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So you’ve got a great idea for a podcast—or maybe you’re getting into producing. You bought a solid computer and a brand new mic. It should be a matter of weeks before you’re vaulting up the charts into celebrity status, right? Well, not so fast. You may have a million-dollar idea, but you’ll need an audio interface to get your brilliant musings from your microphone into your computer. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best audio interfaces for 2020, 2021, and on.

Whether you’re a technical whiz or a Luddite, you’ll need a small degree of technical aptitude to succeed as a podcaster. Fortunately, the best audio interfaces these days make it easy for even the least experienced podcasters to get up and running without breaking the bank or getting a degree in audio engineering. Whether you plan to record intimate interviews or record the sound of passing freight trains, the right interface can take your sound quality to a new level. Choosing the wrong unit, on the other hand, can lead to frustrating delays and costly added expenses.

The market for home audio recording equipment has exploded in the last 20 years, and there are tons of great options for podcasters. With so many choices, however, it can be hard to know what is the best audio interface for your specific podcasting needs. If you’re ready to learn a thing or two about some of the best audio interfaces from the top brands out there, then read on, and we’ll get you up to speed. From Steinberg, Native Instruments, Apogee UAD Interfaces, and more—the options are endless.

Audio Interface Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is An Audio Interface?

An audio interface is a hardware recording device that works in place of the sound card and allows computer recording software (also called digital audio workstations, or DAW), such as Ableton Live or Ableton Live Lite for your Apple IPad, Mac or Windows PC to recognize and accept audio signals from mics, instruments and other audio sources like mp3 players.

The best audio interfaces will usually have one or more mic preamps to boost the sound signal from a mic as well as inputs for various types of audio cables, including XLR inputs and 1/4″ instrument cables. In short, an interface helps your computer understand what a mic is saying during home recording.

2. How Do Audio Interfaces Work?

Audio interfaces use a process called analog-to-digital conversion to turn the electric pulses generated in a mic into a digital signal a computer can understand. They also serve as a power unit for condenser mics by offering 48v phantom power to specified inputs.

3. What Should You Look for in a Quality Audio Interface?

How Many Inputs Do You Need?

The best audio interfaces come in a wide range of styles; you’ll want to decide on your desired number of inputs, instrument inputs, keeping in mind an input for a talkback mic as well, and all sorts of other functions.

If you are working with several guitarists and singer/songwriters, consider how many mics you’ll want to record with, the carrying size of the interface, and the durability you’ll need while recording your music.

How Many Mic Preamps Do You Need?

Condenser microphones, the most-used type of microphone for recording vocals, guitar, and drums, require 48v phantom power. The more mic/lines you require, the more microphone inputs and condenser microphone preamps you’ll want to look for in your audio interface. Just because there’s a certain number of inputs doesn’t mean they all have power options. (That said, you can always buy preamps separately—but why complicate things?)

You’ll want to match the number of powered mic inputs with the number of microphones you’ll be using at a time while recording. And the total number of line inputs or plugins should match the number of devices you plan on plugging in and recording at one time.

How Many Outputs Do You Need?

You’ll also want to look at how many headphone outputs/headphone jacks you want, and how many studio monitors as well.

Also, make sure to pay attention to latency issues, the most high-quality audio interfaces will give you a real-time sound experience, which is very important for those using MIDI controllers, synths, and MIDI inputs. Most audio interfaces are equipped with a DSP or digital signal processor. It is important in such a broad market to identify your desired sample rate and price point to make shopping easier. If you get S/PDIF, it will even allow you to link audio interfaces together.

How Do They Connect?

USB-3 interfaces are faster than the now obsolete firewire. Thunderbolt is currently the fastest connection available for audio interfaces, but not all interfaces are able to utilize that connection.

4. Who Makes the Best Audio Interfaces?

Some of the best audio interface manufacturers today include Focusrite, Presonus. Mackie, Native Instruments, Audient, and Behringer. Focusrite has a great perk; they include a free plug-in suite with their interface models. All of these brands make entry-level models up to models for seasoned veterans. We’re about to cover some of them in this article!

5. Is an Audio Interface Necessary for Podcasting?

If you’re planning to record your podcast using a computer, then you will almost definitely need an audio interface. You may be able to get away with recording on a phone and then importing that audio into a recording program; you’ll have much more flexibility recording with a mic, an interface, and a computer.

A USB mic is a way to bypass an audio interface. Essentially, a USB mic is serving as the audio interface. But—if you’re going to be recording multiple voices, you’ll need multiple mics. And the more things you have to plug into the computer (rather than the interface), the more processing power will be required from your computer.

How We Reviewed the Audio Interfaces

For this review, I selected a range of the best audio interfaces from the top brands. I selected these interfaces based on price, sound quality, connectivity, and warranty.