If you want to become a successful recording artist, you might think you need the most expensive equipment and access to a fancy studio, but this is not the case. These days, there are so many aspiring musicians creating and producing their own music from home. With the right tools and knowledge, it will be perfectly possible for you to put out a chart-topping hit or viral music video from the comfort of your bedroom. In fact, some of the best albums in history were recorded at home, including The Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” and “Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen.

If you would like to create your own music and save money at the same time, here are a few essential steps in home music production.

Write songs

You can have all the best equipment money can buy, but if your music isn’t great, you will struggle to find success. Being a great artist is all about writing and performing high-quality music, so this is the step you should focus on. Listen to other great artists for inspiration and learn how to write lyrics and melodies. Have a listen through Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time to learn from the masters.

Create a studio

Before you can start recording your songs, you will need to create your own home studio. Pick a room in your home that is most fit for this purpose. You may be limited by the size of your house or apartment, but try to choose a space that isn’t too cramped or noisy. If possible, pick a room with hard floors, as carpets can absorb the higher frequencies and distort your music. If you have the budget for it, there are some DIY jobs you can do to improve the acoustics of your room, but these aren’t essential. All you really need to do is set up your equipment in your studio and get to work. 

Get recording equipment

Once you have your studio and a selection of great songs on paper, it’s time to start recording them. You need quality, reliable equipment, but you don’t have to spend a fortune. The basics of music recording are a good microphone, a computer, and some headphones. If you’re on a tight budget, you may be able to buy some of these items second-hand to save money.

Get editing software

Now that your songs are recorded, you will want to edit them digitally to make them sound as good as possible. There are countless software packages available to buy, with a wide range of prices and functionality. If you have an Apple computer, it will already feature a digital audio workstation called Garageband that you can use, or if you have a PC, you can install Logic Pro X on Windows.

Share your music

It will take a while to get your songs perfect, but once you do, you will want to share them with the world as soon as possible. Uploading them to Spotify is a great way to open them up to a wider audience, and you could also create a music video and post it onto YouTube. Make sure you share it on social media and ask all your friends and family to promote it to their networks too.

Standing out amongst a crowd means you’ll have to offer something truly unique. Whether it’s your physical appearance, how you style yourself, your smarts, inherent talent, etc., standing out will make your existence more worthwhile.

Style-wise, upgrading a wardrobe leaning heavily towards preppy to a style that’s more rock and roll is more straightforward than one might think. Forget about style categorization for a minute. Finding your style is key to investing in the right clothes and accessories.

Upgrading your style doesn’t necessarily mean changing it completely. Making it edgier doesn’t mean you’re a whole new person with a whole new aesthetic. Fashion should be fun. Dressing up and accessorizing shouldn’t be contained in one box.

Ready to make the jump? Here are a few things you can do to upgrade to an edgier personal style.

Don’t Be Afraid to Accessorize

The right accessories can elevate a bland basic shirt paired with plain jeans. For girls, a chain bracelet and a bag with chain details can instantly create an air of mystery around you. A rock-chic hat will nicely complement the outfit. Add in a choker, and you got the look. Bonus points if the choker is studded!

Turn a dainty dress into something rougher with high-top shoes or boots. Accessorize either with leather bracelets or a hippie necklace, and you’re good to go. Moreover, earrings and rings that are unexpected works every time!

For the gents, forget about the rule that an expensive watch is the only thing you need to style yourself. A stray leather bracelet to balance the Swiss automatic watch you’re wearing gives an edgy dynamic to your outfit. Add in various accessories, such as stylish men’s earrings, and your look will be perfect.

Invest in quality accessories and get the best pieces depending on your budget. If you can’t afford an accessory, look for its best alternative with the same quality. Cheap accessories, such as bracelets, earrings, chains, rings, and more, tend to be two- to three-use pieces only. You’re better off buying pieces that will last long.

Think Outside the Box, but Don’t Overdo It

Being edgy fundamentally means being unorthodox. This means choosing against the norm, wearing unconventional pieces to conventional events, thinking differently compared to everybody–you get the gist.

Style-wise, you don’t need to live and breathe being unorthodox. The intention here is to give your existing wardrobe a simple upgrade, not overhaul it completely. Try to slowly detach yourself from your usual styling habits. For example, if you wear your shirt tucked in every day, mixing it up every other day is recommendable.

When shopping for new clothes, instead of going straight to your preferred brands, consider purchasing from brands that you normally won’t buy from. Another great piece of advice is to try new colors that you haven’t worn before. Go for the darker, richer tones instead of your usual blues and browns.

Remember that the key to jazzing up your style is to not overdo it, so don’t try too hard. The edgy, rocker vibe works best if you let yourself look effortless. Remind yourself that you already look cool, so you don’t need to make it a point anymore.

Black is a color frequently associated with evil, darkness, death, etc. In fashion, black is considered a classic.

The iconic LBD, or little black dress, is one of the fundamentals of a versatile wardrobe. Black pants are standard in a three-piece suit. And black shoes, whether it’s wingtips or low-cuts, are mainstays in any closet.

You may already have numerous black-colored items in your wardrobe, but if you want to be edgier, taking it to the next level is key. For the ladies, here’s a list of black wardrobe items to stock up on: crop tops, t-shirt (with your favorite band), dress, utility jacket, leather jacket, skirts, jeans, leggings, shoes, and heels.

Don’t scrimp on black accessories as well, such as rings, bracelets, earrings, bags, etc. When choosing, lean into your preppy aesthetic, but don’t be afraid to choose the more fun option. Try styling with studs, crosses, patterns, insects, etc.

For the gents, the list is virtually the same: band t-shirts in black, skinny jeans, leather jackets, and combat boots. Spicing up your closet to an edgier one means investing in some pieces which may be too out there for your preppy sensibilities, like black boots from Dr. Martens. But trust us when we say it’ll be worth it.

Pairing skinny jeans with combat boots, a leather jacket on top of a basic shirt, and black aviator specs is a classic go-to to look more interesting. Accessorize with a diamond earring and a leather bracelet, and you’ll get the bad boy look right.

Takeaway

In your journey to upgrading your wardrobe, always bear in mind the importance of creating a personal style that will fit your body as well as your personality. Being edgy means elevating familiar fashion tropes, so have fun!