How to Create the Perfect At-Home Listening Experience

There are few things better than putting on your favourite album and deciding, for once, that you are actually going to properly listen to it. No distractions.

Not have it playing quietly while you answer emails. Not have it competing with the television. Not realise halfway through that you’ve spent the entire first half of the album scrolling through Instagram.

Just sit down, press play and enjoy it.

You don’t need a dedicated music room or an super fancy setup costing more than your first car to make listening at home feel special. A comfortable chair, a little thought about where you’ve put your speakers and the right atmosphere can make all the difference.

Create a Little Listening Corner

First things first: make somewhere you actually want to sit.

This could be a favourite armchair, the corner of the sofa or even a cosy spot by the window. The important thing is that it feels slightly removed from the general chaos of everyday life.

A small side table is handy for a drink, your headphones or, if you’re listening to vinyl, whichever record you’ve decided is today’s soundtrack.

And if you enjoy collecting vinyl, a low record cabinet can keep your collection within easy reach⁠ while giving all those records you’ve lovingly accumulated somewhere to live.

Your surroundings can also affect how the room sounds. Rugs, curtains and upholstered furniture can help soften a room with lots of hard surfaces, while an entirely bare space can sometimes feel a little echoey.

Plus, a rug makes the whole thing feel considerably cosier!

Give Your Speakers Some Attention

You don’t necessarily need better speakers. You might just need to move the ones you’ve already got.

Try positioning them so they’re roughly level with your ears when you’re sitting down. Avoid pushing them right into corners and aim to have both speakers positioned fairly evenly in relation to where you’re listening.

Then comes the fun bit: sit down and listen.

Put on a song you know extremely well and move the speakers around slightly. You may be surprised by how much difference a small change in position can make.

There’s no need to turn your living room into a sound proof recording studio. You’re simply looking for a setup where the vocals sound clear, the instruments don’t feel muddled together and the music feels balanced from your favourite seat.

Actually Listen to the Music

This sounds obvious, but how often do we really listen?

Music has become wonderfully easy to access, but that also means it’s very easy to treat it as background noise. We put something on while cooking, cleaning, working, exercising and doing approximately everything else.

Try doing the opposite occasionally.

Pick an album. Put your phone somewhere out of reach. Make a cup of tea, pour yourself a drink or get comfortable on the sofa, then let the album play from beginning to end.

You might notice things you’ve never heard before, even if you’ve owned the record for years.

That little guitar part hiding underneath the chorus. A backing vocal. The strange noise in the background of a track you’ve played approximately 600 times.

It’s almost like discovering an old favourite again.

Match the Mood

Your listening space doesn’t need to look like a nightclub to feel atmospheric.

Lighting can do a lot of the work. During the day, make the most of natural light and let the room feel bright and relaxed. In the evening, switch to lamps or softer lighting to make things feel a little more intimate.

And don’t underestimate the importance of comfort and texture.

Blankets, cushions, a good chair and somewhere to put your drink all become surprisingly important when you’re halfway through a particularly excellent album and have absolutely no intention of getting up.

If friends are coming over, choose something that works with the occasion. Background music can make dinner feel more welcoming, while a dedicated listening session might call for everyone to actually stop talking for five minutes and appreciate the song.

Although perhaps warn your guests first. Nobody enjoys being unexpectedly subjected to a surprise 14-minute prog-rock track!

Make It a Ritual

The nicest thing about creating a listening space isn’t necessarily the equipment.

It’s having somewhere that encourages you to slow down.

Perhaps Friday evening becomes vinyl night. Maybe Sunday mornings are reserved for coffee and an old favourite album. Or perhaps you simply decide that, once in a while, you are going to put your phone down and give your music your undivided attention.

There is something wonderfully simple about that.

Your home doesn’t need a professional sound system, a separate music room or an extensive collection of records to make listening feel like an occasion.

Sometimes all you really need is a comfortable place to sit, a song you love and twenty uninterrupted minutes.

And, ideally, a drink within arm’s reach!

*features sponsored content.