Best wireless microphones in 2024 for content creators & performers (2024)

Thanks to platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo we can broadcast our opinions via the format of video. Although our footage may look great the quality of our audio recording may lag behind in terms of production values.

Our camera or smartphone’s built-in mic should capture good-quality sound if we’re standing close to it. However, as soon as we step back a few feet from the camera the audio levels will drop off and unwanted background sounds will become more dominant.

By using a third-party wireless microphone transmitter we can keep our mouth and mic in close proximity at all times, even when we’re many meters from the receiver attached to our camera. By going wireless we aren’t physically tethered to our camera so we can capture our voice from a much greater distance than a cable would allow (up to 200 meters in some cases!)

This buying guide features a range of wireless mics that can transmit our voice to a receiver that’s plugged into our camera or smartphone. We’ve chosen a range of mics to suit those on a budget as well as more expensive high-end mics that have extra features such as onboard recording. Onboard recording means that the transmitter mic clipped to our shirt stores an audio file on its built-in hard drive as well as broadcasts our voice hundreds of feet to the receiver attached to our camera. If there’s any signal drop out then we can replace the problem sound using the audio file captured on the transmitter.

All of the wireless mics featured in this guide are compatible with iPhones too, though we do have an additional buying guide dedicated to a range of other wireless iPhone-friendly mics.

Best wireless Microphone: Our top picks

Best wireless microphone in 2024

Best for anyone new to wireless mics

The Godox WEC Kit2 is a typical budget wireless mic kit. It consists of a charging case that contains two transmitter mics that you clip onto the lapels of a presenter and an interviewee. Also in the case is a receiver that you can plug via a 3.5mm jack into a DSLR or use a USB-C cable to connect it to a smartphone. We found the kit very quick and easy to use as transmitters and receivers come out of their case fully charged and paired.

The two lightweight plastic transmitters have basic gain control buttons that adjust the record levels in three increments and there’s also a button to activate a software noise reduction feature when recording in noisy locations. We found that this feature does reduce traffic noise very effectively and your voice is sharp and clear - though it can also sound flatter and tinnier than the more bassy voice that the mics capture in standard mode. If the presenter activates the noise reduction feature it is also activated on the interviewee’s mic, ensuring consistency of sound.

We also found that the Godox WEC Kit2 performed well at a distance, with no signal dropout even when we turned our back to the camera and the transmitter lost sight of the receiver.

Read more: Godox WEC review

Best wireless mic kit for battery

One of the biggest challenges a wireless mic system has to overcome is avoiding signal dropout, especially when the transmitter mic loses line of sight with the receiver. Another challenge is to reduce the rumble of wind noise in rural locations. The Saramonic BlinkMe kit excelled at overcoming both challenges. I took it to a windswept Scottish hill and thanks to the supplied windshield the wind noise was negligible (check out our video in our full review). The optional software noise reduction feature took the edge off the remaining wind noise without creating a flat and tinny voice (unlike the Godox WEC kit). The transmitter also broadcasted my voice loud and clear from around 80 meters, even when I turned my back to the camera or walked behind a thick castle wall! To make sure that no sound is ever lost you can use the BlinkMe transmitters’ onboard recording feature to capture an audio file on your mic. So in the unlikely event of signal drop out you can patch any holes in your dialogue using the onboard recorded .wav file in post-production software such as Final Cut Pro.

Unlike the lightweight plastic transmitters of the Godox WEC, the BlinkMe’s unusual circular transmitters have a touchscreen display so you can monitor and tweak input levels. However, the BlinkMe’s more solidly built transmitters are much heavier (30g compared to the WEC’s 12g), so they can cause clothing to sag when clipped to your shirt.

Read more: Saramonic BlinkMe review

Best wireless mic kit on a budget

The 7Artisans DMic-S wireless microphone kit contains two transmitters that have built-in omnidirectional microphones and a receiver that you need to plug into your camera or smartphone via a range of supplied cables (including a lightning cable adaptor for pre-iPhone 15 models). The two transmitters have a built-in noise reduction feature, but you can also clip a supplied windshield onto them to reduce wind noise. Auto gain on the transmitters ensures crisp clean and audible dialogue. The receiver can also capture a lower level -6DB safety track to reduce dialogue distortion. A sampling rate of 48KHz and 24Bit depth help produce CD-level audio quality.

Unlike the almost identically priced Godox WEC, the DMic-S receiver has a color display that reassures you that you’re capturing a healthy sound level from the transmitter. You can also use the receiver’s 3.5mm headphone monitor socket to listen out for signal drop out or wind noise during the recording. However, when it comes to performance the Godox WEC has the edge as the DMic-S was prone to drop out when I turned my back on the camera at 20 meters. However when facing the camera (and giving the transmitter a clear line of sight of the receiver) my voice could be heard loud and clear at a test distance of 60 meters.

Read more: 7Artisans DMic-S review

Best wireless mic for pros

At first glance, the Rode Pro kit looks like many of the wireless mic sets featured in this buying guide. However, it has a few extra tricks up its sleeve that will appeal to professional video makers (and it has a price tag to reflect these features!) Unlike the other kits in this guide, the Rode Pro boasts the ability to record 32-bit float file formats directly onto its transmitters. This format contains so much information about recorded audio that you don’t need to worry about setting the sound levels. If the mic input levels are too loud you won’t get distorted (clipped) audio. You can also set the transmitters to use GainAssist to capture healthy sound levels (or take complete manual control if you prefer). As this kit is aimed at professional video makers it supports timecode, so you can sync audio and video assets together with precision.

As with all wireless mic kits, the Rode Pro’s transmitters are rather noticeable when clipped to a subject’s shirt or lapel. For more discrete audio recording you can clip a supplied lavalier mic onto your subject’s clothing and plug its cable into the transmitter that’s clipped discreetly onto the subject’s belt.

Read more: Rode Wireless Pro review

Best wireless mic kit for smartphone shooters

Most of the wireless mic kit receivers in this buying guide are connected to a camera by a 3.5mm jack (with the requirement of an additional third-party adaptor if you need to connect a receiver to a smartphone.) This leaves the receiver dangling by a cable from your camera. The DJI Mic ships with small clip-on adaptors that enable you to plug the receiver neatly into your Android or Apple smartphone, thus avoiding dangling cables that can get snagged. However, we did find that you need to make sure that the adapter is pushed firmly into the DJI receiver or you won’t capture any audio. We also had to take our iPhone 15 Pro Max out of its protective case to ensure a connection between the receiver’s USB-C connector.

The DJI Mic kit feels well-built and the transmitters are reassuringly solid without being too heavy. As with most of the wireless kits in this guide, the two DJI transmitters and receiver sit in a charging case which is transported in a rugged protective carry case. The receiver has a touch-sensitive screen that enables you to dig into sub-menus to adjust properties such as transmitter sound levels. It may take you a while to explore these sub-menus but they do give you full control over properties such as sound levels. The transmitters also provide onboard recording that you can use to bridge the gap if there’s any signal dropout. We found that the transmitters produced rich clear audio that didn’t require any post-production enhancements. From a performance and price point of view, this is a similar kit to the Hollyland Lark Max.

Read more: DJI Mic review

Best 'plug and play' wireless mic kit

If you’re a wireless mic novice then the Hollyland Lark M1 Duo Kit is well worth considering. The two transmitters and the receiver are charged simultaneously in one case to ensure optimum battery performance. As soon as you lift a mic and receiver out of the case they are instantly paired, so you can start recording your voice wirelessly onto a camera or smartphone. When we first tested the sound quality of the Lark M1’s mic it sounded very muffled.

After I realized that I needed to peel off a strip of blue tape that protected the mics in transit the sound quality was excellent. Both mics have a noise reduction button. Sometimes software noise reduction can make your voice sound flat and tinny as we see with the Godox WEC, but in the case of the Lark M1’s HearClear feature background noise was reduced without compromising the quality of my voice. The kit also ships with easy-to-attach windshields to reduce the rumble of wind noise.

Unlike many wireless mics, there was no noticeable latency (delay) between my lips moving and the timing of the audio. The kit specification says there’s a latency of 20 ms but this can be considered to be negligible when you watch the footage, so you don’t need to spend time shifting the audio track by a frame or two in a post-production app such as Final Cut Pro. You can also purchase the Lark M1 as an iOS or Android Duo Kit. The transmitters in these versions have a USB-C or Lightning connector built into them.

Read more: Hollyland Lark M1 Duo review

Best wireless mic kit for Sony users

The Virso M2 kit and the Virso S M2 kit are almost identical - both include a pair of wireless mic transmitters and a receiver. In the Virso S M2 kit, you have a receiver that’s designed to slot into the multi-interface shoe on a Sony camera. This connection provides a better signal than you can achieve using a traditional 3.5 mm connector. The Virso S kit’s receiver also has a built-in microphone that enables the top to record the camera operator’s voice in addition to the voices broadcast by the two transmitter mics.

If you’re not a Sony camera user then the Virso M2 Kit will work just fine with cameras and smartphones (and you can also attach the Virso S M2 Kit’s receiver to other cameras using the 3.5 mm connector).

Apart from one version being Sony-friendly both incarnations of the Godox Virso M2 wireless mic kit behave in the same way. Broadcasting at 2.4GHz the transmitters have a range of up to 200 meters as long as there is a line of sight between the transmitters and the receiver.

In our test, we stood around 100 meters away from the receiver and our voice sounded loud and clear even from behind a thick brick wall! The mic’s windshield and noise reduction feature kept a fierce Scottish wind down to a negligible rumble so we could be heard loud and clear in a challenging test environment - check out the supporting video in our full review to hear the Godox Virso M2 in action. Even if your signal does drop out you can rely on the mic’s onboard recording feature to catch every word.

Read more: Godox Virso / Virso S review

Best alternative wireless microphones

The Blink500 Pro kit enables you to capture strong clean audio levels up to 100m if the transmitter mics have a line of sight with the receiver.Relatively large displays provide a waveform to help you set and monitor audio levels. The supplied lavalier mics help reduce wind noise in challenging locations.

The kit is compatible with DSLRs and smartphones, though you will need to source a 3.5mm jack-to-lightning adaptor cable to attach the receiver to newer iPhones. A handy storage case doubles as a charging station so the transmitters and receiver are equally charged. So there’s less danger of a mic or transmitter going flat during a shoot, which can happen if you charge units separately.Overall, this wireless mic is highly recommended.

Read more: Blink 500 Pro B2 review

The original Rode Wireless Go proved really popular thanks to its small size and its ease of use - and now the Wireless Go II extends the capabilities, by offering an amazing maximum range of 200m (650ft). What we like about the Go II is that it is available in either a one-channel or two-channel kit - giving you either one or two clip-on transmitters to pair with the miniature clip-on receiver unit. The receivers have built-in microphones so are good to go straight out of the box - but if you want a more discrete microphone, there is an optional tie-clip mic.

In our tests, we noted that getting the best from the Wireless Go II involves a little testing to ensure you have the right level selected, however, it’s capable of producing high-quality natural-sounding audio in a wide range of situations. Provided the transmitter is in line of sight of the receiver, the range is also very good, but should it be lost, there’s an added bonus that the transmitters offer on-board recording.

Read more: Rode Wireless Go II review

The JOBY Wavo AIR enables you to capture broadcast-quality sound with the freedom to wander wirelessly. The transmitters’bright orange colors make it more likely to appeal to a vlogger who wants to show off their kit rather than record sound discretely. A magnetic pendant lets you snap the transmitter on in a flash so there’s no need to fiddle with clips and clothing.

Unlike the similar Boya BY-XM6-S2 (above), the receiver doesn’t have a headphone monitoring socket or a waveform display, so you’d need to monitor audio from your recording device to make sure there was no signal dropout. The latency means the sound is offset from the video by three frames so you may need to tweak the audio in post.

Read more: JOBY Wavo AIR review

This wireless transmitter and receiver kit enables you to capture great quality sound from a distance of up to 100m, as long as there are no obstacles. It contains two transmitters and a receiver so you can record interviews if required. Both transmitters have a built-in mic, so you can simply clip them on your shirt and start talking.

This kit offers up to eight hours of battery life and you can charge all units simultaneously, so it's a good choice for when you're on the road. Note, though, that it doesn’t come supplied with lavalier mics. That means the black boxy transmitter mics are noticeably in shot when you record your footage, which may or may not be a problem for you.

Read more: SmallRig Forevala W60 wireless microphone review.

How to choose the best wireless microphone

Any of the wireless mic kits in this buying guide will enable you to improve the audio production values of your video programs, but it’s worth considering your specific needs as a filmmaker.

If you want to talk to camera without the constraints of a hard-wired mic then consider the cheaper option of buying a version that contains one transmitter mic and a receiver. Our buying guide features the more expensive duo version of each kit which enables you to clip a mic onto yourself and another onto your interviewee so that you both sound loud and clear.

You should also consider whether you want a simple kit that lets you start recording straight away (such as the Godox WEC), or whether you want the option of viewing and manually adjusting sound levels on the receiver with a kit such as the Saramonic Blink Me.

On the whole, the more you spend the more features you’ll get - such as onboard recording for example. But even the cheapest kit in our guide should sound better than your camera’s built-in mic, especially once you’ve moved a few feet away from your recording device.

How we test the best wireless mics

When choosing mic kits for this buying guide we tried to be topical, so the majority of our recommendations were released in 2023 with the exception of the DJI Mic from 2022. This wireless mic buying guide has been completely refreshed with new recommendations, and new models are added regularly.

We tend to get offered test units to play with before they are released which helps us keep up to speed with the latest technologies such as noise reduction and onboard recording. We’ve also aimed to include a range of different manufacturers and a range of prices to suit a range of budgets.

I’ve been recording sound professionally since the late 1980s and the younger me would be astonished by the quality and range of modern wireless mic kits, especially as I’m no longer tethered by a lavalier clip mic’s cable which is hardwired to my camera! These digital days we’re all spoilt for choice when it comes to wireless mics as you can see from this buying guide’s candidates.

Testing is the fun bit. From the supporting videos in the full reviews, you’ll see that I like to test wireless mics in a wide range of locations, from wind-swept hills to noisy city centers. This enables me to discover how effective a kit’s physical windshields and the software noise cancellation features are.With wireless mics, I like to see how far I can get before the signal drops out, especially when the transmitter loses line of sight with the receiver. Because I test the mics with a top-of-the-range iPhone (the Godox WEC mic was recorded on an iPhone 15 Pro Max) I do get nervous when I’m around 60 meters away from the iPhone - especially when I’ve left it perched on a wall in a busy city location!