Holding a microphone is the most important thing an announcer has to do in order to announce.  Without the microphone, well it’s hard to announce on an amplified sound system.  There are many options when it comes to using a microphone, but holding the microphone is an art.  Well maybe not an art, but important to best know how.  Below, you’ll see examples of the right and wrong ways to hold a microphone.

DO Hold the microphone with the head clear of any obstruction at a 45 degree angle from your mouth, speaking across the microphone.  Hold the microphone approximately 1-2 inches from your mouth.  Your elbow should be locked so if you need to move your body, the microphone moves along with you.

Smiling is always suggested when speaking on a microphone.  The smile is very important as it is amplified on the sound system showing the fans that you’re happy and want to be there.  Plus, you’re announcing, and announcing is fun!

In the picture to the left, my thumb is on the on-off switch.  If you’re using a handheld microphone, it’s a good idea to have the switch on the microphone.  The microphone you see being used is the Shure SM-58S which is one of the most popular and solid microphones you can find.  Expect to pay $120 for this microphone, and it’s worth every penny.

DO NOT We call this “The Rapper” as it is a very popular way for rap artists to hold the microphone.  This is also a nightmare for audio engineers.

What you’re doing here is limiting the amount of sound that can get into the microphone, and even amplifying sound already going in.  This does nothing to help you be understood on the microphone and even causes your announcer to come out muffled.  Covering the head of the microphone does nothing good and does not look cool.

When announcing, hold the microphone away from your face by an inch or two.

DO NOT Oh boy, the number of DJs who have had to deal with this, holding the microphone around your waist, and expecting to be heard.  You will see this at a lot of weddings where the guests giving toasts have never used a microphone before and don’t understand that just because you’re holding the microphone, doesn’t mean you’re going to be heard.  You still need to speak into the microphone in order to be heard.

Even if you turn the microphone level up, you’re going to risk unnecessary feedback and lose quality of sound.

DO NOT This is one of the most frequent DO NOTs, putting the microphone on your mouth.  It muffles the sound and if you have facial hair, it will scratch the windscreen and be heard on the speakers.

Putting the microphone into your mouth could lead to biting the microphone or banging it on your teeth.  Both of which hurt in a stepping-on-a-Lego kind of way.  You could also chip a tooth and now you’re having to make a trip to the dentist.  Keep the microphone out of your mouth.

DO NOT Holding the microphone by its base is not a good idea.  You want to hold your microphone around its center of gravity.  In this case, the microphone can flail if you move your hand or body leading to smacking you in the face or pulling away while you’re talking.

Neither of those are good for maintaining a consistent sound, and you can also cause connection issues between the XLR and the microphone.  Those aren’t necessarily easy to fix and could wind up causing issues with the microphone itself.

Also, never hold the microphone straight up.  This allows the microphone to grab too much sound and could lead to feedback.  Always hold the microphone at an angle when talking into it, it will help keep feedback from happening.

DO NOT Pointing the microphone away from your mouth does not allow your microphone to be heard.  The microphone should always be pointed toward your mouth.  That should be obvious, however we’ve seen some announcers hold the microphone like this.