Bedroom to Release: A Beginner’s Guide to Building a Home Studio on a Budget
You don’t need a mixing desk the size of a car to make great-sounding music. Plenty of songs you’ve heard on the radio started life in a spare room. Here’s what you really need to get going – and what can wait.
The essentials
- A computer you already own. Most modern laptops are perfectly capable of running recording software.
- Recording software. There are free and low-cost options that do far more than most beginners will ever need.
- An audio interface. This little box connects your microphone and instruments to your computer. A simple two-input model is plenty to start with.
- One good microphone. A decent all-rounder will handle vocals, acoustic guitar and more.
- Closed-back headphones. Essential for recording without the backing track bleeding into your mic.
The room matters more than the kit
An expensive microphone in an echoey room will still sound echoey. Record in the smallest, softest space you have – rugs, curtains, a sofa and a full bookcase all help. Some of the best home vocals ever recorded were done surrounded by coats in a wardrobe.
What can wait
Studio monitors, extra plug-ins, a second microphone and fancy controllers are all nice to have, but none of them will write a better song. Spend the first few months learning the tools you have inside out.
Learn as you go
Record something every week, even if it’s rough. Listen back on different speakers – your phone, the car, earbuds – and you’ll quickly learn what your mixes need.
Finished something you’re proud of? Get in touch and we’ll give it a listen.
