Home Studio Shopping List: What to Buy First and What Can Wait 🛒

home studio recording

A man in a black track jacket plays a keyboard controller next to a laptop in a concrete loft studio at dusk, with orange lava lamps and a city skyline in the windows.

Don't Buy the Whole Store

You decide to start making music at home.

You open a music store website.

Microphones.

Preamps.

Monitors.

Cables.

Plugins.

Acoustic panels.

A shiny synth.

Your cart fills up.

Your bank account empties.

And you still haven't made a song.

Do you need all of it to start?

No.

Do you need a few things?

Yes.

Also read: The Home Studio Setup Guide: How to Get the Best Sound Out of Your Room

Quick Summary

Buy in this order:

👉 1. A computer and a DAW — you probably own the computer already

👉 2. An audio interface — gets sound in and out

👉 3. Closed-back headphones — to track and check your mix

👉 4. One microphone, a stand and a cable — if you sing or play acoustic instruments

👉 5. A MIDI keyboard — if you make beats or play software instruments

Later:

👉 Studio monitors

👉 Acoustic treatment

👉 More mics, preamps and plugins

Start small.

Make songs.

Let the songs tell you what to buy next.

1. 💻 The Computer and the DAW

Your DAW is where everything happens.

Recording.

Editing.

Beats.

Mixing.

Many audio interfaces and MIDI keyboards come with a free version of a DAW, like Ableton Live Lite.

Try that first.

Upgrade when you hit its limits.

Also read: The Best DAWs for Beginners in 2026 💻

2. 🔌 The Audio Interface

Your computer's headphone jack isn't built for recording.

An audio interface is.

For most beginners, two inputs is enough.

One for a mic.

One for a guitar or a second mic.

Look for:

👉 At least one mic input with phantom power (48V)

👉 A headphone output with its own volume knob

👉 Direct monitoring

Also read: The Best Audio Interfaces for Beginners

3. 🎧 Headphones

Get closed-back headphones first.

They don't leak sound into your mic while you track.

They also let you mix late at night without waking anyone up.

Open-back headphones and monitors can come later.

Also read: Should I Mix on Headphones or Speakers?

A young woman with shaggy dark hair rests her head on her hand at a laptop with waveforms, with monitor speakers, a keyboard and city windows behind her. ⭐️ Download my Free Music Production Guides or take my free Ableton Live Course ⭐️

4. 🎤 One Microphone

You don't need a mic locker.

You need one mic you know well.

A dynamic mic is forgiving in an untreated room.

It picks up less of your room and more of you.

A condenser mic hears more detail.

And more of your room.

Don't forget:

👉 A mic stand

👉 An XLR cable

👉 A pop filter for vocals

Also read: Shure SM7B vs SM57: Which Mic Should I Buy For My Home Studio? 🎤

5. 🎹 A MIDI Keyboard

If you make beats or use software instruments, get a small MIDI keyboard.

25 or 49 keys is a great start.

Pads are a bonus for drums.

If you only sing and play guitar, this one can wait.

⚔️ Buy Now vs. Buy Later

Gear	Buy Now?	Why
DAW	Now	It's where everything happens
Audio interface	Now	Gets sound in and out
Closed-back headphones	Now	Track and mix without leaking
One mic, stand and cable	Now, if you sing or play	One good mic beats five okay ones
MIDI keyboard	Now, if you make beats	Play your software instruments
Studio monitors	Later	Your room has to be ready for them
Acoustic treatment	Later	Learn your room first
Expensive mics and preamps	Much later	Your performance matters more
Plugin bundles	Much later	Your DAW already has the basics