One of the most common podcast setups are the podcast setups for two, so we are here to give you a detailed run down of the top ten best podcast setups for two! 🏆
What can seem like a simple, easy setup can get complicated very quickly if you do not first plan it out and think through all the details.
Lucky for you, we have already done that part! 🤓
In each of the setups below, we have thought through the technical and practical details. We provide you with a list of the equipment you will need. Also we provide you with explanations of why we picked what we picked.
Ready? Let’s go! 🚀
10 Best Podcast Setups for Two
Here is our full list. Select one to jump to the section where we outline the setup in detail.
- The Long Distance Co-Host on a Budget
- The Long Distance Co-Host with Investment
- The In-Person Co-Host on a Budget
- The In-Person Co-Host with Investment
- The Serial Remote Interviews on a Budget
- The Serial In-Person Interviews on a Budget
- The Serial In-Person Interviews with Investment
- The On-The-Go
- The Video
1. The Long Distance Co-Host on a Budget
You and a friend have decided to start a podcast together. Congratulations! It will be a great way for you all to spend time together even though you live hundreds of miles away from each other. Plus, your audience is going to love your banter. 😍
Now you just have to figure out the setup.
Here is what we suggest for this version of podcast setups for two. ✌️
Microphones: Blue Yeti
Both you and your long distance co-host should buy a Blue Yeti podcast microphone. You can find them for around $100 each. 🎙️
There is a reason that these microphones are so popular. They are USB plug and play. Also, you can plug your headphones straight into the microphone to monitor the audio. Plus, you can control the microphone’s gain with a knob right on the microphone itself. They also have a mute button right on the microphone so you and your co-host can mute yourselves when you are not talking, resulting in cleaner audio.
Just be sure that you both have your Blue Yetis set to cardioid mode so the microphone only picks up your voice, not sounds around the room. 🔈
Microphone Stand: Comes with Blue Yeti!
When you are on a budget, there is nothing like hearing “oh you do not need that gear.” Well, you are in luck! The Blue Yeti microphones come with stands so you do not need to buy any!
Headphones: Sony MDR-7506
You and your long distance co-host should each purchase a Sony MDR-7506 headset. You can find them for under $100. 🎧
They fit into the 3.5mm TRS outlet on the Blue Yeti. They are closed back so help keep out distracting noise while you focus on monitoring your audio.
Remote Recording Platform
A free Riverside.fm plan should work for you and your friend to record your episodes. It will record each of your mics as different tracks so you can easily edit after recording. 💻
2. The Long Distance Co-Host with Investment
Your long distance business colleague and you are going to start a podcast for your company. This is going to be great marketing and lead generation for your firm! You company has set aside a modest budget to really invest in the quality so you have your pick of podcast setups for two. 💰
Here is the best setup for the job!
Microphones: Rode Podcaster
You and your business associate should each buy a Rode Podcaster microphone. They cost around $230 each.
They are USB microphones so they will work well with remote recording platforms by plugging straight into your computer. These mics are dynamic and have a tight polar pattern so you can be assured that they are only picking up your voice. They come with an internal shock mount and pop filter. These models are made of metal and have a ten year warranty so you know they will last. 😀
Microphone Stands: Rode PSA1
Both you and your colleague should purchase a Rode PSA1 boom arm that you can either clamp or mount to your desks. It can rotate 360 degrees and will keep the microphone exactly where you move it, ensuring you get the best audio recording. It is a perfect match for the Rode Podcaster mic. 🤝
Headphones: Rode NTH-100
Since you have a Rode mic and a Rode stand, let’s make it a trifecta with Rode NTH-100 headphones. They cost $150 dollars. This pair of podcast headphones has a 3.5mm jack to fit perfectly in your Rode Podcaster. The ear cups will prevent audio leakage and its comfortable design will help you last through long recording sessions. 🏋
Remote Recording: Riverside.fm Pro Plan
Get a Riverside.fm Pro plan to round out this setup. You can record each of your voices on different tracks, plus with this plan, you get live support whenever you need it.
3. The In-Person Co-Host on a Budget
You and your bestie who lives in the same neighborhood as you have decided to start a podcast… on a budget, of course. So your options for podcast setups for two are kind of limited.
Here’s the best setup for it:
Microphone: Blue Yeti
Stick with the Blue Yeti here, just like for the long distance on a budget setup. 👍
Just make sure to sit far enough apart that you cannot hear the other on your monitoring headphones— you only want one microphone to pick up one voice. Plug your mic into your laptop to record and have them plug their mic into their laptop to record.
Microphone Stand: Comes with Blue Yeti!
Remember, the Blue Yeti comes with its own stand so you do not need one here. Just be sure to sit in a spot where you can set the Blue Yeti close to your mouth.
Headphones: Sony MDR-7506
Again, stick to the same headphones as the long distance on a budget: the Sony MDR-7506. They work great with a Blue Yeti.
Recording Software: Comes with Blue Yeti!
The Blue Yeti microphones come with a podcast recording software called Blue Voice so that you each can record straight to your computers. It has an easy to use interface for beginners and pros alike! 📻
4. The In-Person Co-Host with Investment
You and your colleague down the hall are making a podcast for your company, with the company credit card!
Here’s the ideal setup.
Microphones: The Shure SM7B
The Shure SM7B is what we use here at Ausha to make our podcast. 🧑🚀
The microphone costs about $400. It has an air suspension construction to keep out mechanical noise, along with a pop filter to soft your “p”s when recording. This model uses a XLR cable to ensure excellent audio conduction to the recording hardware.
Microphone Stand: K&M 23840
The Shure SM7B works best with a K&M 23840 desk arm mic stand and the two are usually sold together. The arm itself costs about $120. The desk arm can be clamped or mounted to a variety of desks and tables, easily swinging out of the way when needed. When in use, it holds the microphone exactly where you want it. 😇
Headphones: Shure SRH840A
These are classic, pro headphones for producing and editing. They are closed-back and prevent audio leakage, while also being comfortable. Their price is $130.
Mixer: The Rodcaster
This setup is only complete with a podcast mixer and the best one for the job is the Rode Rodcaster. You will want to plug your microphone’s XLR cables into the mixer and then the mixer into a computer to get the full mixing and recording tools. 🎛️
If you can, hire someone to run the mixer while you and your co-host focus on the content. With a great mixer, your podcast quality will be excellent and it will reduce editing time.
5. The Serial Remote Interviews on a Budget
You have decided to start a podcast where in each episode you interview an expert somewhere in the world. You are just getting started so you do not have a big budget. So your options for podcast setups for two are kind of limited.
Here is the best setup. 💪
Microphone: Blue Yeti ✅
For this setup, you only need one microphone for yourself. For the same reasons we have listed in above setups, use the Blue Yeti.
If would be great if your remote guest could use a microphone too, but you do not have much control over that.
Microphone Stand: Comes with Blue Yeti!
Again, very budget friendly.
Headphones: Sony MDR-7506
You should buy a Sony MDR-7506 set of headphones ($100) so you can at least monitor your own audio through the Blue Yeti.
Like the microphones section, it would be great if your remote interview guest wears microphones to monitor their own audio, but you cannot really control that. 🤷
Remote Recording: Professional Zencastr Plan
Since you are saving money by not having to buy recording equipment for the people you are interviewing, you should put towards some a paid remote recording service, like Zencastr (Zoom is another good one). Zencastr does have a free plan, but you cannot get high quality .wav files with the free version. Go with the $20/month professional plan. 👈
6. The Serial Remote Interviews with Investment
You are a professional podcaster who interviews some of the most famous people all over the world. You have a budget to pick just about any podcast setups for two.
Here is the best setup for your situation. 🥇
Microphones: The Shure SM7B + Blue Yeti (to ship to guests)
For you, the host, use the Shure microphone we talked about in the “in-person, investment” setup (#4). 4️⃣
For the guest, buy a Blue Yeti to ship to them. Like we have talked about earlier, the Blue Yeti is very easy to use so your guests will not struggle to use it. Also, the Blue Yeti is pretty tough and can handle being shipped around. 📦
Microphone Stand: K&M 23840
Again, this is the same one we talked about in the “in-person, investment” setup. It works great with the Shure SM7B you will be using in this setup.
For your remote guest, their Blue Yeti comes with a stand, so again it will be super easy for them to use. 😄
Headphones: Shure SRH840A
Again, these are the same ones we talked about in the #4 setup. The Shure SRH840A gives you everything you need for podcast production at a pro level.
As for your guests, just tell them not to worry about headphones, though they can wear any kind they already have if they want. 👂
Remote Recording: Professional Zencastr Plan
The professional Zencastr Plan should work just fine with this setup.
7. The Serial In-Person Interviews on a Budget
You have decided to start a podcast about the neighborhood you live in, interviewing a new person in the area every week.
We have a setup for that! In fact it is the same setup for #3, the In-Person Co-Host Setup on a Budget. So go check it out there. 🔼3️⃣
8. The Serial In-Person Interviews with Investment
You work for a huge corporation. They want you to do an internal podcast, with each episode being an interview with an employee at the headquarters. 🏢
The perfect setup for this one is the same as the setup for #4, the In-Person Co-Host Setup with Investment. So scroll up and check that one out. 🔼4️⃣
9. The On-The-Go
You work for a local media outlet and are doing a new podcast series about your local parks. You want to do a lot of one-on-one field interviews with people at the parks.
Here is the best setup for that scenario.
Digital Recorder: Zoom F3
The first thing you are going to need for this setup is a portable digital recorder. You will be on the move so trying to record to a computer is no good. The Zoom F3 ($300) has a battery life of eight hours. It is light and tough. The digital recorder has XLR outlets for microphones, and headphone outlets to monitor to recording audio. It can record to a micro SD card or you can upload the footage straight to a computer with the USB-C option. 🖥️
Microphones: Sennheiser MD 46
Even though this is a setup for two people, you and the person you are currently interviewing, we suggest only one microphone. You should hold it. You speak into it and then hold it up to the person’s mouth who is answering the question.
The Sennheiser MD 46 is built for this exact kind of setup. It has a nice long handle that is easy to hold up to others. The mic is built to resist wind sounds or any other outdoor incidental sounds. It is an XLR microphone, meaning it will work great with the Zoom F3. It costs $200. 💵
Headphones: Sony MDR-7506
While these are technically studio headphones, they do the job in the field. It is actually pretty helpful to have highly visible headphones like these Sony ones so that passersby know that you are on the job and should not be bothered unnecessarily. 🤫
10. The Video
The final best setup we will cover for two people is the podcast video setup.
For this setup, mimic the setup for #4, the In-Person Co-Host Setup with Investment. The only thing you need to add is a video camera. 📹
Video Camera: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III Digital Camera, Video Creator Kit with Accessories
This kit is made to make professional video creation easy for the non film pro. It has a tripod, remote, and of course, a nice video camera. You will need to attach a simple external microphone so you can sync the video footage with the audio footage from your nice microphones and mixer. It has EOS capability which means you can also use it to live stream your podcast production. 📸
Final Note
As we say in all our podcasting gear blog posts, this is just meant to help you on your research journey in finding the perfect fit for your own unique needs and assets. There a ton of podcasts out there and each one has multiple variables that make their gear priorities unique. 🌈
Also, you have lots of good choices for creating excellent sound, so shop around. If you see a product on Amazon, remember to check at least one other option like B&H Photo’s website or the manufacturer’s website.
So use this guide in the way it helps you best find your own best options, and enjoy the process of finding the podcast setups for two that work best for you!
Finally, don’t forget that there are a lot of different podcast tools beyond the types we have listed here. Make sure you have the right tools every stage of production.
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