Microphone and Audio Quality: Make Your Stream Sound Professional
Audiences will watch a stream with an average picture if the sound is clear, but they will leave quickly if the audio is quiet, harsh, echoing or clipping. Audio is the part of a stream where small changes make the largest difference, and most of the improvements below cost nothing.
Pick the right type of microphone
| Type | Pros | Cons | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headset microphone | Cheap, always the same distance from your mouth | Often thin sound, picks up breathing and game audio leakage | Getting started, noisy rooms |
| USB condenser or dynamic mic | Plug and play, good quality for the price | Fewer upgrade options | Most solo streamers |
| XLR dynamic mic with an interface | Excellent rejection of room noise, upgradeable | More cost and setup | Streamers who want to grow their setup |
Condenser microphones are sensitive and pick up keyboards, fans and room echo. Dynamic microphones are less sensitive and, used close to the mouth, ignore much of the room, which is why many streamers in untreated rooms prefer them.
Placement matters more than price
- Keep the microphone a hand's width, about 10 to 15 centimetres, from your mouth, aimed slightly off-axis to reduce harsh "p" and "b" sounds.
- Use a boom arm so the mic is not on your desk, where it picks up keyboard thumps and vibration.
- Add a pop filter or foam cover if you have plosive sounds.
- Keep the distance constant. Moving closer and farther changes your volume more than any setting.
Set your levels
Digital audio has a ceiling. Beyond it the sound distorts and cannot be repaired afterwards. A practical target is for your normal speaking voice to peak in the yellow area of your meter, roughly between minus 12 and minus 6 dB, and never touch the red. Do this:
- Set the gain on your microphone or interface so that normal speech peaks near minus 10 dB.
- Speak loudly or laugh as you would in an exciting moment and check that it stays out of the red.
- Only then adjust the overall volume in your streaming software. Gain controls how much signal enters; volume only changes it afterwards.
Balance voice, game and music
Your voice should sit clearly above the game. Many streamers place the game around minus 20 to minus 14 dB and the voice around minus 10 to minus 6 dB, then adjust by ear. Send music, alerts and voice chat to separate tracks or sources so you can control each. Listening only on speakers hides problems, so check on headphones and on a phone speaker too.
Reduce noise and echo
- Soft surfaces: curtains, rugs, bookshelves and a bed absorb echo. Even hanging a blanket behind the microphone helps.
- Turn off fans and air conditioning during streams where possible, or move the computer away.
- Noise suppression filters in streaming software remove constant hiss; modern AI-based options work well but can make a voice sound slightly processed if pushed too far.
- Noise gate: mutes the mic when you are not speaking. Set the threshold just above your background noise so it does not cut off the ends of words.
Useful filters, in the right order
If you use filters on your microphone source, a typical order is: noise suppression, noise gate, equalizer (a gentle reduction of low rumble under about 80 Hz), compressor, then limiter. A compressor evens out loud and quiet moments; a limiter acts as a safety net against sudden peaks. Use small amounts. Heavy processing sounds worse than none.
Avoid echo from your own speakers
If viewers hear the game or their own voices coming back through your microphone, you are likely using speakers. Wear headphones while you stream, and when you use voice calls with guests, use headphones so the guest's voice does not leak into your microphone.
Check before every stream
- Record 20 seconds and listen to it back on headphones.
- Look for clipping, hum, keyboard noise and sudden volume jumps.
- Confirm that your microphone is the active device in your software and is not muted.
For the audio section of an OBS layout, see OBS scenes, sources and audio. For music choices that will not get your stream muted, see music and copyright on live streams. If you stream from the browser, the same rules apply, and going live from your browser explains what you can and cannot control there.