7 Best Action Camera Microphone Attachments in (2024) [Top Picks]

Action cameras are bad when it comes to the quality of their built-in mic.

So, you’d need an additional microphone attachment to connect an external mic for recording live music, podcasting, filming hunts, or recording in a windy or noisy environment.

However, not all camera mic attachments are compatible with every action camera.

You must consider various factors like its type, power source and adaptor plug you require (ranging from 1-pin to 3-pin), budget, durability, recording range, etc.

To help you out, I have tested around 15 options and reviewed the 7 best on-camera microphone attachments from them here.

Let’s check them out!

7 Best Action Camera Microphone Attachments in (2024)

Important Note: Not all external mics work directly with the action cameras, you require an additional 3.5mm to USB adapter (or vice versa).

Once you’ve selected the mic attachment, go through my recommended action cam microphone adapters that come in a decent budget to work well with a wide range of action cameras.

1. Best Wireless Lavalier Microphone: Rode Wireless Go II

My first and foremost choice is Rode Wireless Go II, a top-rated wireless mic for Go Pro and other recording devices that support USB-C audio ports.

Its compact clip-and-go wireless design makes it versatile and convenient to use.

Despite the same design as its predecessors, it has some handy and unique features like dual channel recording, extended transmission range, universal device compatibility, onboard recording feature, etc.

Why is it a suitable choice?

The latest version comes with square and pocket-sized two transmitters and one receiver.

A transmitter has a built-in mic to record omnidirectional sound, eliminating the need for an external mic.

As it supports dual-channel recording, it works like a charm for recording interviews or for creating a backup recording of a single source with excellent sound quality.

Another handy and impressive feature is its in-built storage that stores compressed audio for about 24 hours and uncompressed one for 7 hours in internal memory.

While its predecessors offer a 70m transmission range, it provides an extended 200m range in open surroundings using the 128-bit encrypted Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission technology.

Setup & Battery Life

The entire system is very compact and convenient to use. It consists of a receiver, transmitter (1 or 2), a TRRs to TRS converter, USB-C cables and windscreens.

The transmitter needs to be attached to the subject’s clothes and the receiver to the 3.5mm input port of your desired adapter.

The windscreen reduces the ambient noise while the USB-C cables the 3.5mm TRS output to the Camera, PC, Smartphone or any other device.

After getting switched ON, the transmitter and receiver pair automatically within 10 seconds.

When placed in a congested WiFi surrounding, it auto-switch channels to capture the quality signal.

It has a built-in battery to be charged with a USB-C cable and lasts up to 7 hours, depending upon your usage.

Its central Rode mobile app allows you to set up everything and control safety modes & other features.

Conclusion

As the device offers professional-grade sound quality with a small setup that doesn’t require a lot of wires, it is perfect for outdoor recordings.

Also, its dual-band recording makes it suitable for vlogging, interviews, live streaming, on-stage presentations, filmmaking, etc.

Its versatility, ease of usage, handy features, and compact size make it stand out from the other options reviewed in this list.

2. Best Shotgun Microphone: Sennheiser Professional MKE 400

For those who need a less-expensive option, Sennheiser Professional MKE 400 mic is a great option to use with portable audio devices, 4K camcorders, and action and DSLR cameras.

It is a small, compact, high-directional shotgun mic with a lightweight super-cardioid pickup pattern that excellently reduces/eliminates the background noise to enhance the in-camera audio.

Why is it a suitable choice?

The brand is known for designing high-quality lavalier shotgun mics for action cameras, and the current popular one for content creators is MKE 400.

Its user-friendly features are suitable for beginners who want more control.

For example, its three-step sensitivity switch adds more flexibility by letting the sensitivity adjust from -20dB to 20dB, which comes in handy for dialogue-focused videos with no need for substantial background noise.

Its built-in low-cut filter reduces wind noise, while the highly directional features enhance the audio quality by rejecting audio from the background and sides and accepting it from the front only.

These features make it a great condenser mic with natural and loud audio quality.

Setup & Battery Life

It also features a headphone jack with built-in controls that comes in handy for those whose action cameras have an audio jack too.

You can use a 3.5mm jack to connect any headphones to your mic to check its sound levels before starting recording.

It also comes with a cold shoe mount to fit any shooting device.

Simply mount it on your action camera and its acoustic interference tube will directly isolate the sound in front of the microphone by eliminating the background noise.

The 3.5mm TRS and TRRS micro cable offers trouble-free connectivity with various devices, from smartphones to DSLR cameras.

The shock and water-resistant coverage with a slip-proof holding offer long durability while shooting outdoors or under harsh climatic conditions.

The mic is powered by AAA batteries that allow recording for up to 100 hours.

The mic automatically powers ON/OFF when connected to DSLR/M cameras.

Its frequency range is between 500-2000 Hz with a max sound of 132 dB.

Conclusion

You can also try its mobile kit for a better recording experience for enhanced Vlogging or live streaming experience.

The kit includes Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod, Smartphone Clamp and an MKE 400 on-camera shotgun microphone for better portability and convenience.

Its durable build quality and high-edge audio control features with built-in controls make it suitable and simple to use for all types of content creators from beginners to professionals.

3. Best for Live Streaming: SYNCO G2(A2)

Another budget-friendly lavalier microphone for action cameras that you can consider is Synco G2(A2).

It is a universal mic with a secure 2.4GHz digital transmission and Syncoder tech features, making it suitable for interviews, youtube videos and two-person recordings.

And compared to its predecessors, it comes with an upgraded  Encrypted Transmission Algorithm 2.0 for better & more stable audio quality.

Why is it a suitable choice?

The A2 variant of Synco G2 comes with two transmitters and one receiver that works simultaneously and allows you to switch between its dual and mono-stereo output modes.

It also has 0-5 level controls for better adjustability and convenience.

Its 3.5mm TRRS/TRS cable can be used with all types of cameras (only a mini-USB adapter for action cams).

It has an integrated DSP chip that optimizes the signals directly from input to output by synchronizing the capture with processing to output the results in microseconds.

This makes recording or live streaming convenient with no complicated post-production.

Setup & Battery Life

It also features an optional 150Hz low-cut function that works like a charm to offer natural & clear audio by filtering out low-frequency background noises such as wind, electronics’ or traffic noise.

Like Sennheiser Professional MKE 400, it too comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack for real-time sound monitoring during or before recording.

Also, it has a button to mute your mic during short breaks or when inactive to prevent repeatedly turning ON/OFF the device.

The entire system is compact and lightweight.

The external lavalier mic with each transmitter can be used as the lapel mic or as the bodypack transmitter during interviews, live streaming or recordings.

It works fine for the 100m range, so ideally, the receiver will pick signals excellently if a subject is standing at a 50-80m distance from yours.

The newly introduced clearer TFT screen displays recording mode, audio level, sensitivity gain, battery status, etc., through various LEDs.

It comes with a 3-in-1 charging cable to charge the entire system from 0 to full within 1.5 hours which can last up to 8 hours (depending upon your usage and settings).

Conclusion

So, overall, it is compact, lightweight and simple to use with excellent audio quality, perfectly suitable for YouTubers, vloggers and other content creators involved in face-to-face interviews or two-person recordings.

4. Best for Indoors & Outdoors: Rode VideoMic Pro R

Rode is another brand known for designing high-quality mics for professionals, and its VideoMic Pro R model is a popular shotgun microphone for GoPro and other action cameras.

It is a lightweight wired shotgun microphone suitable for recording both primary and reference audio for indoor and outdoor shoots.

Why is it a suitable choice?

It is a suitable choice for an action camera because of its excellent and professional-grade sound quality.

It has a sturdy build, making it ideal for harsh environments and outdoors.

At the same time, the built-in custom 1.5-inch condenser with a two-stage high-pass filter reduces ambient noise to deliver ultra-clean, noise-free or low-noise audio.

Not only this, but to further tune your audio from -10db to 0db or up to 20db for better sound quality, it has 3-stage gain control.

This functionality allows users to adjust the sound according to their needs when working in various environments.

It also features a high-quality foam windscreen with an integrated Rycote lyre shock mount to enhance noise isolation.

The super-cardioid pickup pattern distorts or filters the audio from backwards and sideways excellently by allowing only the front audio to capture in the mic.

Setup & Battery Life

This compact shotgun microphone has wired connectivity for all devices ranging from action cameras to camcorders, with a 3.5mm jack connector type.

Just place the shock mount on the top of any camera and use the 3.5mm jack to connect the audio output and enjoy a professional video recording experience.

The device is powered by a 9V battery that allows you to use up to 70 hours.

Also, the brand offers you a one-year warranty which can be further extended at additional cost.

Conclusion

Its compact and lightweight design with superior audio quality features makes it a preferable choice for filmmaking, dialogue-recording, run-and-gun shooting, live streaming, interviews and other types of content creation under a mid-price range.

5. Best Condenser Microphone: BOYA BY-M1

Another budget-friendly wired lavalier microphone for action cameras I totally loved is Boya By-M1.

With a maximum audio sensitivity of 30db, it works as a great lapel or collar mic for streaming and vlogging purposes for various devices, from Camcorder to smartphones.

Why is it a suitable choice?

The best thing about this compact lavalier microphone is its versatility.

You can use it not only as a lapel mic but also as a desk mic or field mic for a portable recording system.

It has an excellent noise-cancellation feature, making it suitable for voiceovers and outdoor recordings.

Along with a lapel mic, it features a high-quality condenser with a foam windscreen to reduce ambient and wind noises for better audio quality.

The frequency range of this clip-on condenser mic stretches from 65Hz to 18KHz, which is impressive.

Setup & Battery Life

It comes with a long 20-feet cable wire which is great for those who want to stay a little distant from their camera source.

It features a switchable power source for various recording modes.

For example, if you are using it as a passive source, you can switch it ON and if recording via another device with power plugged in, switch it OFF.

For simple and convenient usage, it has a 3.5mm jack connector type.

The mic runs on an LR44 button cell that works for up to 700 hours, making it suitable for travelling purposes and long shoots.

Conclusion

With its low-handling noise functionality, the mic is perfect for Vloggers, Podcasters, YouTubers, etc.

As it has an omnidirectional polar pattern, it is a good choice for round table interviews and discussions where you don’t want to place the mic in front of a person.

6. Best for Debate Events: Movo GM100

For those who are looking for a budget-friendly clip-on lavalier mic for GoPro, Movo GM100 is a great choice.

Compatible with Hero 3, Hero 3+ and Hero 4, white and silver editions, this mic comes with a GoPro 3.5mm to micro-USB adapter to work directly for these action cameras.

Why is it a suitable choice?

This wired clip-on mic features an omnidirectional pickup pattern to capture sound from all directions when recording debates, events, round tables & field interviews.

The mic can work with various cameras and recording devices without its adapter through a 3.5mm jack.

Its cushioned windscreen surrounding the condenser features excellent noise cancellation for clearer audio without wind and unwanted background sound.

Setup & Battery Life

Apart from action cameras, if you want to use this mic for smartphones, you need a TRRS connector which doesn’t come with the package.

So, you can buy it separately according to your device needs.

As it is compact and lightweight, you don’t need to carry it separately in the kit as it can perfectly fit within the standard camera cases.

This mic is different from competitors because it lacks batteries for operation.

It takes power from the camera or the recording device it is connected to and, according to the usage & device’s settings, lasts for several hours.

It comes with a 1-year of free warranty to offer great value.

In case of any technical assistance, you can contact their US-based customer support.

Conclusion

Its superb audio quality, compact design and ease of usage make it perfect for field interviews, vlogging and live streaming.

7. Best TRS Omnidirectional Mic: Saramonic SR-XM1

Lastly, there is a Saramonic SR-XM1 TRS omnidirectional microphone for GoPro, Action cameras, Recorder, Mixers and various transmitting devices.

Why is it a suitable choice?

Being ultra-lightweight and compact, with no cables attached, it is one of its kind for simple plug-and-play usage.

It features a unidirectional design to capture crystal-clear audio from the front of the mic by attenuating the sidewards and backwards audios.

It has a 3.5mm TRS jack that can be directly plugged into a recording device for the audio output.

Setup & Battery Life

The built-in swivel allows the mic to rotate for 180 and 360 degrees in 3.5mm input.

The cushioned windscreen with an integrated shock mount prevents unwanted vibration and background noises, enhancing the audio quality.

The mic doesn’t require any batteries for its operation as it directly draws the power from the connected device.

It is compatible with a wide range of devices due to its 3.5mm TRS connector, making it the best-rated DJI Osmo action external mic available in a low price range.

Although to connect it to some action cameras, you might need a TRS USB connector.

Conclusion

As it is a compact and lightweight mic, it is suitable for traveling purposes, musicians, journalists or any on-the-spot recordings.

You don’t need a separate kit to store as it can simply fit in your pocket.

All these features make it a unique, simple and low-budget external mic for action cameras, mobile phones and other recording devices.

Recommended Action Camera Adapters

1. Movo GMA100

For GoPro Hero3, Hero3+ and Hero4 silver, black and white versions, this Movo GMA 100 female cable adapter works like a charm.

It is a versatile heavy-duty 3.5mm to USB cable with high-quality connectors that maintains the audio quality with no latency or distortion.

You can plug the 3.5mm jack into the connector type of your mic while the USB-C end gets connected to the recording device to build a smooth audio connection.

However, it is not compatible with any other version of GoPro except the ones mentioned above, so purchase accordingly.

2. GoPro Pro 3.5mm

For higher versions of GoPro action cameras, from Hero 5 Black to Hero 8 black, the design has been made simpler with this official GoPro 3.5mm adapter.

It features a USB-C power and data extension with a 90-degrees female-to-male connector.

The adapter allows you to connect a vast range of 3.5mm mics with GoPro Hero 5 to Hero 8 black cameras for high-quality audio recording.

It uses a 160db Stereo analog-to-digital converter to work smoothly with external audio sources.

You can plug the USB connector into your GoPro camera and drag the rest of the unit in its case to hold firmly.

Then attach your external mic’s 3.5mm connector to its jack, and you are all set for recording.

3. GoPro Media Mod

For Hero9, Hero10, and Hero11 black variants, a more professional version of the adapter exists in the form of GoPro Media Mot.

It is a wraparound adapter with a built-in directional mic that attaches to the USB socket of GoPro action cams.

It also features two cold shoe mounts to connect external mics, LCD screens or lights.

There is a mini HDMI port to monitor your video or recording.

The 3.5mm port lets you connect an additional external mic for enhanced audio.

It is compatible with third-party accessories and exclusively designed for GoPro Display Mod and Light Mod.

4. Dual USB-C to 3.5mm Adapter

This Dual USB-C 3.5mm adapter is designed specifically for the Osmo DJI action external mic.

It allows you to connect the external 3.5mm TRS mics with improved audio quality.

It has a USB-C port for data transferring and battery charging while using the external microphone, eliminating the need for battery replacement for long shoots.

However, it doesn’t work with USB-C to USB-C cables.

It is a durable, compact and lightweight adapter that works with DJI Osmo action and action 2 cameras with or without the official action frame.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

So, these are the seven best suitable action camera microphone attachments that you can consider depending on your recording requirements, the environment in which you are recording, budget and device compatibility.

• As a beginner, you can opt for Sennheiser MKE Professional 400 mic for its simplicity and ease of use.
• For professional-grade sound quality during filmmaking, vlogging or dialogue recording, Rode VideoMic Pro R is a great choice.
• For versatile and portable recordings, Boya By M1 omnidirectional condenser microphone is a great choice.
• Go for the Rode Wireless Go II if you are looking for the best external mic for GoPro motorcycle or Hero action cams particularly.