7 Smart Ways To Vlog Without a Microphone! (That Actually Work)

Today I´m going to talk about how to vlog without a microphone and yet get crispy nice hearing sound in your videos.

Now, there are several ways you can get away with capturing good sound without the use of a microphone, but here are the most effective ones.

Let´s start!

1. Simple Soundproofing

One of the first things you can do in order to improve the quality of your audio recording when vlogging is to soundproof whatever you can in your current environment.

Although you can get really complex soundproofing systems in place there are a few simple things you can do that can have a dramatic result in the way you sound on video.

Here you have a couple of good examples:

Doors. You can easily cover door cracks and gaps by acquiring the right sealant or weatherstripping tape both of which have great sound absorbing properties to offer. Also, there are soundproofing blankets that you can easily hang from your door in order to keep the noise sound low.

Soundproofing curtains. Another effective and easy way to improve your environment and get a better sound without the use of a high-quality mic.
Invest in a carpet. If you already have a carpet in your house, use it! They are incredibly helpful to absorb sound and improve the quality of your audio recordings. Or, you can invest in one.
Rearrange furniture. It is something I’ve done in the past many times. Although it is zero cost you have to be aware of what you can move around in order to improve the echo of your room, trust me, it makes an actual difference.
Foam panels. If you don’t want to do any of that, you can simply use foam panels, they are cheap, effective, and easy to use. You don’t even need to properly install them, you can simply put them whatever you want.

Although these are all GOOD tips you have to keep in mind that they won’t magically improve your sound, there are a few more things you have to do…

…so keep reading.

2. Reduce Noise In Two Steps

Another thing that will certainly make a difference and it is quite simple to do is to record in your computer and process your audio in order to reduce the noise.

In fact.

You can do it just by taking two simple steps!

Here’s how:

You can download Audacity free software or any other software that edits audio or video as they all can pretty much do the exact same thing.

Then, find the noise reduction effect within them, in Audacity is called “Noise Reduction” and it’s inside the Effects panel.

You’ll capture a portion of your audio where you are not speaking and you’ll set it to the right level in order to process it.

Now, there are other options out there, I’ve used Audacity and it’s very easy to use, but now I’m using Adobe Audition, which is a bit more professional if you want to take your audio to the next level, but, for the most part, Audacity will do the work!

3. Have Self-Awareness

You may be wondering… self-awarenes? really?

Yes, you NEED to be self aware of how close you are to your phone or camera, whether you are standing or you are recording sitted on a chair, or if you are close to the door, window, or any other thing that could affect your audio.

It sounds simple, and it is! but most people tend to forget this rule or don’t even know what it actually means.

For example, in most cases, keeping your mouth close to your mic can be something that makes or breaks your audio quality, depending on the device you are using to record and the level of your voice volume. (which I´m going to talk about next)

So, try to be aware of your sorroundings and see if there´s anything that you notice can be improved by closely listening to your audio right after you´ve recorded.

At least that what I´ve done in the past and has helped me to notice that most of the noise from my audio´s where coming from my door and window, which lead to soundproofing and a different placement for my mic.

4. Work On Your Vocals

Probably one of the best ways to boost your audio and therefore your videos is to sound better, to project your voice, and make yourself sound more confident way before even hitting record on your camera.

You´ll find that not even the best mic in the world can capture great audio if the presenter´s voice doesn´t sound as good as it could.

If there´s something that can make a BIG change in your audios pretty fast is your vocals, keep that in mind next time you film a video.

You should be aware of your pitch and volume at first, there´s a reason why so many YouTubers out there say that you have to give 110% when recording to appear normal in your videos.

So, as well as with your sourroundings and the way you use your body you want to be also aware of your vocals.

Drink a cup of tea, focus, think of what you want to say before you say it, write a script, rehearse and repeat as many times as possible.

5. Choose Your Location Wisely

You can hear HUGE differences between two audio files if you record them in different rooms in your house, and one of the main reasons is the echo.

You should choose your location (if you are filming in your house) wisely and keep echo in mind.

Large rooms or setting with not much furniture will likely produce a lot of echo, which will result in a low-quality audio, more so if you don´t have an external mic.

So, the way to improve this without using a mic to record is to choose a better location to record. A smaller room where you can place furnitures, or easily soundproof specific places will be much more effective.

Now, if you are going to film outdoors what you can do is try to get close to a building or at least be aware of the wind or loud noises that could affect your audio.

Follow the advice I gave you and try to make the most out of your location.

6. The Voice Over Hack

Here´s how it works:

You can easily transition between b-rolls and voice-overs with normal on camera clips and capture really good audio just by getting your mouth close to the mic, whether that is your own phone or the external mic from your camera.

It is just about getting creative with it and taking advantage of proper editing and modern transition techniques.

You can “fool” your viewers by getting better audio when you get your phone as close to your mouth as possible while you show an entirely different clip that serves as a b-roll.

Now, if you are not convinced yet, here´s another one for you…

Clap At The Start!

This simple yet powerful trick to sync your audio recording with your video performance is another great way to capture really good audio without the use of an external microphone.

You can talk all the way through your video to your mic´s phone and then sync the audio with the video clip in your editing software.

For example, I´ve done this in Premiere with the Merge Clips function which is a built-in feature of the program and it´s very easy to do.

Now, one thing you MUST do in order to make your work easier once you get to the edit is to clap your hands once you start recording. 👏

7. The DIY Mic Set Up

Yep! you can make your own mic set up for FREE!

You´ll need a pair of headphones (you can use the one from your phone) and simply get rid of the hearing device by cutting the cable.

Here´s a helpful video that shows you how to do it:

You´ll find other great examples of this and other methods you can DIY a pair of headphones or other materials you can find at home to make a professional mic yourself, this vide just serves as an example.

One more thing…

If you are going to make your own microphone you can also DIY a pop filter while you´re at it and get the entire set up for better audio.

The Digital Hustler

How To Vlog Without a Microphone