Download a music recording program. If you aspire to record professionally or become a producer, you may want to invest in a complete production program like Pro Tools, Logic or Audition. If you just want to start making music for fun, you can explore a free program like Ardour, Audacity or QTractor.
Connect your equipment to your PC. While live instruments are not required for recording (thanks to the rise of digital technology), you may still want to record using your guitar, keyboard or other instruments. To achieve the most fluid, noise-free connection, connect an audio interface (external sound card) to your computer or use USB cables designed for your instruments. For instance, music supply stores sell guitar USB cables, microphone USB cables and other equipment. For a cheaper but lower-quality alternative, buy 3.5mm adapters for your instruments, and connect using your PC's "Line-In" port.
Download music loops. In addition to recording your own instruments (or even as an alternative), you can incorporate free, legal-to-use samples, consisting of short audio recordings made by other musicians. These can include drum beats, bass lines, guitar riffs, sound effects and melody lines. Visit loop sites like Looperman, Loopasonic and Free Loops to find samples that suit your musical needs. Download your favorites to your hard drive.
Open your audio software and begin recording. For this, you have many options. If you connected instruments and microphones, click the "Record" button on your screen and begin transmitting sound. If you connected a MIDI keyboard (a digital controller that looks and functions like a music keyboard but also allows you to play notes on other music devices), connect it to your PC, select a virtual instrument on your screen and begin recording (you may first need to create a "MIDI Track," accessed from your menu bar or tool bar). If only using samples as opposed to recording, skip to the next step.
Add samples to your mix. In order to layer your music (in other words, to input your recordings one layer at a time, such as guitar, bass and drums), you will need to multi-track. All of the programs suggested in Step 1, as well as many other digital workstations, support multi-tracking. To create new tracks, locate the "New Track" option, and create one track for each sample and recording. For instance, if you have one live guitar and two samples, you will need three tracks. Your tracks should appear like lines on a piece of paper, or like horizontal bars. Your time line moves from left to right, so arrange your recordings as you want them to appear on the time line.
Add even more layers to make your music more interesting and creative. For instance, millions of bands rely on just guitar, bass and drums, but if you add a few sound effects, a piano line and some backup vocals, your music will sound fuller and more complex. Place each new layer on its own track.
Add effects to make your music even cooler. Each digital recording program contains an effects menu, with options like "Echo," "Distortion" and "Tremolo" (an effect that gives the illusion of a sound moving rapidly from left to right). By applying these effects to your tracks, you can take a simple guitar and make it stand out, or take a general vocal line and make it sound robotic. Experiment with all of the effects on your program's "Effects" menu.