Did you ever think about what it would be like to be a famous musician or a music producer in the studio making the next hit single? In the past, these kind of opportunities were rare. You either had to know someone in the music business or have a lot of money to book time in a recording studio. Nowadays with modern technology, anyone can be a rock star. This guide will tell you how to make your own music and what kind of equipment and software you need to do it.

Computer - This is the main piece of equipment needed to make your own music. All modern recording studios are computer based. Because music production can be very cpu intensive, you will want to use a computer that has a fast processor and a lot of memory. It should also have a plenty of storage space for files. Most experts recommend a desktop because it offers more performance and connectivity for the money, but it is possible to use a laptop for your music. You will also want to have a big screen (monitor) and a digital mouse. Because you are producing music, your sound card is very important. It is recommended that you have a good sound card. Most high end systems will have a good sound card, but if you have a lower end system, you might want to upgrade.

Microphone - If you plan on recording vocals for your song, you will need to have a microphone. You can get a cheap one that plugs right into your computer, but for better quality, you will want to buy a professional recording microphone. These can be either Dynamic or Condenser microphones. Dynamic are used more for live applications while Condensers are used more for studio applications. Depending on your set up, you may need to buy a preamp or a mixer to connect the mic to your computer, or you may be able to plug it into your usb port.

Midi Keyboard - A midi keyboard is basically a keyboard that connects to your computer. It integrates with your recording software and allows you to play melodies and record live using the keys. Having one of these makes it a lot easier and more fun to create melodies and music. Midi Keyboards come in different sizes from 25-81 keys. A 49 key midi should be sufficient for most applications.

Headphones and Speakers - Of course since you are making music, you need to be able to hear it well. You will want to have a good pair of over the ear headphones as well as a good set of speakers. High end speakers that are used in recording studios are called Studio Monitors. These are available in music hardware specialty shops.

Now that you have your equipment all set up, you will need to get some software. Software is what will allow you to record, arrange, edit, and mix your music. Some programs are all-in-one and will let you do pretty much everything. Other programs are geared towards a specific area such editing. For a beginner, it would be good to start with an affordable all-in-one software program.

Once you have a program picked out, you will be able to add samples, synths, virtual instruments (VSTs), and effects plugins. These are things that will expand the possibilities of what you can do with your program. You can find free samples and synths offered online or you can buy them. There are lots of great free plugins and samples out there, so you should start with those 1st.

Once you have recorded your music you will want to put it into a format so you can share it with everyone. First make sure to save your work. Then you will export the audio file. There are several different file formats for audio. The highest standard is wav. These are very large files and are high quality, the kind used on CDs. For most people though, saving in mp3 format is the best. It is a much smaller file yet the quality is still good. You should save it in a bit rate of at least 192 to maintain good sound quality.

Now that you have your music files saved and exported, you can start promoting them and sharing them with the world. You can burn your new songs to a CD, or upload them to the internet. Let your creativity run wild, and most of all have fun!