How to Set Up a Podcast Studio at Home

To set up a podcast studio at home, give each host a dynamic mic 1 to 6 inches from their mouth, record each mic to its own track, put everyone in closed-back headphones, and use the smallest, softest room you have. One host can do this with a single USB mic for about $400 to $750; two hosts need two XLR mics and a 2-input interface or podcast mixer, for about $800 to $1,700.

The good news for spoken word: you need less gear than musicians do, and the room deserves more of your attention. A bad-sounding podcast is often an echoey room and a mic that's too far away, not a cheap mic.

1-person podcast setup

A solo host needs one USB dynamic mic, a boom arm, and closed-back headphones. That's it. The Shure MV7+ is a cardioid dynamic with USB-C, an XLR output for later, and a 3.5 mm jack for latency-free monitoring.

Audacity is free, open source, and runs third-party VST3 plugins. The RØDE PSA1+ comes with a desk clamp and a threaded desk mount. Headphone picks are on best closed-back studio headphones, and more mics are on best microphone for voice and podcast recording.

2-person podcast setup

Two hosts need two XLR mics and a box with two mic inputs and two headphone outputs. That way each voice lands on its own track, and both of you can hear the conversation. The Shure MV7X is Shure's XLR podcast mic, a dynamic "optimized for spoken word" with "excellent rear rejection." That rear rejection is exactly what you want with another talker across the table.

Both routes can also drive a Shure SM7B, the famously gain-hungry broadcast dynamic. Its user guide asks for more than 60 dB of preamp gain, and the 2i2 has 69 dB and the Duo 76 dB. Other interfaces are compared on best audio interface for home recording.

Mic layout for two hosts

Sit the hosts facing each other. Each mic goes 1 to 6 inches from its own host, with its back pointed at the other one. Shure gives 1 to 6 inches as the SM7B's working distance and says speaking close blocks off-axis noise, which here means the other host's voice.

The spacing follows the same logic as the 3 to 1 rule for microphones. Put each mic on its own arm so the hosts can lean in without bumping the table. Stand options are on best mic stands.

Choose and treat the room

Use the smallest room with the most soft stuff in it, and switch off anything with a fan. Neumann's home studio guide says "an open wardrobe filled with clothes can serve as a large absorber" and warns that the mic can pick up fan noise.

1. Pick a carpeted room with soft furniture, away from the street side of the house.
2. Put each host's back to the softest wall, such as an open closet, so the front of the mic faces it.
3. Turn off HVAC and fans while recording. If your mic has a bass rolloff switch, use it. Shure says the SM7B's lowers hum from A/C, HVAC, and traffic.
4. Add panels at the first reflection points if the room still sounds hollow or boxy. Placement is in home studio acoustic treatment.

Recording settings and loudness

Record each host to a separate mono track at 24-bit and 48 kHz. Then mix to Apple's loudness target before you upload.

That target comes from Apple's podcast audio requirements, which also list 44.1 or 48 kHz at 24-bit as recommended for WAV and FLAC, and prefer AAC over MP3 for RSS feeds. When you set your record level, leave plenty of headroom so peaks stay well below clipping. The steps are in gain staging.

Podcast studio ideas for small spaces

Most home podcast studios land on one of three layouts. Which one depends on how many people talk and how much space you've got.

Want something permanent? A small booth is another option. See vocal booths for builds and costs.

Voice over and audiobooks

Voice over needs a quieter room than a podcast, because casting sites and audiobook platforms check the noise floor (the hiss and hum under your voice). The targets and the room build are on home voice over studio setup.