What equipment do I need to start doing Instagram Live?

You don’t need any specialized equipment whatsoever to start. It works perfectly fine using just your phone on speakerphone—no wired earbuds, AirPods, or headphones required. You can lean the phone against a book, use a simple stand, prop it on a tripod, use a selfie stick, have someone hold it, or wedge it in your car dashboard. The more raw and unpolished it is, the better it actually works. If you want to level up later, you can add wireless earbuds or headphones, then maybe a tripod, then a ring light, then a wireless microphone (around $80), and eventually broadcasting software. But to get started, just your phone is completely sufficient. Bad lighting is forgivable; bad audio makes people leave, so just make sure you don’t have music blaring in the background.

---

Asked by an artist wondering about technical requirements · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-02-24