So, you have the ideas, your songs, you'd like to release them and show your talent to world. That's all great, but how do you take your idea and record it? Thankfully, it's never been easier to create (and release) music, but in the beginning it can be pretty overwhelming. So, I created this guide with the '5 Essentials you need to make music' in order to help you out. (3 min read)
Tip: You can watch this blog post as a video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RUc4QysJJ8&t=320s
1, Computer
In this day and age I'm kinda assuming that you have some gadgets already. For music making - most of the time we use a computer/laptop. Apple machines are extremely powerful and great for music making.
I'm using this model: https://amzn.to/3RxYoMl
If you have a PC that's great too. Whatever you have you will need to have a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Software where you can put your music together into a final form. In the beginning, I suggest that you go with something that you can try it for free to see if it's a good fit for you. On Macs it's either Garage Band (already installed, free-to-use software) or Logic which is a paid version of it. Other known DAWs (compatible with PC as well) are: FL Studio, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Studio One. They work similarly, so play around a little bit and then go with your gut feeling. There's no 'Best DAW' in general but there's a best one for you: The one you know how to use:)
I'm using Logic Pro: https://apple.co/3xHji3T
Alternatively, you can start making music on your iPad/Smartphone (with GarageBand) and see if it gets you excited!
2, Headphones
A pair of headphones can do great job when recording your music and if you want to make beats you're good to go! I'd say this: If you buy anyway a pair of headphones it's worth it to go with a professional one. You will hear sounds you've never heard before and you'll make better music with it.
I use the Audio-Technica ATH-M50XWH: https://thmn.to/thoprod/331906?offid=1&affid=1599
Another typical industry standard is the BEYERDYNAMIC:
For around 150＄, you can buy the exact same thing that pros are using, I think that's a bargain!
3, Audio-Interface
An Audio-Interface is a little guy between your computer and anything you want to record. On it's own it doesn't do a whole lot (it improves the sound-quality and can enhance the performance of your DAW) but without it you cannot really record anything professionally. The good news is that for around 100＄you can get a very decent interface, for example this one:
EVO4: https://thmn.to/thoprod/483323?offid=1&affid=1599
Another very popular choice for beginners is: https://thmn.to/thoprod/467950?offid=1&affid=1599
If you are a singer-songwriter then point 3. and 4. are essentials for you!
4, Microphone
If you want professional sounding recordings, your phone won't cut it, but it's always a good idea to have your phone ready just in case inspiration hits you, you don't want to forget your idea, maybe it's the next hit!
This mic is legendary and surprisingly affordable:
Rode NT1-A: https://thmn.to/thoprod/251204?offid=1&affid=1599
In my opinion, anything cheaper than this might be too noisy or harsh-sounding in certain cases and anything more expensive than this probably won't make a big difference in the beginning so why wouldn't you save the money?:)
5, Instrument
The more instrument you play the better but if you don't play any yet - that's fine too. I'd start with piano or guitar - they are the core instruments of pop music. If you're a producer and you're into beat-making, that's great, however, you should get at least a midi-keyboard. It'll advance your musicality big time! This topic alone probably needs a separate blog, so I'll leave it just here.
Summary:
I hope this guide helped you, but maybe you're still overwhelmed. The point is that you just need to start somewhere. Don't buy anything you can't afford! For me, it also took years to put together my little home studio. Sometimes limitations are good to spark creativity. If you have a computer you can just start right away and build it up step-by-step. I'll be posting here blog posts and videos on socials so you can have all the knowledge and tools in order to make the next hit!
I'm rooting for you!
Ben
(In this articles there are affiliate links, so if you buy something through them it doesn't cost you anything extra but it helps me out tremendously.)