It's very exciting when you are starting with your home music studio setup. You finally have a place to help you pursue your music career. On the other hand, it can be quite daunting since you don't know exactly what you need. And as someone who is just starting out you definitely don't wanna spend money on something you aren't gonna use.

If you're serious about making music, you need a home studio. It's where you can be creative, experiment, and make the kind of music you want to without having to worry about making mistakes.

Here we will be mentioning the things that almost every home studio has. You, who are just starting your home studio, don't NEED to buy everything. I’ll explain the purpose of each item and decide who needs what. 

Computer

A computer is the most important part of your home studio. Its acts as a brain for almost everything else in the studio. That's where all your work is gathered and worked on. It's almost impossible to run a home studio without a computer.

The software that is gonna control your music is available to download only on a computer. It's also worth mentioning that music production takes up a lot of storage so it might be a good idea to get a computer with lots of storage, RAM and a decent processor.

DAW

A DAW (digital audio workstation) is also something very much needed. A DAW is software downloaded on your computer to record, edit, mix, and master your music. The amount of possibilities in a DAW is endless. Most DAWs come with stock plug-ins to use on your audio. Even if your DAW doesn't come with that many plug-ins you can download plug-ins onto your DAW to use. Some for free, some paid. 

Point is, that the DAW is the place where all your music goes through. It's basically like a factory for music, it goes through all of the machinery, and once it's done you have your final product.

The most known DAWs that are worth mentioning are Logic Pro X, Abelton Live, and FL Studio. If you’re a beginner it might take some time to figure out your way around the DAW. It's not as easy as you think.

Monitors/Headphones

A monitor/headphones is something needed for you to hear the sound your'e producing more accurately. The more accurate you can hear your audio the better you can treat it.

If you are a beginner on a tight budget you can use just headphones for now. It's not recommended to just use the audio on your computer it's not as accurate as headphones. It's worth it to spend the extra money on headphones.

As you graduate you might wanna look into buying yourself some studio monitors. Monitors are more natural sounding. It's also something we are used to hearing, like speakers, as opposed to having sound injected into our ears with headphones. Also, you get to hear how the audio would sound in a room.

Midi Controller

A midi controller is a mini piano that allows you to push in notes to your DAW. Even if you aren't so good at playing the piano, a midi controller is still extremely helpful. Most of the timing and correction is done in the DAW so you don't have to be great at playing the piano.

Also, it's not just something that plays piano in your DAW, it plays a note in any instrument/sound you have in your DAW.

Midi controllers aren't needed for everyone that's starting off their studio. If you are someone that wants to record and mix vocals then you wouldn't need a midi controller. Only people that plan on recording digital instruments need a midi controller.

Microphone

A microphone is important when trying to record vocals and instruments. To simply record from the computer’s microphone wont suffice. It would sound terrible. Also, in order mix and master your audio you need the audio by itself. Microphones do a great job of canceling other unwanted sounds and leaving you with the audio you want. The computer’s microphones aren't really built to do that.

So anyone that plans on turning live audio into digital audio definitley needs a microphone. If you’re someone that doesn't need to record like a vocal engineer (mixes vocals) or a beat producer (make beats with a midi controller) then you might not need a microphone but it is definitely good to have around.

A microphone brand that you might wanna look into is Shure. Check out a page Shure MV7 vs SM7B

Audio interface

An audio interface is a device that is built to transfer what it gets from the microphone to the DAW. If you are planning on recording vocals or instruments you may wanna look into buying an audio interface. Most microphones connect through an XLR cable and the only way to get that to the computer is if it goes through an interface.

However, if you are a beginner on a budget, you can look into buying yourself a USB microphone. It's a microphone that works via USB so you can plug it right into the computer.

Mic stand

A mic stand is also pretty needed. It doesn't just add convenience, it also improves the sound quality. How? If you were to hold the microphone while recording the microphone will pick up the slightest movements you do with your hands. A sturdy mic stand takes away that issue leaving you with your pure audio.

Pop filter

A pop filter is something placed in front of the microphone to break up accumulations of wind coming from a person’s mouth. Consonants like P and B cause wind to blow from your mouth and it causes thumps in the audio. Nobody wants to hear that. That’s why a pop filter is crucial when recording vocals.

Home music studio acoustic treatment

When recording, the room around you has a resonance that can be heard in your audio. Different rooms have different sounds. For example, your voice in a bathroom has a different resonance than in a kitchen. Anyway, those sounds that are bouncing off the walls are unwanted. When you are working with vocals you want the pure vocal and nothing else getting in the way. 

That’s where acoustic treatment helps tremendously. They are foam panels that absorb the sound hitting the walls which don't allow it to bounce off the walls and disturb your audio.

Home music studio desk

Your home music studio desk should be comfortable so you can spend a lot of time there making great music. It's important to have a comfortable chair and desk so you can focus on your work. A good home music studio desk should have plenty of storage. A bonus is for it to have room for your equipment like your Audio Interface and Midi Controller.

You want to be able to work in comfort and have everything you need within reach. Look for a home music studio desk that is built well.

Home music studio design ideas

Designing a home music studio can be a daunting task. But with a little bit of planning and some creativity, you can create a space that is both functional and stylish. Here are some design ideas to get you started: 

1. Choose your flooring carefully. You'll want a surface that is durable and easy to clean, as musical instruments can be quite messy.

2. Try to avoid placing your home music studio near a loud area like a busy street.

3. You can add a little personality to your home studio by adding a few artistic touches. Think how it would look on camera if you want to release content on social platforms

4. A pop of colour can also help to make your home studio feel a bit more personal

Final Thoughts - Home Music Studio

There you have it! Everything you need for your home studio. Again, you DON’T need to buy everything. Go through the article again to see what product would benefit you and what product will most likely be sitting in the basement forever. I wish you good luck in officially starting your music career.

I also recomend checking out th 10,000 hour rule and see how often you should be releasing music

If you wan't to see some Indiy beginer studio recomendations click here

In conclusion, having a home music studio is a great way to improve your musical skills and produce high-quality recordings. With the right equipment and a little bit of knowledge, you can create a space that is both functional and inspiring. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your home music studio today.