My Productivity Desk Setup for Music and Video 

I really like your honesty. The "real person" vibe and not "internet personality" is refreshing.

I know I'm not to only one who noticed the desk chair arms fold up, perfect for playing guitar.

“Do what you can with what you have before spending money. Whether the internet approves of it or not.” Can we please get a round of applause 👏🏻 👏🏻

Ohhh....today You were singing with Rick and Rhett. So happy to see this. Thank you and welcome to the US. You are someone very special and hearing you sing warms my soul....you are loved

Even after 10 years I am still learning something new every single day. Thank you for your wisdom.

I came for the thumbnail. I stayed for the facts. I subbed for the gems to come. Bless you.

The only update I could make in my small space is getting two Music computing screens, which really boosted my productivity.

I didn't even consider putting my, admittedly small, speakers at ear level before this video, they are now resting on 4 Buffy DVD cases.

We all have a story and each day we fill a few more pages. Thanks letting us in on a little of yours. 👍🏼😊

I'm quite amazed about the quality of your filmmaking I hope I can do something similar someday, I'm on my way to get a camera Definitely inspired by Mary

Your plant looks like an Aloe plant in very good health!They grow wild all over the place where I live, break one leaf and feel the Aloe oil on your fingers. Thanks for a great video.

Mary looking at you telling us what equipment you have makes me realise you are going for the proffesional stuff and that is a good thing :-). i have one tip for you i see you backup your "stuff" on a stand alone harddisk and that can be way better please look for a NAS (synology has good ones) with a raid 5 backup system (2 harddrives or more) this way you can write directly to the NAS over your home network meaning all that is connected to your home netwoek can load or save from one storrage, in addition your "stuff" is save because when one disc dies on you all the data is reserved on the other discs so you then just need to swap uot the faulty one and all is gooed to go without los of data.

Love the white. It’s clean and happy.

I love home studio tours - they're always very inspiring. I've thought about using a shotgun mic (I'm currently using a lapel mic) because it's so convenient, but I can't always keep everyone else in the house totally quiet, so I'm bumming about that. Your channel always looks amazing - you set a high bar! Keep making great content - we appreciate you.

The cupboard behind and under the desk is a very good idea. Not only can you put something on top but can store non frequently used stuff there. Would use it myself but will probably end up putting my subwoofer in a similar spot. I’ll see how I get on once I move into my house...

You and Cameron Cooper always make me happy. Thanks

I’m only 2 months into TRYING to play guitar while have a day job but these videos are so interesting. You touch on so many things and I can always learn something.

I like that your monitors are positioned professionally, on stands, above the table, at proper angle. I see this so rare...

Ms. Spender, you're the best! Thanks for doing what you do!

Hello from SoCal .. Mary, don’t know where you’d find the time, however, I think you should seriously submit a vlog or two to the companies that record audio books... I have never listened to an audio book, however, I know they get folks like Donald Sutherland to read murder mysteries 😂 I worked at CAA in 1980 for brief time and Donald came in to see his Agent and reeked of Petula Oil 😂🤣😂 .. You could read dramatic character parts or narrate murder mysteries. Peeps have to agree, you have such an articulate and soothing speaking voice... Cheers, Matthew.

I just bought the Hbada chair you show, only in black. It is so comfortable and the fact that the arms swing up and out of the way is awesome! Thank you for the recommendation!

Amazon sells both manual and motorized adjustable height desk bases. I just screwed my old stationary desktop to the new base and it is great! I work 10-12 hours a day this helps me stay focused and saves my body the strain of sitting for long periods of time.

Love what you've done with your space Mary, i'm in a similar situation in a small room. The joys of living in the UK when you're not loaded.

I might be mistaken here or things in the UK might be very differently from the places I've lived so far (Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium); but even if you're renting out an appartment you should be able to do audio treatment. Just make sure it can be fixed to the wall with screws and doesn't have to be glued (because that's a pain to remove) and then cover the holes with spatula-mass before you leave the appartment. Especially if you're planing to stay in a place for longer, and music production/videos are an essential part of your livelihood i would definitely see this as a worth investment even taking the risk of loosing some of your deposit (should never be your whole deposit, if thats the case you're probably getting scammed).

That bringing the desk forward is a touch of genius. May have to steal that.

Man i just fall for her accent everytime i see her videos❤️, ps: i am a guitarist and i also love er playing skills🎉

If you are still renting, have you considered temporary placement of wall foam or soundproofing for your room. You can use those low-tack hanger stickers. And then Velcro small 1 inch or 2 inch square for each foam pad line them up as you need them and you can even set it up on your door so that when your door closes the foam is touching the wall portion.I think it helps further soundproof your room.... And it's way better than using ductape around the door frame, haha.

Felicitaciones desde Glasgow, es exactamente lo que yo he hecho. Cuando vi en virus venir, toda la cancelación de conciertos inmediatamente oriente mi tiempo aprender desde casa, construir mi home studio y estar lo más productivo posible. Y felicitaciones por las clases en Español. Cheers

I used to live in not far from you, the local telephone exchange is the most over-subscribed in Europe and internet speeds will always be awful there until they just build a new exchange!

Cheers Mary, i spent these 11 inutes very well watching your video and I think you are commendable for doing a very good job with this video. I like the smooth way you narrate and the footage as well. Cheers!

What a lovely spoken voice

Literally thinking of changing my setup for the musician / RU-vid space - and low and behold.. you bring out a video about it. HA! ace!

Just a thought for you on accoustic treatment. I too rent and can't glue or nail stuff to the walls. I have glued using PVA glue some accoustic panels to thin card, bought a couple of reels of 3m Magic Nano Grip Tape. Each board of 4 x 4 accoustic squares is stuck to the walls with just two lengths of grip tape. This tape does not mark the walls and you can take the boards down at any time. So far after 6 month, they have not moved or fallen off. Love your studio, I wish I could organise mine better it really needs it.

The quality of these videos is far beyond what is reflected in the sub count.

Awesome! Congrats on your work! So much admiration.

Since you can’t make changes for sound proofing, get some picture frames and put sound proofing squares on them and hang them on the wall. Love your music and your voice.

hey Mary, you mentioned not being able to install acoustic treatment. I took acoustic tiles, put them on presentation foamcore, put a hanger bracket on the back of that and I'm able to have that acoustic deadening with just a screw in the wall. Just like hanging a picture!

Impressed by your clear style. Succinct and nothing cheesy.

I'm a bit jealous - my 'home studio' space became my office when working from home kicked off in March and well that's not changing any time soon. I did buy a compact daylight/sad lamp back near the start of all this and have that set up which I find does actually make me a bit more productive and boosts my focus and moods which I would def recommend (and tbh even if it's a total placebo, just the bright light wakens me up and gives my routine a bit of kick start). On the plus side, I had a nice video call background of guitars/amp which has made a nice talking point with other people I never knew were into music! One big suggestion as you mentioned using lots of storage - keep a backup 'offsite' of your most important work. Either in online storage or just a hard drive stored at a trusted place - that way if something catastrophic happens you have a copy safe elsewhere (my friend had a water leak destroy his home workspace and backup NAS only last year so these issues can happen!)

Amazing Home Studio , Good Job Mary ,,

Your studio space looks very nice!

This was great - love sorting my desk for productivity - plus I've been after a new chair for a while and this looks like it fits the bill!

You’re a natural video host. I thought about buying a multi-guitar stand like you have but you have to be careful leaving instruments out in open all the time if humidity or cold temperatures are an issue in the house. I bought same kind of chair recent which was surprisingly hard to find with the flip arms.

I like your aloe vera plant they are very medicinal plants

Wonderful! How all of you I follow share how to get this done, the efforts successes and fails. My apartment is much the same with similar design challenges . The last two months were spent designing the backdrop for future videos. You and the rest, Shull Scallon, Neely, Davids, Beato, Marty, Rachael K, Josh, ....I'll stop, there are 17 of you in all. All paving the way for one primitive musician who will have a better working space because each of you selflessly share the way you do. Thanks Mary, I am inspired by each of you, and working on it!

🙋‍♂️ I wanted the Peter McKinnon look with the cam in middle of desk and rest of room behind and when I did it looked awesome... but unfortunately I had to push my Mac to the side as well as place my monitors on the floor at every shoot. This was unacceptable as we need computer in center and monitors at their specific placement so I had to give up that look and change the cam to the right side of my desk and the narrow part of the room behind me... so less blurriness in background but still works which is the point at the end. Nice video. If you can take a look at my set up 😉 cheers 🥂

I never knew that you were supposed to set the tweeters at ear level, so this video was super helpful

I'm not quite where you are yet but thank you for posting this. Many good points to keep in mind ;). A chair with folding arms is an absolute! Yes I'm still lusting over that St. Vincent too hahaha. Cheers.

Very nice and great use of space 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️🎤🥁🎸🎻🎹

If I only got rid of a lot of stuff, I could try to build a workspace that looks as nice as yours. xD 3:30 There are also rules for an ergonomic workspace, and the Mac’s screen might be too low for that. It’s not that I didn’t like your idea with the small cupboard, but I’d like to save you from future problems with your neck and back.

This productivity hack is just what I needed.! 💫 Keep rising to be who you want to be! 💫 #keeprising #risingtobe #aswerise #riser

A good studio makes such a big difference! It helps you concentrate and it’s just so fun to create one! Great video!

Thanks Mary. Also glad to see a studio a tour that includes the coasters, they just don't get enough love

Thumbs up for advocating the reuse of existing items.

Great listen ,perfect 10 delivery. Thanks.

Nice setup! So compact, powerful.

Wonderful to see you making good use of your time. Before you know it you will have become a full fledged entrepreneur.

You’re a real badass, Mary. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙏🏻😁

You're awesome Mary, thanks for the video! 😁👊

Kudos to you Mary. That is a lot of technology to know. Plus your music and conversation skills.

honest,non-boastful,straight up,chapeau miss!

I'm a sound editor, the Humanscale Freedom chair with headrest is the best chair I've found. It makes long hours in the chair are much easier.

Thank you so much for keeping us up to speed on the practical issues of your work life. I find that file organization is both a challenge and an absolute key to maintaining productivity, especially with the accumulation of files over time due to changes in tools and general direction of your channel. Love the channel Mary!!

Thanks for putting this out there. I’m due for a studio overhaul. I’ve got a bit more clutter than I’d like and need to organize better. Like you, I’m recording music and video recording and production in my room, which is a small 10x11 bedroom.

You are just so very cool! Thank you for your videos!

I think any device that features a female English voice option, i.e. gps apps etc, should have Mary record it. Absolutely love just listening to her talk.

Clean, practical and nice set up

Thanks for sharing your workspace. That was a really cool video.

Love you Mary. You are very inspirational to me. I love your videos and your music. You have such a beautiful voice and you exude a loving soul that comes through in your music. Thank you for sharing your musical journey with us. Hopefully someday you will make it to West Texas to perform. I would love to get to hear you play live. Stay safe out there. 🤠🎸🤘

Thank you for always sharing. You make my day better every time you upload.

Wow it is an outstanding place to create music congrats

As a shit-tier youtuber who is trying to get better at making content that people actually want to watch while also not going crazy in lockdown, this is fantastic advice. From the very beginning of "try to set up a space seperate from you bedroom", to "make the best of what you have whether people approve or not", to specific tips re. gear, it was very helpful and encouraging. Thanks Mary! Subscribed. PS. As a speaker nerd I am also hugely jealous of those Adam A7's! :D

Another great video - thanks, Mary!

Mary... you’re so fit!

Impressive setup. For what you have it's perfect. Neat and clean and easy to navigate. Nice work.

The desk plant you have in your space, Mary, appears to be an aloe plant. Thank you for sharing your creations for us all to learn from. ✌🏾🙏🏼🎶

I know having followed you .. on & off since the very early days that HARD work & not luck ( except maybe by being right place right time lol ) & not just a pretty face but real talent & skills have got you these benefits .. I am saying it for you b4 others might say .. easy for her etc .. Keep working out .. looking good .. lol & stay safe & stay strong .. bye

Beautifull B-roll. Peter would be proud. :)

And you play violin (oops, viola) and guitar... a woman after my own heart. Cheers, Mary.

Re acoustic treatment, I highly recommend the Gik panels that have feet, you can move them around and don't have to attach them to walls. You'll take them to your next place :)

I love that you have the Real World studio (Big Room) on your desktop Mary. I've been lucky to go there and its amazing.

Just saying, the swing up arms on a desk chair is a must. Makes it so easy to grab a guitar throw it in a mix. Really easy.

Love your down-to-earth approach to what you do. Wish you the very best.

wow, that is a badass computer! 128GB RAM would be sooooo nice! Great space too!

I see that this channel is basically an advertisement channel. But, you are aesthetically pleasing. That being said, (and I probably shouldn't have said it) the products you endorse are "top notch" and so are you. I love your guitar playing and your voice. They are, well, "aesthetically pleasing"

Thank for your insight into your studio, you can do so much with your set-up. I’m a sort of shot as seen guitarist with a little video production only. Many thanks once again for your tour.🤗🇬🇧

Great job explaining everything Mary. Very useful information. It was awesome getting a glimpse into Casa del Spender, and your home setup. It gave me some ideas for my own setup. Thanks again, for making this video. I'm already looking forward to the next luminous one. 👍👍👍

Great video Mary. Nice workspace.

Wonderful workspace👏👏👏. I’ll make mine as soon as I stop watching RU-vid videos

Hi Mary, over at the DIY Perks channel, Matt demonstrated how effective and inexpensive it is to make sound absorption panels. The episode is named "How to Make High Performance Sound Absorption Panels for $5". This is how you could improve your space without making changes to the room. Love your channel. One last thing, back in the 90's Stanford University in California released a study regarding the optimum sound level for mixing music. It's at that level that the normal ear can hear the most frequencies clearly. The level is 92db and the optimum distance from the speakers is 6 feet. The ears will fatigue after 20 minutes or so and require resting before picking up where you left off. I've used this guidance with great results ever since. Did I mention I quite like your channel?

Thanks for this video ❤️🔥

Mary... the song on the outro is magic! Your voice is so lovely. I am going to check out more of your music! - cheers

Great job Mary. YOU are an inspiration. Blessings, Carl & Leann.

Try GIK acoustics for some treatment. They have stands that you can put the panels on. And you can get extreme heavy duty velcro to put the rest on the walls,

I respect that you're still learning and that you're aware of how much more there is to know. But your videos lately have looked and felt really swish. The colour balance and lighting in this one looked really good.

Cool space! I got my girlfriend an orangewood oliver and several of my friends have started buying orangewoods because your video! I'm blown away by this thing, probably going to be buying exclusively orangewood acoustics now.

yay productivity video

Great information. It would have been nice if you had done a studio tour or studio reveal with it, but we got the overall idea.

That computer stand/cupboard is brilliant!! I might have to put this to use ASAP ...

brilliant video and full of ideas for inspiration