How to Produce Music at Home
To produce music at home, you need a computer, a DAW, and headphones or monitors, plus a six-stage workflow: sketch, arrange, record, edit, mix, and master. Recording is just one of those stages, so you can make a full beat without a microphone.
Beginner workflow
- Pick one DAW and learn it. You'll find free and paid options compared in best DAW for beginners.
- Sketch. Loop 4 or 8 bars until the idea holds up. In Ableton's Session View, the Live 12 manual says clips "can be played at any time and in any order."
- Arrange. Drag your loops onto the timeline as intro, verse, chorus, and bridge.
- Record the live parts. Set gain so peaks land between minus 12 and minus 6 dBFS: Focusrite suggests around minus 12, and Avid's gain staging guide sets minus 6 as the maximum with an average near minus 18 dBFS. Vocal steps are in how to record vocals at home.
- Edit. Comp the best take of each line, and fix timing before you reach for EQ.
- Mix. Avid suggests tracks averaging minus 18 to minus 12 dBFS, with the master peaking around minus 6 to minus 3 dBFS. Start with how to mix vocals.
- Master. For streaming, Avid gives about minus 14 to minus 16 LUFS with true peaks at minus 1 to minus 2 dBTP.
Gear for the record stage is in what do I need to record music at home, and the recording side in depth is in how to record music at home.
Related questions
What's the difference between producing and recording music?
Recording captures vocals and instruments as audio files. Producing covers the whole song: writing, arranging, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering.
Do I need a microphone to produce music at home?
No. A beat built from software instruments and samples needs only a computer, a DAW, and headphones. Add a mic and an audio interface once you record vocals or acoustic instruments.
How loud should my finished song be for streaming?
Avid's gain staging guide gives about minus 14 to minus 16 LUFS for streaming, with true peaks at minus 1 to minus 2 dBTP.
More answers: Home recording FAQ