Wireless Microphones

Why a phone needs a microphone

People will watch a video with a so-so picture, but they will click away from one they cannot hear. A phone's own microphone is made to pick up a voice close to the phone. Step back a couple of metres, film outdoors in a breeze or record in a room with bare walls, and it picks up the room as much as the voice: echo, traffic, the wind. A wireless microphone puts the microphone where the voice is. A small transmitter clips onto clothing near the chin, and a receiver plugs into the phone and sends the sound straight into the video.

They suit vlogging, interviews, teaching and how-to videos, live streams, and anyone who talks to camera while moving about.

The microphones here

The microphones here are clip-on lavalier kits that plug straight into the phone with nothing to install. Each has a small transmitter that clips to clothing, some with a magnetic clip as well as a back clip, and a receiver that goes in the phone's charging port. Some sets have one microphone; others have two transmitters to one receiver, for an interview or two people talking. Some come in a charging case that tops up the microphones between takes, and some have noise reduction to turn down steady background sound.

How to choose a wireless microphone

• The plug on the receiver. It must match the phone: USB-C for most recent phones, including iPhone 15 and later, or Lightning for iPhone 14 and earlier. Kits here come in a USB-C or a Lightning version, so choose the one for your phone. The guide to charging cables explains which phones use which plug.
• One microphone or two. Two transmitters to one receiver let you film an interview, or two presenters side by side.
• Charging while you film. A receiver in the phone's only port blocks the charger, so charge the phone fully before a long recording.
• Noise reduction. Useful outdoors and near traffic, though it can make a voice sound slightly thin, so try it both ways.

Phone microphone kits like these send sound on the 2.4GHz band, the same band used by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Ofcom, which looks after radio in the UK, lets people use that band for this kind of equipment without a licence. The guide to ring lights and video lights covers sound and light together.

Questions people ask about wireless microphones

Do I need an app?

Not for the kits here, which are plug-and-play. Some camera apps pick up a plugged-in microphone straight away; others need it chosen in the app's own settings. Record a few seconds and play them back with earphones before you film anything that matters.

Where should the microphone go?

Clipped to clothing about a hand's width below the chin, where a collar, a scarf or long hair will not rub against it.

Can I fix the receiver to a rig?

The receiver sits in the phone's port, so it moves with the phone. A phone rig holds the phone, a light and other kit on one frame.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• Phone rigs and cages
• Ring lights
• LED video lights
• Phone tripods
• Phone gimbals
• For creators
• Guide: Ring lights and video lights for phone filming
• Guide: Phone tripods, gimbals and selfie sticks