5 Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Action Camera Audio
- gear4greatness
- Jun 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2025
5 Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Action Camera Audio
I’ve learned over the years — especially filming bike rides, walk-and-talks, and even my cats doing something ridiculous — that great video doesn’t mean much if the sound is thin, windy, or flat. Action cameras are built to survive chaos, not to capture buttery-clean audio. But with a few small tweaks, you can make your sound feel warm, clear, and surprisingly professional. And honestly, once you hear the difference, you never go back. 🎥🎧
The biggest upgrade is always the mic. I used to rely on built-ins because I didn’t want extra gear weighing me down, but once I heard what a simple external mic does — especially something like the DJI Mic 2 or the RØDE Wireless GO II — it felt like someone had taken a blanket off the sound. The dialogue opens up, the little ambient details come through, and even the air feels cleaner. A tiny dead-cat windscreen, even indoors, smooths out those harsh high-frequency spikes that action cams love to create.
Placement matters more than people think. Summer wind in Winnipeg can turn any outdoor recording into a gusty mess if your mic sits in the wrong spot. I’ve found clipping the mic inside my shirt collar works wonders when I’m walking, and on the chest strap when I’m biking. It’s like hiding the mic in its own sheltered pocket. On slower days, I’ll even mount it on a hat brim — simple, lightweight, and surprisingly good at cutting down on wind. And if the wireless pack feels bulky, that’s when a little lav mic cable saves the day.
And wind — man, wind is the eternal enemy 🌬️. I’ve ruined so many good clips because I thought the breeze “wasn’t that bad.” Dead cats. Foam covers. Camera wind-reduction settings. Anything that blocks airflow helps. I learned not to put a mic right on top of the camera because it turns into a sail up there. The trick is always to let the mic see you, not the wind.
When the camera gives you audio meters, use them. I love when I can see the levels and make sure I’m not peaking. But even if your action cam doesn’t show them, it takes 10 seconds to record a test clip before you start an actual ride or walk. You don’t want to get home, drag the clip onto the timeline, and realize your whole shoot sounds like sandpaper.
And sometimes, despite everything, the raw audio just doesn’t cut it. That’s when I shift gears and use voiceovers 🎙️✨. I’ll sit in a quiet space, plug in my DJI Mic or a simple USB mic, and talk over the footage. Honestly, narration can make the whole piece feel more intentional — almost cinematic. It’s one of those tricks that instantly elevates a simple bike ride or day-in-the-life video.
5 Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Action Camera Audio
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Final Thoughts
I’ve had those days where the video looks gorgeous — golden light, smooth stabilization, perfect angles — and then I play it back and hear nothing but wind, pops, and thin audio that just kills the vibe 💭. That’s what pushed me to start taking sound seriously, and it changed everything. Good audio makes people feel like they’re right there with you, hearing the world the way you heard it when you filmed it.
What surprised me is how small the changes really are. Moving a mic a few inches. Adding a simple foam cover. Doing one test clip before heading out. These tiny adjustments reshape the whole experience, almost like adding color-grading but for your ears. I think that’s why I’m so particular about it now — once you hear clean audio on an action cam, you can’t unhear it.
Every time I clip on the mic before a ride or a walk, it feels like I’m setting the tone for the footage before the footage even exists. The audio becomes part of the storytelling — the crunch of gravel, the spin of bike tires, the soft Winnipeg breeze on a warm day. When all of that comes through clearly, the video just hits different 🌄🎤✨.
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