How Can I Soundproof My Home Studio?

You soundproof a home studio by sealing every air gap, then decoupling the walls from each other, then adding mass, in that order. In lab tests, a normal insulated wood stud wall rates STC 36, while two separate stud walls with two layers of drywall per side reach STC 66, according to Table 9.10.3.1.-A of the BC Building Code.

Most of that is construction work. If you rent, the renters section below is the honest version of what you can do.

Soundproofing is not acoustic treatment

Soundproofing stops sound passing between rooms. Acoustic treatment only changes how the room sounds inside it. Auralex's home studio guide splits its products the same way: "Absorb Sound to improve sound within a room or Block Sound to stop sound transmission."

Foam on the walls won't stop your neighbor from hearing you.

More on that in do acoustic panels keep sound out and acoustic foam.

Why soundproofing a room for music is harder than for speech

Music is louder and bassier than the speech that wall ratings are built around. The STC standard, ASTM E413, says the rating "is not appropriate" for sources whose spectra differ from speech, and it lists "musical instruments" among them.

STC is calculated from 125 Hz up, using "a minimum frequency range of 125 to 4,000 Hz" per USG's STC method. So the lowest notes of a kick drum or bass guitar don't count toward the number at all, and those are the notes that travel.

Seal, decouple, then add mass

Sound leaves a room three ways: through air gaps, through the wall surfaces, and through the studs and floor that tie one side to the other. Each path has its own fix.

1. Seal. In a Hilti lab test, sealing the perimeter gaps of a chase wall took it from STC 34 to STC 63. That's a 29-point jump from sealant alone. Zero International puts it plainly on its door seal page: "sound travels through any opening with very little loss."
2. Decouple. Resilient channel on one side lifts an insulated single stud wall from STC 36 to 45. Two separate stud rows reach 57, per the BC Building Code table.
3. Fill the cavity. Owens Corning's wall assembly guide says insulation "can increase sound transmission loss by about 8dB" in walls with isolated faces. A double stud wall with empty cavities rates STC 45, against 57 with both insulated.
4. Add mass. USG's acoustical assemblies guide says doubling a partition's mass cuts sound transmission "by up to 5 dB." Add drywall layers after decoupling, where they count for more.

How much isolation a music room needs

Match the build to the loudest thing you play and who's on the other side of the wall. Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories' STC guide gives the meaning column below. Keep in mind that music leaks more than these speech-based ratings suggest.

If you only track vocals, a sealed booth is often a smaller job than rebuilding walls. WhisperRoom rates its booths at 32 to 46 dB (standard) and 33 to 59 dB (enhanced) under ASTM E336. Compare options in vocal booths for home studios.

What renters can actually do

Renters can close air gaps and add removable mass. Decoupling walls is off the table. Each of these comes back out when you leave:

1. Seal the door. Fit a perimeter gasket and a sweep or door bottom so the gaps around the door stop leaking.
2. Swap a hollow door. Masonite says the "added density" of solid core doors helps "reduce the transfer of noise between rooms." Store the original, rehang it at move-out, and ask your landlord before you start.
3. Plug the window. A removable insert seals the glass and adds mass over it. See soundproofing a room from outside noise.
4. Shrink the loud source. Record vocals in a portable vocal booth, switch to an electronic drum kit, and mix on headphones late at night.

The full renter's version, including shared walls and floors, is in how to soundproof a room in an apartment.

Build order for a home studio

Work from the cheapest fix to the most expensive, and stop when the room is quiet enough.

1. Seal gaps at outlets, wall edges, and pipes with acoustical sealant. The ranked list is in how to soundproof a room cheaply.
2. Fix the door, then the window. Step-by-step methods for doors, windows, walls, and floors are in how to soundproof a room.
3. Upgrade the shared wall with resilient channel or clips, insulation, and a second layer of drywall.
4. Build a room within a room if you play drums or loud amps. See room within a room soundproofing and the soundproof drum room guide.
5. Treat the inside last, because a sealed room gets boomy. Start with the acoustic treatment guide.

Budget for each step with how much it costs to soundproof a room.

Every soundproofing and vocal booth guide

Every page in this section, grouped by the job. For gear, budget, and layout, start with the home recording studio guide.