The built-in microphone on your iPhone is pretty decent for a phone, but it won't do your voice justice if you're regularly recording YouTube videos, podcasts or interviews.

The iPhone microphone may add too much fuzz or pick up too much room tone, which is why you may want to invest in an iPhone microphone.

Whether you're recording a podcast or you're on a conference call, a standalone microphone will help you sound your best.

We narrowed down our iPhone microphone picks based on ease of use, gain control, headphone jack, price, and other niceties such as mobile compatibility, pop filter, mute button and warranty.

Best Microphone for iPhones

Here are the best microphones for your iPhone to jumpstart your project.

1. RØDE VideoMic Me-L

The RØDE VideoMic Me-L is a compact, rugged but reliable cardioid microphone for iPhone that offers clear sound thanks to its cardioid polar pattern and windscreen.

The high-quality directional microphone has a deluxe furry windshield for crystal clear audio when shooting in adverse weather or outdoors, and a 3.5mm jack you can plug into headphones to monitor your audio.

You don't need a battery to use the RØDE VideoMic Me-L microphone as it plugs into your iPhone effortlessly via the Lightning port. Plus, its durable aluminum body and portable design means you can pop it in your bag and take it on adventures like traveling or camping.

The microphone connects directly to the TRRS/headphone socket, and its mounting bracket fits the front (selfie) or primary (back) camera on your iPhone.

Other than that, it's a fairly affordable iPhone microphone, but with a shorter sound range compared to other mics on this list.

2. Jabra Evolve 40

The Jabra Evolve 40 is a reliable on-ear headset with active noise cancelling to minimize distracting outside sounds. In addition, its leather-feel cushions ensure you enjoy a comfortable fit during long phone calls throughout your workday.

The headset is perfectly adapted to its desired use both on your iPhone and when using conference calling apps like Zoom or Skype. You get a clear connection, long battery life for computer calls, an excellent mic, and better sound for music between calls.

Plus, it's light to wear, has a long cord that appears to be over-braided with indestructible material, and a 3.5mm jack that allows you to connect your headset to your iPhone. When not in use, you can fold up the cord into a tiny zippered carry case and store safely in your backpack.

3. Blue Yeti

While a headset microphone can do the job, a USB microphone will give you really good sound for a podcast, informal voice-over, video call or live stream.

Blue Yeti is the best microphone for iPhone for several reasons. Among them include its cross compatibility with Apple, Windows and Linux devices, variety of sound capturing modes regardless of where you're recording from, and support for plug-and-play connectivity.

The microphone has a gain control knob to help you control recording audio and over streaming, a mute button and a headphone jack for instrument recording and zero-latency voice monitoring.

A USB power cord is included, which works with USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports so you can get all the power you need to use the microphone. Plus, its swivel stand can be used on desktops, or you can remove it to place the mic on a custom stand or boom arm to customize your recording space.

The Yeti balances professional recording quality capabilities with its clear and rich recordings, and comes in three colors: Blackout, Midnight Blue and Silver.

4. Shure MV5

If you liked the Blue Yeti microphone, then you'll love the Shure MV5 microphone. This little orb captures your voice clearly, delivers great sound, and is easy to pack in a bag compared to other mics.

The single-voice microphone disassembles into the size and shape of a stress ball and doesn't hog your desk space so you'll hardly notice it's there. Plus, you can plug it directly into your iPhone using Lightning or Micro-USB cables.

Other niceties that come with this microphone include impressive gain control, a direct-monitoring headphone jack, mute button, and three digital signal processor (DSP) presets.

However, the MV5 isn't as sturdy or stable as other mics, so you'll have to prop it up to match your speaking height when recording your audio or video. Plus, it only has the cardioid pattern, meaning you don't get a variety of sound capturing modes like you would with the Blue Yeti.

Shure also offers an iOS app so you can quickly record and share, with clip trimming, more presets to equalize your recordings, and a live visual monitor.

5. Movo VXR10

If you're looking for a shotgun microphone for iPhone that comes with loads of extras for recording TikTok videos, YouTube vlogs, tutorials or live events, the Movo VXR10 is your mic.

The microphone has a double aluminum build that makes it feel premium, a furry windscreen that eliminates wind noise when shooting outdoors, and a sturdy, integrated shock mount to minimize handling noise.

Thanks to the mic's cardioid condenser capsule, which eliminates peripheral noises, you can focus on your recording, and not have to do much editing later on as it picks up a wide range of pitches and sounds.

You can connect the microphone to your iPhone using the TRS to TRRS cable, and you won't need any batteries to power it since the mic is phantom powered; just plug it in and it works.

Sound quality is good for audio and video recording, whether you use it with your iPhone or other device. However, you will need a Lightning to headphone jack adapter if you're using it with an iPhone 7 or newer models.

6. Shure MV88

Shure's MV88 microphone model is a high-quality digital microphone for iPhone that mounts easily at the bottom of your device.

You can rotate the mic head or adjust the mic itself up to 90 degrees for precise positioning whether you're recording an interview, talk, or band practice. The mic also connects directly to your iPhone using a Lightning cable, and you can use the native ShurePlus MOTIV app to adjust gain levels, modify EQ settings, change stereo width, or edit, record and combine audio for your projects.

The mic has a sleek, retro design, solid all-metal build, stereo and directional pickup, a headphone adapter, foam windscreen and carrying case. Plus, you get five different preset modes ideal for recording in any situation.

Sound Your Best Self

If you're on the market for a microphone to use with your iPhone, you probably have a specific purpose in mind for it.

However, not all mics are the same. What works for music may be a disaster for live streaming games, and what you need for a podcast may not deliver the pristine signal that a top-flight mic for musicians does.

All this can make finding the best microphone for iPhone a little tricky. No matter which microphone you choose, our top picks offer flexibility, great audio quality, durability and portability for all your recording needs.