If you enjoy music and hope to start creating your own on your own without the added sacrifice of paying someone else for studio time and being on their time to create content, you may need to start out with some of this equipment.

Though studio equipment can be costly, you don’t need everything in a professional studio to make good music. Many skills in terms of mastering musical production can be self-taught over time, and while even the items on this list may be expensive, you’ll have the added benefit of recording and producing your own music.

1. Laptop/Computer

You need somewhere to record and keep the recordings.

2. Microphone + Mic Stand

How else are you going to lay down clear vocals without a professional recording microphone? Specifically, you need a condenser microphone for recording.

3. Studio Headphones

These are important in order to be able to listen to yourself and the music, as well as be able to play it back clearly to determine what areas need improvement. Headphones without presets are preferable so that there is no added base and you can hear the recordings exactly how they are recorded.

4. Interface

This is where it all connects—microphone and headphones to the laptop or computer. Plug all the cables here.

5. Shield

This goes around your microphone in order to protect the sound and isolate it so that the microphone focuses and amplifies the sound of your voice rather than picking up everything in the room.

6. Padding for the Walls

This is necessary in order to compress the sound and keep your vocals from echoing off the walls. Having this also saves time when mixing and mastering as not so much time has to be spent cleaning up the vocals.

7. Studio Monitors (Speakers)

These are important for playing the music you record out loud and getting a feel for what it would sound like to someone else as you’re mixing and mastering. This can help guide you as you edit the finished product.

8. Recording Software (A DAW)

It can be anything from GarageBand to LogicPro to FLStudio to ProTools. It largely depends on how professional you want the recording to sound and how familiar you are with recording and mixing. And even if you’re not familiar at all, there’s always YouTube for tutorials.

9. A Quiet Space

The only way to get your music to sound like a true record is if you have a quiet space and time to record. Trust me, nobody’s going to want to listen to your dog barking or your mom yelling in their headphones when they listen to your track.

These are the essentials for creating your own version of a home studio, and while these are expensive items, shopping around may help you find a bargain. Also, it’s important to do your research and ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck—sometimes a product may not be as cheap in store as it is online. However, there may be places such as Guitar Center who price match if you find the same product for a cheaper price somewhere else.