Best Mic for Filming Yourself: Lav vs Shotgun (UK YouTube Guide)

Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links (including Amazon). If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear and upgrade paths I genuinely believe are sensible for creators.

Lavalier vs Shotgun Mic for YouTube (UK): Which Sounds Better in Real Rooms?

If you film yourself for YouTube, you’ll hit this decision quickly:

• Do you clip a lav mic to your clothing (wired or wireless)?
• Or do you use a shotgun mic on the camera or just out of frame?

Both can sound brilliant. Both can also sound awful if used in the wrong way.

This guide is aimed at real-world rooms: spare bedrooms, home offices, living rooms — not perfect studios.

Quick answer / TL;DR (snippet-friendly)

For most YouTubers filming themselves in normal rooms, a lav mic often sounds better than a shotgun mic because it sits close to your mouth and captures less room echo. A shotgun mic can sound excellent if it’s close and aimed correctly (just out of frame on a boom), but a shotgun on top of the camera is often too far away for clean “YouTube voice” audio. If you want simple and consistent for talking head, start with a lav. If you want the mic hidden and can place it close, use a shotgun on a boom.

The 60-second decision tree

Lav vs shotgun (plain English)

Lavalier mic (lav): a small mic clipped to your clothing (wired or wireless). It’s close to your mouth, so it captures more voice and less room.

Shotgun mic: a directional mic designed to focus on what it’s aimed at. It works well when it’s close and pointed correctly — it does not magically “reach” from across the room.

Which sounds better in real rooms?

In typical UK homes (hard walls, small rooms, desks), a lav mic often wins because it reduces the number one audio killer:

distance.

A shotgun can sound excellent, but only if it’s placed close (often on a boom, just out of frame). A shotgun sat on the camera is frequently too far away for the “clean YouTube voice” sound people expect.

If your room is echoey, this will help too:

• Reduce echo in a small room (YouTube audio fix)

When a lav mic wins (best use cases)

• Talking head videos where you’re on camera and want consistent voice volume
• Standing videos (whiteboard, presenting, fitness, demos)
• Small rooms where echo gets worse the further the mic is from you
• Creators who value speed (clip on, hit record, done)

Common lav downsides: clothing rustle, placement mistakes, and sometimes a slightly “closer” sound that needs mild EQ.

When a shotgun mic wins (best use cases)

• You want no mic visible but still want clean audio
• You can place the mic close (boom stand, just out of frame)
• Interviews where you can aim the mic between two people
• Outdoor filming with proper wind protection

Common shotgun downsides: if it’s far away, it gets room echo; if it’s aimed badly, it sounds thin and distant.

Placement rules (so they don’t sound bad)

Lav mic placement (simple and effective)

• Clip the lav a hand-span below your chin
• Aim it up toward your mouth
• Keep it away from zips, necklaces, loose fabric
• Do a quick head-turn test to check rustle

Shotgun placement (what actually works)

• Best result: just out of frame, aimed at your mouth/chest area
• If it’s on-camera, keep the camera close — don’t film wide and expect clean audio
• Indoors: aim carefully and keep distance short

Reality check: a shotgun 1–2 metres away in a small room will often sound worse than a £20 lav placed correctly.

Fixes for common problems

Problem	Most common cause	Fix
Shotgun sounds echoey	Mic too far away	Move it closer (boom just out of frame) or switch to lav
Lav sounds rustly	Clothing movement / loose fabric	Re-clip on stable fabric; avoid necklaces/zips
Lav sounds “boomy”	Placed too low / too close	Move slightly higher; gentle EQ if needed
Shotgun sounds thin	Aim wrong / off-axis	Aim at mouth/chest and reduce distance
Wireless lav dropouts	Signal/positioning issues	Keep receiver clear line-of-sight; check battery and placement

Lav vs shotgun (comparison table)

Factor	Lavalier mic	Shotgun mic
Room echo	Usually better (close to mouth)	Can be worse if far away
Ease of use	Very fast (clip on)	Best when positioned carefully
Visible on camera	Often visible (unless hidden)	Can be fully hidden off-frame
Movement	Great (especially wireless)	Harder if you move a lot
Outdoor wind	Can be tricky (needs protection)	Strong with proper wind protection

Upgrade order (what to fix first)

Before you spend more money, do this in order:

Order	Fix	Why it matters
1	Get closer to the mic	Reduces echo and boosts clarity instantly
2	Improve placement	Prevents thin, harsh or rustly audio
3	Soften the room near you	Less reflection = cleaner voice
4	Choose mic format based on your filming style	Lav for consistent voice, shotgun for hidden mic when close

What not to do

• Don’t put a shotgun mic on the camera and expect it to sound like a lav. If it’s far away, the room wins.
• Don’t clip a lav to loose fabric. Clothing rustle ruins otherwise good audio.
• Don’t rely on heavy noise reduction to “fix” bad placement. It often makes voices sound artificial.
• Don’t buy your way out of distance. Close placement is the real upgrade.
• Don’t ignore simple tests. A 10-second test recording saves hours of frustration.

Who this is not for

• Film production dialogue capture across multiple locations (different workflow and kit)
• Creators who refuse to keep the mic close to their mouth (distance changes everything)
• Studio podcast setups where the mic is always fixed and treated

Gear links

Audio pillar (start here if you’re building your whole setup):

• Sound better on YouTube without a treated studio

Related audio fixes:

• Reduce echo in a small room
• Dynamic vs condenser mic (room noise)
• USB vs XLR microphone

Creator gear hub:

• Creator Gear hub

Amazon UK searches (tagged so the session is credited):

• Amazon UK: wireless lav mics
• Amazon UK: wired lav mics
• Amazon UK: shotgun mics
• Amazon UK: boom stands
• Amazon UK: wind protection (“deadcat”)
• Amazon UK: lav mic windscreens

Related reading (internal only)

• Sound better on YouTube without a treated studio
• Reduce echo in a small room
• Dynamic vs condenser mic (room noise)
• USB vs XLR microphone
• YouTube filming setup (beginner to pro)

FAQs (People Also Ask style)

Which is better for YouTube: lav mic or shotgun mic?

For most creators filming themselves, a lav mic is often better because it’s close to your mouth and captures less room echo. A shotgun can be excellent if it’s placed close on a boom just out of frame.

Why does my shotgun mic sound echoey indoors?

Because it’s too far away. Indoors, room reflections build up quickly. Move it closer (ideally just out of frame) or use a lav mic.

Can I put a shotgun mic on my camera for YouTube?

You can, but it works best when the camera is close to you. If you film wide shots, the mic ends up far away and the room dominates.

Are wireless lav mics good enough for YouTube?

Yes, often. The biggest advantage is consistent distance to your mouth. Just watch for dropouts, battery management, and clothing noise.

How do I stop lav mic clothing rustle?

Clip it to stable fabric, avoid loose clothing, keep it away from zips/necklaces, and do a quick movement test before filming.

Is a shotgun mic better for outdoor filming?

It can be, especially with proper wind protection. Lav mics outdoors can also work but often need extra care to manage wind and clothing noise.

Can I hide a lav mic on camera?

Sometimes, yes, but it increases the risk of clothing rustle and muffled sound. If you need hidden audio, a close shotgun on a boom is often cleaner.

What mic is best for an echoey room?

Usually a lav mic or a dynamic mic placed close. The key is reducing distance and softening the room so reflections don’t dominate.

Which mic type picks up less room noise?

In most real rooms, the mic that’s closest to your mouth picks up less room. That’s why lavs often beat camera-mounted shotguns indoors.

Do I need an audio interface for lav or shotgun mics?

Not usually. Many lav and shotgun setups work via camera, phone, or simple adapters. Interfaces become useful when you want more control and monitoring.