How it all started

When I landed in the UAE back in 2008, I was chasing greener pastures like many others. I had dreams, ambition, and a suitcase full of hope. My first job was as a Sales Supervisor in the Electronics Department of one of Dubai’s leading electronics stores. We sold everything—TVs, DVDs, home theater systems. It was a good job, stable and respectable. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t my passion.

You see, I’ve been playing guitar since I was a child in Kenya. Music runs in my blood. My grandfather—whom I never met—was a musician. Somehow, I always felt a deep pull toward music, like it was calling me back to something I was meant to do. Selling electronics was fine, but I wanted to be around instruments, sound, creativity.

That’s when everything changed. I got a life-changing opportunity to work at Thomsun, one of the top musical instrument distributors in the UAE. My first assignment was at Thomsun Pure Music in Ibn Battuta Mall—a dream music store filled with guitars, keyboards, audio gear, and everything a musician could imagine. I was finally where I belonged.

Working in A Guitar Store in UAE

Working in a guitar store surrounded by Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, and PRS instruments felt like stepping into a world I had always dreamed of. I wasn’t just selling gear—I was connecting with musicians, producers, and dreamers from all walks of life. Whether they were building a home studio in Abu Dhabi  or starting a band in Dubai, I saw myself in their stories.

But even with that dream job, I wasn’t recording yet. I lived in shared accommodation in Deira, like many others trying to make it in Dubai. The room was small—two bunk beds, a fridge humming in the corner, and barely enough space to stretch. My roommates worked different shifts: one was a delivery rider, another a hotel cleaner, and the third worked nights at a supermarket. The rhythm of the house was unpredictable, but I learned to move with it.

That’s where my Podcast recording studio journey began.

I didn’t have a soundproof room or a fancy setup. I had a laptop, a compact audio interface, a pair of closed-back headphones, and a microphone mounted on a foldable stand. Behind the mic, I hung a thick blanket from a curtain rod to act as a DIY vocal booth. A rug on the tiled floor helped absorb reflections. It wasn’t glamorous—but it worked.

I recorded during quiet hours—early mornings or late nights when the room was still. Sometimes the fridge buzzed too loudly. Sometimes a roommate walked in mid-take. Sometimes the call to prayer echoed just as I hit record. But I adapted. I used noise reduction plugins, mixed with headphones, and packed away my gear in minutes when the room filled up again.

Over time, I upgraded. A better mic. A reflection filter. A MIDI controller. I knew what it meant to start with nothing but passion and a few square feet of space.

I began sharing my journey online—photos of my setup, tips for recording in tight spaces, stories of late-night sessions and early-morning edits. People responded. Other musicians in similar situations reached out. Some were in shared rooms in Sharjah, others in garages in Abu Dhabi. They all had the same dream: to make music, no matter the circumstances.

And slowly, the music grew. Tracks got tighter. Mixes got cleaner. Collaborations started. What began in a shared room became a movement—proof that creativity doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. It thrives in the cracks, in the quiet hours between shifts, in the heart of a city that never sleeps.

My podcast studio wasn’t just a place—it was a mindset. A reminder that in Dubai, where dreams are built on determination, even a shared room can become a sanctuary for sound.

I didn’t have soundproof walls or a vocal booth with LED lights. But I had something better: vision, discipline, and heart. And in a city like Dubai, that’s often all you need to get started.

As my studio journey evolved, so did my gear. I started with the basics—just enough to get sound in and out of my laptop. But with every mix, every late-night session, I realized how much the right tools could elevate the process. And that’s when I began exploring deeper, not just as a musician, but as someone helping others build their own creative spaces through my music shop, M4Music.

Studio gear for a beginner in Dubai

If you're starting out in a shared room like I did, you don’t need a massive budget—you need smart choices. One of my first upgrades was the Arturia MiniFuse 1, a compact USB-C audio interface that fits perfectly on a small desk and delivers clean, reliable sound. For those just dipping their toes into recording, the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 is a solid entry-level option that won’t break the bank.

As my workflow grew, I leaned into more versatile gear like the Mackie Onyx Producer 2-2 USB Audio Interface with MIDI and the Steinberg UR22C, both of which offer multiple inputs and great latency performance—ideal for layering guitars, vocals, and MIDI instruments even in tight spaces.

And for creators who want an all-in-one solution, I always recommend checking out recording bundles. The Behringer U-Phoria Studio Bundle was a game-changer for me early on—it came with a mic, headphones, and interface, ready to plug and play. The Mackie Creator Bundle is another great option, especially for those blending music with content creation.

These tools aren’t just products—they’re stepping stones. Whether you’re in a shared room in Dubai or setting up a garage studio in Abu Dhabi, the right gear can turn any space into a sanctuary for sound. That’s the heart of what we do at M4Music: helping musicians find their voice, no matter where they start.

So if you're ready to begin your own studio journey, I invite you to explore the gear that helped me—and many others—bring music to life. You’ll find everything you need at www.m4music.com, from audio interfaces to full recording bundles, curated with the same passion that started in a shared room in Deira.