One of the best things about today’s technology is how it allows independent musicians to record their songs in their own home. You probably heard how Billie Eilish recorded her Grammy-award-winning album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” entirely in her bedroom. And you might be inspired to do the same. Unfortunately, you can’t just set up a mic, start singing, and expect the result to be great. Your surroundings might affect your whole recording. Your room might be too echoey, or the barking of your neighbour’s dog might interrupt your perfect take. So you decide to buy some of those acoustic foam panels that you see online, and hope it will solve everything. Well, I can tell you that those panels solve some of your problems. But the thing is, there are two kinds of treatments that you can do to improve your home recordings. Soundproofing and sound Absorption. To understand more, I will explain how those two differ. 

(Sincerely Media / Unsplash)

Soundproofing

Basically, soundproofing means you are blocking sounds from coming in from the outside, or from coming out from the inside. This is an ideal situation for a recording session, because you would not have to worry about your neighbours hearing you belt out that high note, or the baby next door that would not stop crying. However, soundproofing a room might be difficult and costly. To fully soundproof a space, you will have to call a professional and make permanent changes to your room. As an independent musician, that might not be in your budget. It would be cheaper to rent a studio instead. But what if you can’t afford a studio session? Well, I would suggest you record your music when it is the least noisy. Maybe late at night, or during work hours when your neighbours are not home. Just make sure that you don’t disturb anyone. You don’t want to be one of those neigbours people call the police on. 

Soundproofing the wall (Erik Mclean / Pexels)

Sound Absorption

Have you ever been in a room, and when you talk, your voice bounces off the wall, floor, and the ceiling? This is not an ideal situation for a recording session. Your audio might end up reverby, muddy, and difficult to listen to. To solve this problem, it is best for you to surround yourself with things that absorb sound when you are recording. This is where those acoustic foam panels come to play. But if you don’t want to spend money on those panels, there are alternatives that you can find around the house. Blankets, towels, rugs, curtains, they all work. My favorite location to record at home is actually in the closet, surrounded by my hanging clothes. Try it and see if it improves your recordings.

Acoustic foam (joaovinagre / Pixabay)

I hope this information helps you with your next recording. There are many contents on the internet about how to treat your room for recording purposes, including some DIY stuff. Go try some of them, and good luck with your next big hit!