Think of these products as mediators, allowing all your components to speak the same language to facilitate the recording process. Thankfully, USB audio interfaces provide these inputs, plug right into your computer via a USB port, and convert analog, real-world audio into computer-friendly digital audio. Why? Computer audio processors don’t typically have the right inputs for recording microphones and instruments directly, resulting in extremely quiet recordings, muted tones, or static when you plug in directly.

While professional studios utilize purpose-built, multi-thousand dollar recording consoles, home recording studios rely on audio interfaces to translate the music you play into something your computer can properly understand. If you’re interested in recording music at home, though, we recommend a USB audio interface. It happens in living rooms, on front porches, in parks, and everywhere in between.

The magic of music doesn’t just happen in professional recording studios. Buying guide for Best USB audio interfaces