Camera & setup
How to Sound Better on Video Calls
If you want to know how to sound better on video calls, start with distance: get a microphone within a hand's span of your mouth, set your input level so a laugh doesn't distort, and talk in a room with some soft surfaces. Those three changes fix most thin, muffled or echoey voices before you spend anything.
Below you'll find a quick way to diagnose your voice, what each type of mic does well, how to set levels on Windows and Mac, how to speak so people from other countries follow you easily, and the upgrade path if you decide to buy something.
Diagnose your voice in two minutes
Record yourself with the mic you use for calls. Read two sentences at normal volume, then say one loudly, as if you were laughing at a joke. Listen back on headphones, not speakers, and match what you hear to the table.
| What you hear | Likely cause | Try this first |
|---|---|---|
| Muffled, dull | Mic covered, facing away, or under clothing | Uncover it and point it at your mouth |
| Thin and far away | Mic too far, often a laptop's built-in mic | Use any headset or earbuds with a mic |
| Hollow, like a bathroom | Hard, bare room reflecting your voice | Move to a room with soft furnishings |
| Crackly or harsh when loud | Input level too high | Lower input volume until loud speech stays clean |
| Very quiet | Input too low or the wrong mic selected | Raise the level; check which mic the browser uses |
| Robotic or warbling | Weak connection or heavy noise suppression | Get closer to Wi-Fi; turn off extra audio processing |
If your voice sounds muffled only when wireless earbuds are connected, jump to the Bluetooth note below.
Built-in mic, earbuds, headset or USB mic?
Laptop and webcam microphones
Convenient and always there, but they sit an arm's length away, so they capture the room almost as loudly as you. They also hear every keystroke and fan whir.
Phone microphones
Surprisingly good when the phone is propped close to you and the bottom edge isn't covered by a hand or a thick case.
Wired earbuds with an inline mic
Often the best value: the mic sits near your chin and costs little. Watch for cable rustle against clothing.
Bluetooth earbuds and headsets
Comfortable and cable-free, but when the microphone is in use, many switch to a call mode with narrower sound quality, so you can sound thinner than you expect. If the mic won't work at all, see Bluetooth headset mic not working.
Wired headsets with a boom mic and USB desk mics
A boom mic stays at the same distance from your mouth however you move, which makes it the most consistent option. A USB desk mic can sound the richest, but only when it's close and aimed correctly; on the far side of a desk it can sound worse than a headset.
Best mic setup for video chat: distance and aim
- Boom mic: two finger-widths from the corner of your mouth, slightly off to the side to avoid breath pops on p and b sounds.
- Desk mic: a hand's span away, about 6 to 8 inches, pointed at your mouth. Check the manual to see whether the mic picks up from the top or the side; aiming the wrong part is a common mistake.
- Laptop: sit a little closer and keep your face toward the screen. Turning your head away drops your volume immediately.
- Phone: keep it propped at a steady distance rather than moving it around in your hand.
A desk mic picks up thumps through the desk. Put it on a folded towel or a small stand, and don't rest your arms on the same surface.
Improve mic quality with the right input level
Input level is how loud your microphone signal is before it leaves your device. Too low and you sound distant; too high and loud moments crackle.
- Windows: Settings → System → Sound, choose your microphone under Input, and adjust its input volume in the device properties.
- Mac: System Settings → Sound → Input. Pick your microphone, then watch the input level meter as you talk and adjust the input volume slider.
Aim for normal speech filling the meter around halfway, with loud laughs staying below the top. Omlet asks your browser to turn on automatic volume control, so if you notice the level slider moving on its own during a call, that's the browser adjusting it.
Also confirm the browser is using the mic you think it is. Our guide on how to test your webcam and microphone shows how to check both.
Make your room sound smaller
Hard walls, floors and windows bounce your voice back into the mic a split second late, which sounds hollow. Soft surfaces absorb those reflections.
- Sit in a room with a rug, curtains, a sofa or a bed rather than an empty office or kitchen.
- Face toward the softest part of the room; the mic hears what's in front of you most.
- Hang a blanket or towel on a chair behind your screen for the length of a call.
- Avoid sitting in a bare corner, where reflections pile up.
A bookshelf or a plant behind you helps both how you sound and how you look; there are more ideas in video call background ideas. For hums, traffic and typing, see how to reduce background noise.
Speak so people from other countries follow you
On Omlet you might meet someone from anywhere in the world, often in their second or third language, and always over a connection with a small delay. A few habits make a big difference:
- Slow down a little and leave a short pause at the end of each sentence.
- Finish your sentences clearly instead of trailing off; the ends of words carry meaning.
- Wait a beat before replying, so you don't talk over each other on a delayed line.
- Swap slang and idioms for plain words, and spell names or places in the text chat.
- Smile while you talk; it changes the sound of your voice and is easy to hear.
When you're ready to try it, start a random video chat and ask your first match whether you're coming through clearly. Most people are happy to say.
Upgrades worth paying for, in order
Fix distance, level and room first. If you still want better sound, upgrade in this order, testing after each step:
- Wired earbuds or a headset with a mic. The cheapest, biggest jump from a laptop's built-in mic.
- A headset with a boom mic. More consistent distance and better isolation from the room.
- A USB microphone with a small arm or stand. Fuller sound if you'll keep it close and aimed at you.
- Soft furnishings. A rug or heavy curtains help every mic you'll ever use.
Before buying a mic, check whether your current one is simply set too low or too far away. Many "bad mics" are good mics in the wrong place.