Just about anyone can be a musician these days. The Guardian's piece on bedroom pop highlights how anyone can make music with limited resources thanks to the accessible technological innovations that artists have at their disposal.

So, if you've always wanted to put a demo together then you should go for it. To help you out, we've come up with five tips to help improve the overall quality of your demo.

Don't Try to Do Too Much

Contrary to popular belief, complex doesn't necessarily mean good. Rather than try to do a lot of complicated things at once, stick with what you do well and keep it simple. Remember that your demo isn't for experimentation, as it's supposed to showcase what you do best to entice the listener to be interested in what you have to offer as an artist.

One way you can do this is by keeping the instrumentation on your tracks simple. Sometimes less is more so don't fret if your instrumentation is stripped down to a drum track, an acoustic guitar, and vocals. Something simple done well is way better than a complicated track done poorly.

Get the Right Gear

The quality of the recording matters just as much as what you're recording so gear will also play a pivotal role when creating a demo. You'll want your recordings to be pristine, so certain investments have to be made.

Now, you don't have to go overboard as a simple microphone and laptop setup will go pretty far nowadays. The AKG C451 B's neutral, smooth midrange and a gentle presence boost at 5kHz can fit any type of voice, all while providing unparalleled clarity that'll help make your recordings sound clean and album ready. A good microphone is of the utmost importance especially for vocal-heavy tracks. Technology has made it possible to put together an album without the use of live instruments. Digital audio workstations such as Ableton Live 10 has all the tools for you to be able to record a full track just with your laptop.

Minimise Noise

Now, this tip is more concerned with what can be taken out rather than what can be added. One quick way to ruin a recording is unwanted noise. Now, the severity of this could vary depending on your studio or home studio setup. This shouldn't be too much of an issue for professional studios, as these rooms are built to keep sound out. Home studios, on the other hand, are susceptible to this especially if you live in a noisy area.

The Independent's article on soundproofing your home highlights that using industrial sealant on your doors and windows can greatly reduce the amount of sound that enters a room. This, along with making use of heavy curtains, should ensure that no unwanted noise seeps into your recordings.

Invest in Mastering

While you can leave your tracks as is once you're finished with them, this would probably not end up well as they'll most likely still need to be mastered. Now, there are two ways you can go about doing this. You can either spend money and have someone master your tracks for you or you can try doing it yourself.

If you're looking to do everything DIY, software such as Cubase can help you master your tracks. From there it's just a matter of trial and error to see what mixes work and what don't. Looking things up online might help, but remember that there are no set rules to what makes a song sound good. Play around with the elements of the song until you're happy with what you hear.

Trim it Down

Lastly, try to keep your demo slim. This means try to avoid adding tracks that will be considered as filler. Only add in tracks that you're sure to represent the best of what you have to offer.

You'll have to have the right mindset when it comes to track selection. One thing that might help is to get another person in the room with you, as an outsider's perspective may be particularly useful when trying to figure out what should or shouldn't go into the album.

If you're looking for more tips, check out our How to Submit a Demo to a Record Label article for some pointers on how to get signed by a major label!

Content written by Pepper Waters for pumpyoursound.com