What Audio and Video Equipment to Buy for a Top Quality Webinar

If you're wondering what webinar equipment to buy, your ultimate success will depend on the quality of your sound and video.

For your content to feel professional, you can't just rely on the built-in camera and microphone on your laptop. 

This article will help you figure out what video and sound equipment to buy so you can produce your webinars professionally from the get go.

What Webinar Equipment Do You Need to Buy?

1. Adjustable Microphone

To be able to deliver a professional webinar product, the quality of your sound is key.

Microphones that are built into devices like laptops and tablets are simply not capable of delivering the top quality sound of a studio mic.

The ideal microphone for a professional quality webinar is a condenser mic.

These are the types of sound devices that can capture the richness of your voice in the widest possible frequency range.

While a decade or two ago, these microphones cost a thousand dollars plus, you can now get a top-of-the-line condenser mic for under $400.

Since these microphone are so sensitive, you need to mount them on an adjustable boom with shock absorbers.

This article lists a number of excellent webinar microphones that we recommend for your online presentations. 

2. Studio-Quality Headset

Another important accessory you need in your webinar studio is a professional quality set of headphones.

Most computers come with feedback-cancelling software to prevent sound from your speakers from leaking into your mic. But you’ll never get true professional sound without isolating your inputs from your outputs.

By using a good set of headphones, you’re allowing your audio to be captured in its purest form, without interference from external speakers.

Not unlike podcasts, webinars are up-close and personal broadcasts, where audiences expect the voice of the host to have no reverb or strange echos. This is the reason why radio and professional podcast hosts wear headphones.

Now, since this device constantly applies pressure to the sides of your head, you want to wear something light and well padded.

This article lists the top headphones for webinar hosts we recommend, in terms of both sound quality as well as comfort.

3. Full HD Webcam

Finally, in order to produce a professional-looking webinar, you don’t want to rely on built-in webcams that come with your laptop or tablet.

If you’re doing on-screen demos, you want to capture high-def video from a detached webcam mounted on your monitor.

If you're filming a group of panelists instead, then you want your camera to be on a tripod.

While top of the line HD webcams were expensive when they first came out, they’ve come down in price quite a lot over the last few years.

For our best recommendations, read this article for the best webinar camera equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a microphone for webinars?

Technically, you don’t need an external microphone, the built-in mic on your device should do.

Yet, in order to sound professional, you’ll be much better off with a quality external microphone that you can connect directly to your computer.

The most popular setups are a condenser or dynamic microphone with an audio mixer, or a USB condenser microphone connected to your computer.

Do I need a headset for a webinar?

If you're an attendee, a headset will give you privacy and give quiet to those around you.

If you’re a host, you don’t need to wear one, provided your computer has good built-in echo cancelling to prevent your speakers from bleeding into your mic.

But for professional sounding webcams, a pair of headphones is highly recommended.

Do I need a webcam?

If you’re attending a webinar, the camera on your device will be sufficient.

However, if you’re presenting and wish to have broadcast-quality video, then an HD webcam is advisable.

Should I buy a mic for zoom?

As an attendee this is not really necessary since the built-in mic of your device will be more than adequate for Zoom video conferencing.

How Much Should I Budget for Webinar Equipment?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer here, as the amount you'll need to budget for equipment will vary depending on how professional a product you want.

For an amateurish webinar, you can probably get away with a simple webcam with a built-in mic.

But without appropriate lighting and soundproofing equipment, all you'll get is a noticeably sub-standard product.

Excluding the cost of your computer, in order to produce a professional-looking and sounding webinar you'll need to budget for:

An external microphone and boom: $120-$600.

Headphones: $60-$300.

A webcam: $60-$200.

Lighting equipment: $40-$300.

Soundproofing tiles: $30-$100.

So, the low-high range you can expect is $300-$1,500.

Conclusion

Knowing what webinar equipment to buy for your event is critical for achieving a high level of production quality.

While there’s a bit of cost associated with these purchases, this is a decision you’ll never regret as you get to enjoy many years of productive use.