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Step 1
Write a song. Select instrumentations, write a vocal and find musicians. This step can be done collaboratively to take some of weight off. For instance, if you have a friend who is a singer and another who writes lyrics you like, and you can play guitar and drums, you're well on your way to writing a song.
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Step 2
Rehearse your written material. Make specific time to do this and make sure everyone involved is available. Later steps will involve editing, but you can't edit material together that isn't there by the time you start recording.
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Step 3
Develop a repertoire of your own songs, unless you want to produce only one track. Once you develop a repertoire, you can begin to think about gigging, starting perhaps with open-mic nights. This will help you develop the confidence you'll need when recording.
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Step 1
Decide what kind of recording you want to make. There are many options when recording your own music, ranging from creating simple analog one-track live recordings to investing in a home studio where you can create professional-quality digital audio. HomeRecording.com is a very active site where people discuss different technological options and other issues facing people recording music at home (see Resources below). Resources like this can help you decide what kind of recording equipment you need for your project.
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Step 2
Consider booking a recording studio. Recording your own music, depending on the type of recording you've decided to make, can be very difficult, involving investing in and then learning how to use many new pieces of equipment. Booking a recording studio allows you to farm out some of this labor to a knowledgeable person who already has equipment. You may still have to pay for mastering and normalizing your music, but involving professionals can sometimes save time and money and also be a learning experience in their fields.
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Step 3
Head to your local musical supply store if you decide to create a home studio. In-person advice is preferable to buying everything online (at least your first time out), since a knowledgeable musician or tech in a shop can steer you toward the right kind of microphones, amplifiers, mixing boards and other equipment for your specific needs.
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Step 4
Set up your home studio. This might be as simple as plugging in a one-input tape recorder or as complicated as creating a soundproof space and integrating several new machines with each other and your computer. If you've gone with a more complex setup, ask a musician friend or the staff at your local musical supply store if they can help you set up your new studio.
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Step 5
Record your material. You need to set aside specific time to do this, just as when you are rehearsing, but be prepared to leave even more time since you want to get the best tracks you can. Also, unless you are recording all the musicians playing together live, you'll need to set aside the time to record each one playing her part several times for quality and matching to the other tracks.
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Step 6
Put on the finishing touches. Raw tracks aren't CD-ready yet. Your music will need to be normalized (Audiograbber is a free download that can be used to normalize recordings; see Resources for the link) and mastered. Mastering is the most difficult step in creating a recording, and it is recommended that you have a professional do this. However, there is definitely home mastering software if you want to complete the whole project yourself.
