The built-in microphone on an iPhone is usually good enough for basic recording tasks such as personal videos and non-professional audio applications, but if you want to get serious about vlogging, podcasting or other audio recordings you’ll need to use an external mic. Thankfully, it’s easy to connect a microphone to a phone and start recording great sound.
The most common method is to use a microphone that has a USB-C or Lightning output. These microphones will be recognised as the default audio device on your smartphone, bypassing the internal mic and allowing you to record better quality audio.
If your microphone doesn’t have a USB-C or Lightning output, you can connect it using the headphone jack on the phone. This is the simplest way to do it, but you may need to invest in an adapter depending on the type of connector your iPhone has.
One example is the 3.5mm TRRS Microphone Adapter from SmartMob, which can be used with most iPhones that have a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also features nine voice effects, which can be a real bonus when recording podcasts or other video content.
Similarly, if your microphone doesn’t have a headphone jack, you can still connect it using the USB-C port on your Android smartphone. However, you will likely need a couple of adapters to do so.
Another option is to use a cable with a 3.5mm plug that connects directly from the microphone receiver’s XLR output into the headphone jack on your smartphone. There are many different cables for this, but the most commonly available is this JSAUX cable which features gold-plated terminals and double shielding to reduce interference and ensure excellent performance.
There are also some cheaper options for connecting a lapel microphone to a phone, such as this Sennheiser XS (USB-C) wireless lav mic which costs just $60 and plugs into the USB-C port of your smartphone without needing an adapter. It’s ideal for recording interviews, presentations and other audio-visual purposes on the go.
This lav mic comes with a 2 meter long cable which gives you plenty of room to move and frame your recordings. It also has an impressive price-to-quality ratio, which makes it a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their mobile audio.
A similar alternative to the above method is to use a wireless microphone system that uses Bluetooth technology. This is a fairly common option and will work on most Android and iOS smartphones.
The key thing to remember here is that the microphone system needs to be in [Pairing Mode]. This will require a little bit of fiddling, but it’s pretty simple once you’ve done it.
Next, you’ll need to find an app on your smartphone that supports Bluetooth connectivity. If your phone doesn’t already have a compatible app, search for one on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download it.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, make sure that it’s on your home screen and open it. Once it’s running, you should see a list of your connected devices. From there, you can select your microphone or transmitter to pair it.