Recording music at home these days is actually very simple. There are a variety of tools, software solutions, and techniques you can use to record anything from simple song ideas, to fully fleshed out songs, podcasts, or anything else. There are some very basic things that you need to get started, and these items will help you along the way, whether you are a beginner in audio recording, or a seasoned songwriter.

One of the most important pieces to recording at home is the microphone. Though this is an obviouslyly needed item, there is a variety of approaches to choosing or using the right kind of mic.needed item, there is a variety of approaches to choosing or using the right kind of mic. Honestly, you can use something as simple as a built in computer mic, or a simple cheap usb mic or headset. The next level up would be to get a cheap dynamic mic. These mics are durable and sound better than computer mics, but won’t break the bank. A good one is the very affordable Nady SP-4C. The next step up from dynamic microphones are compressor microphones. These mics usually are upwards of $100, and require phantom power $100, and require phantom power, so they cannot be directly plugged into your computer, but need a USB audio interface.

While most people use a computer or some other digital device to record these days, there are other options that are available for cheap as well. You can find a lot of 4-track cassette recorders on ebay for very cheap. Tascam used to be king in this arena, and you can find that you can still make some great sounding recordings even using something as simple as a Tascam Porta-Studio.

If you end up on the computer though, you will need recording software. Garageband is a great starting point for Macs, and there are also some great alternatives to Garageband for Windows if you use a PC. If you are just getting started, Audacity is free and will work on any platform as well.

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