone product in the AWM series, if you want to learn more about the others(AWM 10T and AWM 20D), take a look at the following comparison table：
Conclusion
In conclusion, the choice of audio recording equipment depends on your specific needs.While it is technically possible to live stream without a professional microphone, the benefits of investing in one are clear. A good quality microphone is a long-term investment. It can serve you well not only for live streaming but also for other audio-related projects, such as podcasting or recording music. The versatility and durability of a good microphone make it a valuable addition to your content creation toolkit. At last, If you're serious about live streaming, investing in a microphone is a worthwhile decision.
More+
AWM 20T built by NearStream is the wireless high-quality microphone that lets you stream stunning lossless quality sound directly to platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or custom RTMP.
NearStream is a startup company based in Hangzhou, China with a mission to create an innovative and ultimate multicam live streaming experience for the new generation of content creators, influencers and videographers. Click here to view more.
