A few key accessories will improve your video and sound quality — and by extension, how “professional” your vlog looks and sounds. Below we’ve offered options for both smartphones and more advanced cameras.
A great microphone
The biggest upgrade you can make to your vlogs actually has nothing to do with your visuals — it’s the sound. Smartphones and other cameras generally offer the bare minimum when it comes to microphone audio quality. A good standalone mic can take your presentation to the next level.
Best for…
This tiny mic can clip to your clothes and record your voice exceptionally well, while cutting out background noise with Active Noise Cancellation.
If you want to cut out as much background noise as possible, such as a busy street, you’ll want to get a lavalier microphone, and our recommendation is the DJI Mic Mini.
This tiny microphone can clip to a scarf, lapel, the brim of a hat, or just about anywhere else you can think of. It pairs wirelessly via Bluetooth with any cell phone, or you can plug the included receiver into a camera with a mic port.
It has active noise cancellation and automatic limiting, which prevents the audio from getting distorted if the volume gets too high. DJI also sells a two-person kit, for those looking to record dialogue with someone else.
Best for…
For vastly improved audio capture, plug this small mic into your phone.
If you want to capture more of your surroundings (recording concerts or shows, for example), you might be better off with a small microphone you can plug into your phone. The Shure MV88 is small, but noticeably improves the sound captured on a cell phone.
The microphone has a diameter of about 1.4 inches, roughly the size of a D battery, but you can tilt it up to 90 degrees to angle it towards what you’re recording.
If you download the app (Android, iOS) you can change the microphone’s settings to best suit your particular recording situation. We used it at both a live jazz concert, and a metal concert. In both cases the audio was rich, deep, and much clearer than any audio we recorded without it.
Since this mic doesn’t have a battery, you never have to worry about charging it, but it is three times more expensive than our lav pick.
Best for…
This affordable USB microphone offers good voice quality, powerful noise reduction, and multiple ways to connect for recording. It’s perfect for vlogging from a desk or table.
If you’re interested in vlogging in a studio environment, the Maono PD200W is the best way to ensure that your videos sound great. In our tests, we found this microphone offered good sound quality, even in loud settings due to its noise-cancelling features.
Not only does the PD200W offer more connection options than any other microphone we’ve tried, it also comes with a desktop stand, a shock mount, and a multicolor LED ring light around the microphone for a little extra flash — everything you need to get started on your vlogging journey, no matter your recording setup.
A super-stable gimbal
A gimbal is an affordable accessory that can take your vlogs to the next level, whether you’re using a phone or a dedicated camera. These motorized handles counteract your arm and hand movement, stabilizing your camera so that you can record smooth video with no distracting bouncing. Think of it as a handheld, much more affordable Steadicam rig.
Best for…
A clever, compact design and a full-featured app combine to make this model the best gimbal for shooting video with a phone.
The Insta360 Flow Pro 2 is the best phone gimbal because it’s quite easy for anyone to use, is small with a long-lasting battery, and comes with helpful built-in accessories. It creates far smoother video than what a phone can do on its own, or what you can get from any software stabilization you can add in post-production.
A high-quality tripod
For many videos, you might not want to have to hold your phone or camera at all. Placing the phone on a desk, counter, or anywhere you’re recording a video is always, pun intended, handy. Doing so gives you many additional creative options, not to mention the freedom to use both hands. (If you tend to talk with your hands, it’s especially vital.)
Best for…
This small, flexible tripod also works as a selfie stick, and it can grip surfaces for a variety of placement options.
For something small that can work as a handle and can grip your camera to fence poles, benches, railings, and lots of other objects for stability, consider a smartphone tripod. We like the Joby GorillaPod 1K Kit because it’s light and highly adjustable, and it can grip onto things with its ball-jointed legs. It can also work as a short selfie stick.
To connect your phone to the tripod, you also need the Ulanzi ST-27 Metal Phone Tripod Mount Clip, which has a rotating mount that can hold any size phone comfortably and can serve as a stand on its own.
Best for…
This stable, easy-to-use, and versatile tripod has an angling center column. It gets taller and has more leg-angle positions than the other models we tested.
The Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB100 is perfect for many vloggers because it can extend horizontally to better position a camera over a desk or counter. Its legs can also pivot wider than those of most tripods, allowing you to position the camera lower to the ground.
You could also use this tripod for vlogging with your phone (though that’s a bit overkill), as long as you add something like the Ulanzi mount clip.
Essential software
To create a compelling, professional-looking video, you need to learn how to work with video-editing software, which allows you to add titles, insert graphics, combine multiple clips into longer videos, cut boring parts, and so on. It’s vital.
You can find a variety of free options, including iMovie, which is included with Apple devices. A full list of available editing apps is beyond the scope of this article, but finding one that works for you is worth the time. Popular options include Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic Design.
