Soundproof garden studio design ideas – useful tips

How to design a soundproof garden studio? How to equip an outdoor music studio so that you can play your piano, guitar, violin or drums without disturbing family and neighbors? We all know that playing music can be quite a disturbance and when your teen kids would like to rehearse with the band sometimes the garage is not a very good idea. Have you thought of a garden shed which can be used as a music room? Well, it is worth thinking about that and we shall try to give you some design ideas for your own soundproof studio in the backyard.

Soundproof garden studio design ideas

For some people, music is an enjoyable hobby, for some people it is a necessity, and for others – it is a professional occupation. Nowadays more and more people want to develop their musical skills which leads to the necessity of a specialized music studios. Even on a tight budget, there are different ways to design a soundproof garden studio. For example, you do not need to spend a fortune on furniture but invest in music instruments or equipment. A garden shed is a good solution for arranging a home music studio and this idea is worth the consideration for everyone who has a fairly large backyard. Whether you have a garden shed built from bricks or a lighter construction, it can be converted to a music studio and the fact that sheds, in general, do not require a permission or a building approval, the idea of own music room gets more and more attractive.

When you design a music room you need to know that it does not have to be huge. As far as the right size is concerned a shed of 15 square meters or less is just enough. Of course, you need to check the local regulations for height and location of sheds near roads, etc. Once you have decided on the model, size and type of your garden shed, then we come to the insulation and soundproofing materials. Insulation is important for a garden music studio as wooden sheds may become quite hot during summer time or freezing in winter months. Soundproofing is absolutely essential when we talk about garden shed music room, as the light construction practically does not stop any sound and there is a very good chance that you end up with upset neighbours if you didn’t take care of soundproofing your own music studio.

Beginning with the exterior, you may consider a cladding which will provide both an attractive appearance of your outdoor music studio and will help the soundproofing as well. Timber cladding, PVC cladding – it is up to your taste and budget, but remember that doors and windows also play an important role for sound spreading.

Soundproof garden studio – what are the best soundproof materials?

There are many companies which specialize in soundproof garden studio design and it will be a good idea if you consult with specialists to see the best options for yourself. Sound travels through the air and walls, floors and ceilings, transfer sounds to surrounding areas. To soundproof an outdoor music room with a wooden floor, plasterboard walls and wood cladding is a bit more difficult than soundproofing a solid brick garden room. The more layers of soundproofing, the better, but this will affect the size of your music studio and you may have no space for the instruments and the equipment that you need.

One of the most common methods used to reduce the transfer of this sound is to insulate the wall, floor or ceiling with one of several types of insulation and there are different ways that you can use to provide the soundproofing and save yourself the trouble from high noise levels. Here are some of them:

Use a thick carpet for the floor as it will absorb some of the sounds.

Use soundproof curtains for the windows and doors of your garden shed. They will help you in improving the acoustics of the garden music room and will muffle the sounds and reduce the noise levels. These curtains are made of heavier and denser fabric and usually have a thick wool layer in between. You can use them for the windows, the door or other openings. Buy a soundproof door, or soundproof the entry door of the shed, as this is of great significance for the insulation of noise.

Acoustic tiles are essential in outdoor music studios. There are many types of tiles – ceiling tiles, wall tiles, which are especially designed for soundproofing. You need to remember that acoustic panels come in different design as per their function – there are the ones that absorb the echo within a room which are important for voice and music recording, for example, and there are panels that that block or stop the sound which work as soundproofing. Egg crates are one of the most popular type of acoustic panels used in music studios.

Acoustical noise and sound barriers are dense materials which are used to block sound by providing mass to existing walls, floors, and ceilings. They can be as partition walls or screens and will add to the soundproofing of the garden music studios. Such materials are the mass loaded vinyl, acoustical sound sealant, etc.

Sometimes, a simple rubber strip attached to the door will help you with the soundproofing of your garden room and this is one of the easiest, cost effective and budget friendly ideas.