Hometaping FAQs

Rules and how to take part

How do I take part?
Just sign up to the website here, and create a profile.
When do I have to make my music?
You have one month to make your music. Hometapers - that's you - have to record an album of their own music between Tuesday 1st Wednesday 30th November.
Can I sample other people’s music?
Yes.
Can I cover other people’s music?
Yes.
How many songs do I have to record?
It's up to you, as long as you clear 20 minutes.
What do I do with my music when I'm finished?
Upload it to your profile on the Hometaping website. Or if you have recorded on a tape, or CD, or something else, send it to us and we'll do our best to digitise it and put it on the website for you. You can send it to: 290 Caledonian Road, London. N1 1BA
How long will my music be on the website?
As long as Hometaping exists. Tell us if you don’t want it there.
Who owns the music?
You.

More about Hometaping

I’m a normal person. Why would I do this?

Hometaping is very simple. It’s a big effort to get as many people as possible to make an album of their own music in a month. It will be fun. Lots of people will be doing it. It is free. It will end with a big party to celebrate our creativity and effort.

What more reasons do you need? You don’t have to play in the Premiership to play football. You don’t have to want to be a model to wear nice clothes. So you shouldn’t have to want to be on the telly or in the NME to record music. Although, obviously, we also want to be on telly too. Making music can be liberating and exciting. And more importantly, it can be really easy, too.

I'm a musician. Can I take part?
Yes. Hometaping is for everyone. If you are amazing at making music, you should definitely take part.
Is it a competition?
No. It’s just an effort to help people make music. We hope that it’s a bit easier to do if you know other people are too. Easier, and more fun.
Will other people laugh at me?
They won’t. They can’t. They shouldn’t. First, if you’re worried about people hearing your music, they don’t need to know it’s you - so just do it under a pseudonym. Second, if people do laugh, they are awful, shallow people. It’s probably because they’re threatened by what you’ve done and wished they could have done it themselves.
Does it matter if I don’t have really good recording equipment?
No. The important thing is that your music is recorded. Everything else is basically secondary. It doesn’t matter if you record onto your old battered tape player, or sing something down the phone to the Hometaping hotline (we could record it on our phone for you - the hotline number is 07964 663170). If you want to try some more advanced recording, there are some tips to improve the ‘cleanness’ of your recording in the help section below.
What do I do if it feels like Hometaping’s too hard for me?
Have a drink, eat some cake, or listen to some of your favourite music for inspiration. Failing that call the helpline: 07964 663170. Calls are at ‘your normal network rate’ (It’s an Orange pay-as-you-go if that makes any difference to your call charge). You can also email us on hmtpng@gmail.com . We are here for you: there will be two get togethers in November to iron out any practical problems you are having face to face - with our composing, recording and editing experts.
What is the Hometaping party?
The party is to give everyone a chance to celebrate having finished, and if they want to, to meet other Hometapers and play their music. The size of the party depends on how many people complete Hometaping. But suffice to say there will be a celebration no matter how few, or how many of us do it. If you are a Hometaper, you are invited to the Hometaper party.
What happens if I register after November?
It’s fine to start later, but you don’t get any extra time. All entries have to be in by Nov 30th.
Do I have to be in London?
No. If it looks like the meet ups and the party is in London, that’s because we all live in London at the moment. If you want to organise your own party, or group then you should definitely go for it! We are here to help if you need it. We're really hoping we can shave some kind of simultaneous parties to celebrate the end of hometaping at the start of December. Email us about this
Has Hometaping been done before?
Yes. There are a few things like it in the USA. We doff our caps deferentially to NASOALMO - National Solo Album Month, and RPM Challenge in the USA.
Is this just some advert for something annoying?
No.
Who runs Hometaping?
Four friends who live in London called Basil, Charlie, Josh and Pete. You can email them at hmtpng@gmail.com