I built-in microphones in smartphones have improved their quality in recent years, but are still far from capturing sufficiently clear and good quality audio. Fortunately, Android offers the option of use external microphones with our mobile or tablet.
These types of accessories have the ability to capture high quality audio which can be used to make clear voice recordings, record videos for YouTube or podcasts, or even make video calls, all without the need for an external voice recorder.
In this guide we explain to you how you can connect and use an external USB or wireless microphone with your android cellphone to raise the level of your recordings.
You can connect a microphone to your Android mobile to enhance the captured audio.
How to connect an external microphone on your mobile
Thanks to the fact that Android includes support for this type of external accessories, connect a microphone to our mobile or tablet it is extremely simple. You just need to make sure your mobile is compatible with USB OTG technology, which allows you to connect and power external peripherals via the device's USB port.
If so, all you need to get started record audio using a mobile microphone is to use one of the audio or video capture app that support this type of accessories, such as the popular FiLMiC Pro app. Here we look at a few:
- Applications for images and videos
- Open camera
- Cinema FV-5
- FilmiC Pro
- Audio capture and voice recording applications
- Smart Recorder - High quality voice recorder
- Advanced audio recorder
- AudioRec
After installing one of these applications, all you have to do is connect the microphone to the mobile phone. When you open one of the apps, in most cases it will start a capture audio directly through the microphone.
If not, you most likely will have to activate the option to use the external microphone for capturing audio via the settings of the application in question.
It is worth mentioning that there are other apps that support external microphones and that they don't have to be camera / video or audio capture. You can also find karaoke apps that allow you to use the microphone to sing with your cellphone.
What types of microphones are there
One of the types of mobile microphones that exist.
When you choose a external microphone for your mobile phone, keep in mind that there are different types of accessories of this type that you can find in stores such as Amazon. Are the following:
USB microphones for mobile phones
Most of the microphones you will find for your cell phone use a USB connection. It is one of the easiest types of microphones to use, as you simply plug it into your mobile's micro USB or USB Type-C so that the system detects it via OTG and is ready to use.
There are several types of USB microphones for Android. Among them, we can find directional microphones for mobile phones, which unlike omnidirectional microphones, allow you to capture audio from a specific direction.
Wireless mobile microphones
If you want to get rid of the cables, you can also find wireless microphones for your cell phone.
These use Bluetooth technology to connect to your Android mobile or tablet, which has some advantages but also has some disadvantages such as a higher latency in audio capture.
Furthermore, the process for connect a wireless microphone to your mobile phone it's somewhat different than wired microphones, since you have to pair the device to Bluetooth before you can use it.
Microphones with 3,5mm jack
The same way they exist headphones with 3,5 mm connector, There are also microphones that use this port to connect to a cell phone.
The vast majority of classic wired microphones use this connection method. They're also the easiest to use: simply plug the microphone into your phone's 3,5mm port - if it still has one - and it will automatically start capturing audio through the microphone.
Within this category we can find the popular ones mini mobile microphones, with extremely compact dimensions, perfect for the video recording in which a person must appear, as they do not give any discomfort. They are also known as lavalier or lavalier microphones.
4 recommended microphones for Android phones
If you want to increase the level of audio capture with your mobile phone but do not have such an accessory yet, here are some tips for mobile microphones you can find on Amazon:
BOYA BY-WM4 PRO
This wireless mini mobile microphone promises fantastic sound quality in the smallest possible format. It is designed for those who want to enter the field of professional video capture - or for those who are already inside and want to update themselves - thanks to a 5 wireless microphones with 2,4 GHz technology.
They are compatible with smartphones, digital cameras, computers or professional camcorders. Also, they have one reach up to 50 meters.
Mini microphone for telephone
This aluminum mini microphone stands out for being compact, resistant and versatile, thanks to its 3,5mm connector which allows you to connect it directly to our mobile phone without worrying about the setup process.
It has a high sensitivity noise reduction and audio capture system, making it ideal for the video recording or audio acquisition for podcasts.
BOYA BY-M3D
We also have this from the BOYA company USB microphone for Android phones, with a connector USB type C compatible with the vast majority of modern mobile phones.
It is an accessory that includes two omnidirectional lavalier microphones, with 16-bit / 48KHz resolution and each microphone records on a discrete channel. Its cable is 6 meters long, so you can use it without any problems to capture the audio of your YouTube videos.
Dazzne Video Micro
The last of the models we select is this Dazzne mobile microphone, specially developed for use in the capture audio for YouTube videos or other platforms.
One of its advantages is having a support which can be attached to our mobile or digital camera, so that it remains fixed during the audio or video recording process. He is also one of the cheaper mobile microphones with the best value for money.
