What Do I Need to Record Music at Home? The Complete Beginner's Guide

On the surface, recording music at home is easy. Just grab your computer, download some software, maybe a microphone or cables to connect instruments, and away you go.

Oh, you meant recording high-quality music, album quality, that sounds professional and can actually help elevate your music producer, singer, or artist career? Yeah, you'll need to take a little more care in your setup.

While the concept of building a music studio at home can sound daunting, the truth is that creating professional-sounding music from your bedroom or home studio space is more achievable than ever. 

Just ask Billie Eilish, who recorded her Grammy-winning album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" in a bedroom studio worth less than £3,000.

Whether you're dreaming of laying down your first demo or producing the next chart-topper, this guide will walk you through exactly what equipment you need, how to set it up, and the mistakes to avoid along the way.

How to set your home studio budget: Plan smart, build smart

The biggest mistake new producers make? Either buying everything at once and going broke, or buying so cheap that everything needs replacing within six months. 

Smart budgeting means thinking beyond your first purchase—you're building a foundation that can grow with your skills and ambitions.

We recommend one of the following approaches, depending on your personal circumstances:

• The foundation builder (£400-700)
• The serious investment (£1,200-2,000) (Recommended)
• The long-term vision (£2,500-4,000)

Let's break them down.

Tier 1: The foundation builder (£400-700)

Who this is for: Complete beginners who want to test the waters without major financial commitment but still get usable results.

The strategy: Buy quality basics that won't become obstacles as you improve. Every piece of gear in this tier should still be useful even when you're ready for upgrades.

Future-proofing elements:

• Choose an audio interface with at least two inputs (even if you only need one now)
• Invest in one quality microphone rather than multiple cheap ones
• Pick a DAW you can grow into (Logic Pro, Reaper) instead of starting with the most basic option
• Include basic acoustic treatment panels—this improves everything and never becomes obsolete

Smart compromises: Start with headphones instead of monitors, use free plugins initially, DIY some acoustic treatment with moving blankets or towels.

Tier 2: The serious investment (£1,200-2,000)

Who this is for: Musicians who know they'll be recording regularly or producers ready to commit to developing their craft seriously.

The strategy: Buy equipment that professionals actually use, just in smaller quantities. This tier eliminates most technical limitations—your results will be limited by skill, not gear.

Future-proofing elements:

• Audio interface with room to grow (4+ inputs, professional preamps)
• Two complementary microphones (dynamic + condenser)
• Studio monitors for accurate mixing decisions
• Proper acoustic treatment that transforms your room
• MIDI controller for virtual instruments

What you avoid replacing: At this level, you buy gear that can handle professional projects. The next upgrade becomes about expanding capabilities, not fixing limitations.

Tier 3: The long-term vision (£2,500-4,000)

Who this is for: Serious producers, musicians planning to generate income from their recordings, or anyone who wants to buy once and be done.

The strategy: Professional-grade equipment that won't need replacing for years. This tier focuses on the subtle differences that separate good recordings from great ones.

Future-proofing elements:

• High-end audio conversion (Universal Audio, Focusrite Clarett)
• Broadcast-quality microphones (Shure SM7B, Neumann TLM series)
• Reference-grade monitors with proper acoustic treatment
• Professional software with comprehensive plugin suites

The payoff: This tier produces recordings that compete with commercial releases. Your limitation becomes creativity and skill development, not technical capabilities.

For most setups, you're going to want to follow the 40-30-20-10 rule:

• 40% on core recording chain (interface, microphone, monitors/headphones)
• 30% on acoustic treatment and room setup
• 20% on software, plugins, and controllers
• 10% on cables, stands, and accessories

This distribution ensures you're not gear-heavy but sound-poor. Many beginners flip these percentages and wonder why their expensive microphone sounds terrible in an untreated room.

Oh, and here are some other tips to ensure you're spending in the right places.

• Buy for tomorrow's needs, not just today's: That four-input interface costs £50 more than the two-input version, but saves you from buying a new interface when you want to record drums or a band.
• Prioritise the signal chain: A great microphone through a mediocre interface sounds better than a mediocre microphone through a great interface. But both matter—don't skimp on either.
• Acoustic treatment is forever: Unlike gear that becomes obsolete, proper acoustic treatment improves every recording you'll ever make. It's the only upgrade that makes all your other gear sound better.
• Start with standards, not trends: The Shure SM57 has been on hit records for 50+ years. The Focusrite Scarlett series dominates home studios for a good reason. Proven tools reduce risk.

Red flags that blow budgets

• "I need everything now" syndrome: Patience saves money. Start with basics, learn their capabilities, and then add pieces that solve actual problems you've encountered.
• Gear acquisition syndrome: That £500 microphone won't make you sound professional if your room acoustics are terrible. Address fundamentals before chasing upgrades.
• False economy: Buying the cheapest option often means buying twice. Sometimes, spending £50 more gets you equipment that lasts years longer. That said, you can always save money when investing in secondhand or refurbished.

The bottom line? 

Set a budget based on your commitment level, not your wishlist. Every tier can produce professional results—the difference is how much time you'll spend working around limitations versus focusing on creating music.

Now, let's get into the equipment.

Start with the essential equipment for home recording

First, the essentials you absolutely can't skip on. As with most things, you want to start with these in a way that fits your budget but allows you to produce quality. The more you invest in it, the better your experience (and final recordings) will be.

However, don't forget you can upgrade bits and pieces as you can and as your career progresses.

This is important because you don't want to overinvest, only to find out you could have gone with a more basic setup, and then can invest your extra cash in whatever problems or personal requirements you discover along the way.

Your computer: The heart of your home studio

Let's start with the centrepiece of any modern home recording setup—your computer. 

Here's the thing: you probably don't need to buy a new one. Most computers from the last five years can handle basic home recording just fine. You can also buy secondhand or refurbished if you want more for your money.

For PC users:

• Minimum: Quad-core Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
• RAM: 8GB minimum, but 16GB gives you breathing room
• Storage: SSD preferred (faster file access means smoother recording)

For Mac users:

• Any M1-series MacBook or newer works brilliantly
• Intel Macs from 2018 onward still perform well
• 8GB RAM minimum, though 16GB or 24GB prevents frustration on larger projects

The key is starting with what you have. You can always upgrade later when you know exactly what your music demands.

Recording software (DAW)

Your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is where you'll spend most of your time. Think of it as your virtual recording studio, mixing desk, and effects rack all rolled into one.

Free options:

• GarageBand (Mac only): Perfect for beginners, surprisingly capable
• Reaper (60-day free trial): Professional features, £60 to purchase
• Audacity: Basic but functional for simple recordings

Paid options:

• Logic Pro (£199): Mac users consistently rave about its value—it includes massive sound libraries
• Ableton Live (£99-£749): Electronic music producers' favourite
• FL Studio (£99-£499): Popular for hip-hop and electronic production
• Pro Tools (£299+): Industry standard, but honestly overkill for home use

Most successful bedroom producers recommend starting with GarageBand or Reaper and upgrading only when you hit fundamental limitations.

Audio interface

An audio interface is the bridge between your analog world (microphones, guitars) and your computer's digital realm. It's absolutely essential if you want to record anything beyond your computer's built-in mic.

Budget champion: The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (£180) dominates recommendations across every audio forum for good reason:

• Clean preamps that don't colour your sound
• Reliable drivers (no random crashes mid-session)
• Two inputs for recording stereo or two sources
• Direct monitoring to hear yourself without delay

Other solid options:

• Behringer U-Phoria UM2 (£79): Bare bones but functional
• PreSonus Studio 24c (£170): Great preamps, solid build
• Universal Audio Volt 2 (£300): Premium quality, built-in vintage amp simulations

Microphones: Capturing your sound

Here's where room acoustics matter more than price tags. A £100 microphone in a treated room beats a £1,000 microphone in an echoey bedroom every time.

For untreated rooms (most bedrooms):

• Shure SM58 (£100): Dynamic mic that naturally rejects room noise
• Shure SM57 (£100): The studio Swiss Army knife—great on everything

There's a reason online streamers and YouTubers etc, use Shure. It does the job and does it well.

For treated rooms:

• Audio-Technica AT2020 (£89): Crisp, detailed condenser microphone
• AKG P120 (£90): Warm sound, excellent value

The universal truth: Start with one good microphone and master its placement before buying more. Many hit records were made with a single Audio-Technica AT2020.

Studio monitors vs. headphones

You need to hear your music accurately to make good mixing decisions. That means investing in either studio monitors (speakers) or professional headphones.

Starting with headphones (recommended for beginners):

• Audio-Technica ATH-M40x (£99): Best bang for your buck
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x (£150): Slightly better bass response
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (£160): Incredibly comfortable for long sessions

Ready for monitors?

• Yamaha HS5 (£400/pair): The home studio standard
• KRK Rokit 5 (£360/pair): Slightly hyped sound, popular in hip-hop
• JBL 305P MkII (£300/pair): Excellent value, very accurate

Pro tip: Start with good headphones. Add monitors after you've treated your room acoustically—otherwise, you just hear your room's problems amplified.

How to set up your recording space

With your equipment laid out and ready to go, next up is actually setting up the space. There are a few main considerations here.

Choosing the right room

Your room choice impacts your recordings more than any piece of gear. Here's what to look for:

Ideal characteristics:

• Larger is generally better (more space = fewer problematic reflections)
• Rectangular rooms beat square ones (fewer standing waves)
• Avoid rooms with all hard surfaces
• Some existing furniture and soft materials help

Working with what you have: Don't have the perfect room? Join the club. Some of the world's biggest hits were recorded in less-than-ideal spaces. The key is understanding your room's limitations and working with them, not against them.

Basic room preparation

Before spending money on acoustic panels, optimise what you already have:

1. Position your setup properly: Place your desk along the shorter wall, creating the longest path for sound to travel
2. Follow the 38% rule: Sit 38% into the room's length to avoid the worst acoustic problems
3. Create an equilateral triangle: Your head and two speakers should form a perfect triangle
4. Use existing absorption: Bookshelves, curtains, and furniture all help control reflections

Professional acoustic treatment that actually works

Here's where AudioSilk acoustic panels transform your space from "bedroom" to "studio."

Unlike old-school foam that only absorbs high frequencies (creating a dull, unbalanced sound), modern acoustic walls panels provide broadband absorption for professional results across a wide frequency range.

Let's break this down and keep things simple. 

Take a look at your music space. Are there lots of reflective surfaces (painted walls, wooden floors, bare windows)? If so, your room will sound very 'live', and probably quite echoey.

Since most home studios are small, rectangular rooms, audio will sound naturally problematic. Any reverb in these spaces tends to be short and unpleasant—exactly what we want to eliminate.

Alternatively, a 'dead' room will be covered with soft materials, producing no echo or reverberation. But a completely dead room isn't the goal either, as everything will sound flat and lifeless.

We're aiming for a balanced acoustic environment that allows accurate listening and recording, and this is what acoustic treatment is all about. We have a complete guide on this here, but here's the TLDR.

Sound travels from your monitors in three distinct stages:

Direct sound: The unaltered audio that comes straight from your speakers—this is what we want to hear most clearly.

Early reflections: Sound that bounces off nearby surfaces (side walls, ceiling, desk) and reaches your ears milliseconds after the direct sound. These cause the most mixing problems.

Reverberant field: Complex sound interactions throughout the entire room, particularly problematic from back walls, parallel walls, and corners.

Using acoustic treatment panels like the ones here at AudioSilk, you need to find the first reflection points, place a panel, and optimize the bounce back. Thus, you optimize the natural sound of your room for higher-quality sounding audio.

To find these points:

1. Sit in your listening position
2. Have someone slide a small mirror along each side wall
3. When you can see your speaker in the mirror, that's your first reflection point
4. Mark these spots—this is where panels make the biggest difference

As a rule of thumb, a small room will require 4 panels covering the main reflection points:

• One panel left of your listening position
• One panel right of your listening position
• Two panels behind your listening position

This basic setup addresses the most problematic reflections in an average home studio. Larger rooms, or those that are L-shaped, will require a little more work. The page above explains it.

For most home studios, covering 40-60% of your wall surface provides the right balance. In an average 10x12 room, this typically means 6-8 panels plus corner bass traps.

AudioSilk panels are designed to be easily repositioned, so you can experiment with placement until your room sounds just right.

Again, correctly placed acoustic treatment eliminates the reflections that arrive milliseconds after direct sound, preventing comb filtering and giving you an accurate representation of your recordings. This allows you to:

• Make better mixing decisions
• Record cleaner, more professional-sounding audio
• Hear your music the way it actually sounds, not how your room colours it
• Work longer without ear fatigue

Remember: acoustic treatment is the only studio upgrade that makes all your other equipment sound better. It's an investment that improves every recording you'll ever make.

A note on additional equipment that makes a difference

If you follow the outline above, you'll have everything you need to get quality results. As you improve with experience, you can upgrade as necessary, depending on the outcome you want. 

You'll be a lot more precise with what you need and how to get there. However, there are some other areas you may want to think about to improve your overall experience.

Cables and stands: The unglamorous essentials

Nobody gets excited about cables, but cheap ones will ruin your day with buzzing, crackling, and intermittent failures.

What you need:

• XLR cables for microphones: Balanced design rejects interference
• TRS cables for monitors: Again, balanced is best
• Boom microphone stand: Proper positioning without handling noise
• Pop filter: Essential for vocals (those "p" and "b" sounds are brutal without one)

Budget about £60-80 for quality cables and accessories. It's not sexy, but it's necessary.

MIDI controllers (optional but helpful)

If you plan to use virtual instruments (and you probably will), a MIDI controller opens up creative possibilities:

• Akai MPK Mini MK3 (£119): 25 keys, pads, knobs—everything you need
• Novation Launchkey Mini (£110): Great integration with Ableton Live
• M-Audio Keystation 49 (£120): More keys if you're a pianist

When to consider these upgrades

The upgrade path matters more than the destination. Here's the smart sequence:

1. Master your current setup first
2. Add acoustic treatment (biggest improvement per dollar)
3. Get a second microphone with different characteristics
4. Upgrade to studio monitors (after treating your room)
5. Consider a better interface only when you need more inputs

Remember: Ed Sheeran recorded his first album in his bedroom with basic gear. Skills beat gear every time.

How to set everything up: A step-by-step process

You've got all the gear, your room is treated, and you're ready to make music—but one wrong cable or misconfigured setting can turn your first recording session into a frustrating troubleshooting marathon. 

The setup process might seem straightforward, but small details like gain staging, driver installation order, and proper cable routing make the difference between a smooth creative flow and hours of "why isn't this working?" 

Getting your physical and digital setup right from the start prevents the technical headaches that kill creative momentum, so let's walk through the exact sequence that gets you from unopened boxes to hitting the record with confidence.

Physical setup

Getting the physical setup right prevents hours of troubleshooting:

1. Power management: Plug everything into the same outlet (prevents ground loops)
2. Cable routing: Keep audio cables away from power cables
3. Interface placement: Within arm's reach but away from monitors (prevents interference)
4. Monitor positioning: Tweeters at ear level, forming an equilateral triangle

Cable management tip: Spend an hour organising cables with ties and labels. Future you will be grateful when troubleshooting.

Software configuration

1. Install drivers first: Before connecting your interface
2. Set your interface as the primary device: In both your OS and DAW
3. Configure buffer settings:
   1. Recording: 128 samples (low latency)
   2. Mixing: 512-1024 samples (more stability)
4. Choose sample rate: 48kHz for most projects (film/video standard)
5. Always record at 24-bit

Note: Recording at 24-bit gives you crucial headroom and flexibility that 16-bit simply can't match. 24-bit provides 144dB of dynamic range compared to 16-bit's 96dB, meaning you can record at safer levels without worrying about clipping while maintaining pristine, noise-free audio. 

When you're layering tracks, applying effects, and making mixing adjustments, that extra bit depth prevents quality degradation from cumulative digital processing.

The math is simple: storage is cheap, but great performances are priceless. Recording at 24-bit is "something of a standard" in professional audio because it captures more information that you can always reduce later with proper dithering—but you can't add back detail that was never recorded. 

There's "no reason to record at 32-bit fixed point as 24-bit is already more than enough", but there's also no reason to limit yourself to 16-bit when 24-bit gives you professional flexibility with minimal cost. 

Record at 24-bit and deliver in whatever format your project requires.

Acoustic optimisation

Once your gear is connected, optimise your room's acoustics:

1. Do the clap test: Clap loudly and listen for flutter echoes
2. Use free apps: REW (Room EQ Wizard) reveals frequency problems
3. Place treatment strategically: Start with corners and first reflection points
4. Measure the improvement: Run frequency sweeps before and after

The goal isn't perfection—it's consistency. A smooth response with gentle variations beats dramatic peaks and nulls.

Common mistakes to avoid when building a home music studio

Building a home studio should be exciting, not a series of expensive lessons in what doesn't work—yet countless producers blow their budgets on shiny gear while ignoring the fundamentals that actually matter. 

These aren't just rookie errors either—even experienced musicians fall into these traps when transitioning from live performance to home recording, learning the hard way that studio acoustics follow different rules than stage presence and that the gear that sounds amazing in the music store might be entirely wrong for your space and goals.

Recording in untreated rooms

The #1 mistake beginners make? Spending thousands on gear while ignoring room acoustics.

Your recordings capture everything—including wall reflections, standing waves, and flutter echoes. No amount of mixing fixes a bad recording environment.

The fix: Treat your room before upgrading microphones. Even basic treatment dramatically improves every recording.

Poor microphone technique

Recording too far from the mic captures more of the room than the voice. Too close creates boomy, breathing-heavy recordings. The sweet spot for vocals? 4-6 inches with a pop filter.

Pro tip: Record yourself at different distances and listen back on headphones. You'll quickly hear the difference.

Ignoring gain staging

Setting levels properly prevents two disasters:

• Too low = noisy recordings when you boost in mixing
• Too high = digital distortion that's impossible to fix

The rule: Aim for peaks around -12dB to -6 dB. This leaves headroom while maintaining a good signal-to-noise ratio.

Never backing up

Hard drives fail. Computers crash. That amazing take you just recorded? Gone forever unless you back up.

Simple solution: Set up automatic cloud backups or copy sessions to an external drive after each session.

Obsessing over gear instead of skills

Has the internet convinced you that you need that £2,000 microphone to sound professional? Reality check: your favourite songs were probably recorded with gear you can afford today. Focus on improving your recording techniques, not your credit card debt.

How to actually make the most of your first recording session

Your gear is connected, levels are set, and you're ready to capture magic—but most first sessions turn into frustrating technical troubleshoots instead of creative breakthroughs. 

The difference between "Why isn't this working?" and "Let's try that again" comes from preparation, not equipment.

Preparation is everything

Before hitting record:

• Know your material: Don't write while recording
• Tune everything: Guitars, drums, your voice (warm up!)
• Set up a click track: Future you will thank present you
• Have water ready: Especially for vocal sessions. Hydrate is key.
• Turn off notifications: Nothing ruins a perfect take like a text alert

The recording process

1. Start with a test recording: Verify all routing works
2. Record guide tracks first: Rough versions to establish structure
3. Go for complete takes: Capture the energy, fix details later
4. Take breaks: Ear fatigue is real—step away every hour
5. Save constantly: Most DAWs have auto-save, but manual saves ensure safety

After recording

• Back up immediately: To cloud storage and an external drive
• Export rough mixes: While the vision is fresh
• Clean up file names: "Vocal_Take_3" beats "Audio_12"
• Make notes: Document any special settings or ideas

Remember: Don't judge your recordings immediately. Fresh ears tomorrow will hear things differently than tired ears today.

Wrapping up

So, what do you need to record music at home? Less than you think. 

A computer, interface, microphone, headphones or speakers, recording software, and some acoustic treatment—that's your complete home recording studio. The same basic setup that launched Billie Eilish's career can launch yours.

The key is starting where you are with what you have. Your first recordings won't sound like Abbey Road, and that's okay. Every professional started in a bedroom, bathroom, or garage, learning through trial and error.

Ready to transform your space into a recording studio? 

Start with the basics, treat your room properly (those reflections aren't doing you any favours), and focus on capturing great performances. The gear will always be there to upgrade later. Your ideas and creativity? 

Those are happening right now.

Stop waiting for the perfect setup.

Your music deserves to be heard, and everything you need to start recording at home is within reach. Set up your space, hit record, and join the revolution of bedroom producers changing music one home studio at a time.

Ready to take your recordings to the next level? 

Check out AudioSilk's acoustic treatment panels—designed specifically for home studios like yours. Because great recordings start with great-sounding rooms.

P.S. For readers of this guide, use code BLOG10 for 10% off your first AudioSilk panel order. And we'd love to see your setup once your panels are installed – tag us on Instagram @audiosilkco to show off your transformed space!