Rode VideoMic ME TRRS Directional Cardioid Microphone for Smartphones and Mobile Devices

Rode VideoMic ME: Broadcast-Style Smartphone Audio Without an App or Adapter

The Rode VideoMic ME is the directional shotgun-style microphone built for any smartphone or mobile device with a 3.5 mm TRRS headset jack. It plugs straight into the phone, draws no power, requires no companion app, and starts capturing cardioid-pattern audio the moment the stock camera or voice app opens. For mobile journalists, vloggers, sermon recorders, sideline reporters, and field interviewers who film on a phone, it replaces the omnidirectional mic Apple and Samsung baked into the device with a directional pressure-gradient electret condenser that rejects everything off-axis and isolates the voice in front of the lens.

Cardioid Pickup Pattern That Cuts the Room and Keeps the Subject

The VideoMic ME uses a 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) pressure-gradient electret condenser capsule wired in a cardioid pattern. Cardioid means the mic hears most loudly in front, less to the sides, and almost nothing behind — the inverse of how a smartphone's built-in omnidirectional mic works. The practical result on a busy street or in a crowded room is a usable voice track instead of a soup of ambient noise. Sensitivity sits at -33 dB and equivalent noise level lands at 20 dB-A, so the mic stays quiet on whisper-level interview takes while still surviving a 140 dB SPL peak when the situation gets loud.

Built-In Headphone Monitoring Through the Mic Itself

A 3.5 mm TRRS headphone pass-through jack on the rear of the VideoMic ME lets you plug earbuds directly into the mic and hear exactly what's hitting the capsule during recording. That is not a common feature at this size and price — most pocket smartphone mics force you to record blind and pray the levels were right. With this mic, you confirm the take in real time and you replay the clip without unplugging anything when the shot ends. App support varies, but headphone playback of recorded video works on every iOS device with a 3.5 mm headset port.

Flexible Mounting Bracket for Rear and Front Camera Shooting

The included flexible mounting bracket swivels the capsule between rear-camera and front-camera ('selfie') orientation. When you film outward, the cardioid lobe points at the subject in front of the lens. When you flip to vlog or speak to the camera yourself, the bracket rotates so the lobe points at you. The bracket holds a wide range of phone widths, and the reinforced ABS body keeps the whole unit at 1.2 oz (34 g) — light enough that handheld shooting feels normal, not top-heavy.

Plug-and-Play With No Batteries and No App

The VideoMic ME is plug-and-play in the strictest sense — power comes through the TRRS connection, no AA cells, no internal lithium, no USB charging. There is no Rode Capture app required and no firmware to update. Open the camera app, plug the mic in, record. Modern phones that have dropped the 3.5 mm headset jack will need a Lightning-to-TRRS or USB-C-to-TRRS adapter (the original Apple Lightning headset adapter works); legacy iPhones, older iPads, every Android with a headset jack, and most field recorders accept it natively.

WS9 Furry Windshield in the Box for Outdoor Filming

Indoor work is handled by the included open-cell foam pop filter — it tames plosives ('p' and 'b' pops) and light room noise. Outdoor work is handled by the included WS9 deluxe furry windshield (also called a 'dead cat'). The synthetic long-pile fur breaks wind energy before it reaches the capsule, so the audio stays clear at the beach, on a hike, on a city street, or in any open environment that destroys built-in phone mics. Both windscreens slide on and off in seconds. Nothing else has to be ordered to start filming outside the day the kit arrives.

Who the Rode VideoMic ME Is For

This is the upgrade for the creator who is filming everything on a phone today and wants the audio to match the camera. First-time buyers get a single-purchase audio upgrade with a windshield already in the box. Mobile journalists and field reporters get directional pickup that survives outdoor conditions. Vloggers and TikTok creators get a swivel mount that works for both selfie and outward-facing shots. Sermon recorders, sideline reporters, and event coverage shooters get broadcast-style intelligibility from a 1.2 oz unit that lives in a pocket. If your phone has a 3.5 mm TRRS jack — or you're willing to run a small adapter — this is the cleanest path from smartphone audio to broadcast-grade audio.