Ho ho ho! Merry fleecing. :tada:
I can’t promise this will work for everybody, but it’s worked for me. So here goes.
– Always start with free, always start with what you have, always start with what you know.
This is the simplest, yet hardest, part. There’s all sorts of claims, some of them more dubious than others, enough so that “snake oil” is a term that gets used. But consider: unless you have specific client needs, there is literally nothing that’s a must have, save for a computer, some kind of audio interface, some way to record what you come up with, and some way to listen to what you’ve recorded. If you sing, a mic. That’s it. There’s even ways around all of that, but this is the most common configuration.
– Getting into the thick of things a bit more:
— Having some kind of Digital Audio Workstation software can come in handy, even when you’re starting out. This can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but! There are free DAWs, as well as lower cost ones. You can even use something like Audacity (free) or Fairlight (inside of DaVinci Resolve) in a pinch, but you won’t have access to instrument plugins. What’s an instrument plugin? Glad you asked!
— When it comes to plugins: there’s both instrument plugins (like synthesizers, and samplers,) and effects plugins, such as reverb, delay, chorus, etc. Again, start with free, start with what you have. Most DAWs have instruments, effects, and other tools as part of their package. Start there, then figure out what you need for what *you* do.
— Also, don’t go down the rabbit hole of “essential” plugins, either for mixing/mastering, or for instruments such as synths, without looking at free options first. Do not blow hundreds of dollars on fancy mixing plugins! Even from “name brands.” This is sort of the pinnacle of snake oil mountain, at least in software (hardware is a whole other story, and can be just as bad,) so do be careful: a lot of really good, if not legendary, recordings were made with what is now the most basic of tools, and great music is entirely possible with simple approaches and basic methodologies. Don’t get duped because of FOMO! Don’t get played!
After all of that is said and done? Take a breath.
Take two.
Then start in again.
– *IF* you have actual needs past all this: after taking a moment to reflect (as in, a few days or so), *THEN* consider spending money. *BUT* also, keep in mind that most of what you encounter will at least not be relevant or even necessary for your needs, and instead, might even be trying to sell you something easily replaceable for less (including for free,) or worse yet, worthless. And because it’s software, you can’t return it, and you may or may not even be able to resell it.
If you do spend money:
– Wait for sales. Discounts range from 20% to 100%, literally. Usually around 25% – 50%.
– Reject all hype, out of hand. It’s just someone’s opinion: maybe true, maybe not.
– This is sort of subtle, but after you’ve been doing this for a bit, as in, a few months or longer, you may encounter situations where throwing down, say, $100 – $200 may solve a bunch of problems all at once, and further, save spending a lot more than you would otherwise. Personally, I don’t think you should even try doing this until you’ve at least released one album or EP, but that can vary. Do be careful, though, and remember everything I just said. If you don’t have the money, and you can’t save up for that, go back to what you do have, and work with what you got. Trust me, it’s more than enough, and you – yes, you – are already more than enough as well. Go make some noise, and then, tell us about it.
That’s it!
