Los Angeles is home to some of the world’s best ADR studios (Automated Dialogue Replacement) for the film, television, animation, and gaming industries.
Whether it's matching dialogue to on-screen visuals, recording voiceovers, or creating loop group sessions, an ADR studio plays a crucial role in post-production.
Below, we will explore the top ADR studios in Los Angeles and Burbank, the services they offer, average hourly pricing, and what to look for if it’s your first time booking an ADR studio.
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Top 3 ADR Studios in Los Angeles
These are some of the most well-known and affordable ADR studios in Los Angeles.
👑 King Soundworks
- Location: Van Nuys, Burbank (The Valley)
- Link: https://www.kingsoundworks.com/
- Contact: kingsoundworks@gmail.com
- Notable Projects: Feature Films (Friday Night Lights, Jumanji, Cosmos)
King Soundworks is one of the premier ADR recording studios in Los Angeles.
Their primary services include:
- Post-production sound editing and design,
- ADR,
- Foley.
They have multiple locations in Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks, Burbank, and Santa Clarita.
The studios are SAG and AFTRA certified, ensuring the safety of talent and crew.
King Soundworks also provides solutions for actors who cannot physically come to the studio or are in remote locations, with extensive experience in off-site and remote ADR recording.
Their global partnerships allow them to work with actors from other countries, making them a versatile choice for international film and TV projects.
📢 Outloud Audio
- Location: Burbank
- Link: https://www.outloudaudio.com/
- Contact: info@outloudaudio.com
- Notable Projects: Animation (Star Wars Young Jedi, League of Super Pets, Super Kitties)
Outloud Audio is a renowned audio post-production partner with studios in both New York City and Los Angeles.
Their LA studio specializes in:
- ADR
- Animation dialogue
- Audiobooks
- Advertising
- Audio mixing
With multiple voiceover recording studios, they can accommodate various audio post-production projects. Outloud Audio prides itself on delivering projects on time, on budget, and meeting the client's brief. They offer ADR mixing services on five stages in Los Angeles and two stages in New York City.
Their team is capable of delivering high-quality ADR, animation dialogue, and loop group projects to meet the highest industry standards for TV shows and film projects.
🦊 Fox Lot
Location: Century City
Link: https://www.foxstudiolot.com/adr
The Fox Lot post facility boasts two ADR stages, named after iconic female figures, Marilyn Monroe and Marge Simpson.
These stages offer a combination of traditional analog and the latest digital recording and playback formats.
The Marilyn Monroe stage features a spacious dimension of 32' x 29' (24' to ceiling) and is equipped with advanced recording and digital video playback capabilities using ProTools Ultimate.
It also offers remote recording options via Source-Connect Pro, allowing simultaneous connections to four locations. The Marge Simpson stage, with dimensions of 24' x 24' (14' to ceiling), provides similar cutting-edge recording and playback technologies.
Both stages feature SSL Duality consoles, Comtek wireless headphone systems, and video cameras for talent capture, making them ideal choices for television and film projects.
Choosing an ADR Studio
There are a few dozen ADR studios in LA. How do you know which one is right for your project?
Studio Facilities and Equipment
Unlike rehearsal studios or music recording studios, ADR studios are specifically designed and treated for recording dialogue in post production.
Look for studios with well-designed acoustics, soundproof rooms, and recording techniques designed for modern TV and film audio like a dubbing stage or a dedicated ADR room.
Headphones with dedicated playback controls for the actors and large video walls can be helpful too if directors and producers need to sit in.
These types of voiceover-specific tools aren’t usually found in smaller podcast studios.
- A large studio, such as FOX Studios, may be more suitable for larger productions where the director, producer, and writers want to view a movie-sized preview of their picture during the session.
- A smaller studio, such as Outloud Audio, may be more appropriate for live-action television or scripted shows.
Specialized Engineers and Producers
Experienced engineers understand the nuances of dialogue replacement and can guide actors to deliver the best performances. Some complete professional programs locally in Los Angeles.
Some productions also partner with vocal coaches to bring out the best performances in an actor or singer.
Look for studios with a team of skilled engineers who have worked on a variety of projects across TV, film, video games, voiceovers, audiobooks, and more.
- Marc Graue Recording Studio, located in Burbank, has worked on ADR for a large catalog of video games and fantasy films.
- Todd-AO, an ADR studio, specializes in sound editorial work and has an ADR studio optimized for loop groups.
Some self-tape audition studios also double as vocal recording studios for small voiceover projects.
Remote Recording Capabilities
A good ADR studio should have the infrastructure to connect with talent and clients worldwide. Often, actors and other talent are not located in the same studio as the producers or director.
Therefore, it can sometimes be helpful to work around schedules with a remote-first ADR studio.
Studios that offer services like Source-Connect or SessionLinkPro can help connect you to other studios around the world.
- Voice Trax West is an inexpensive studio to do ADR sessions by yourself. You can book a half-hour time block with an engineer and choose to work in-person or remotely using SourceConnect.
Average Hourly Pricing
On average, ADR recording ranges from about $150 to $300 per hour. However, some smaller and cheaper studios may charge around $100 per hour.
Pricing may vary depending on the length of the project or the level of work required, and some studios may be open to negotiation.
How do I make the most of my ADR session?
Before you rent a studio, make sure you’re ready for your session and know the final vision for your project.
- Identify the scenes that require ADR. Review the film, tv show, or game scene beforehand and pinpoint the moments where ADR would enhance the experience. Due to budget and time constraints, it may not be possible to re-record all the audio in the film. Getting good quality audio on set is always ideal.
- Prepare the talent. The sound engineer will use three beeps to cue the actor's line, typically. To create a realistic scene, use props or bring in other actors to interact with the dialogue. Having the director give notes on the actor's delivery is ideal.
- Record multiple takes. Record multiple takes of additional dialogue with different tones and inflections. This provides more options for editing and ensures the best flow into and out of ADR. Play back each take to ensure timing and pitch match what's on screen.
ADR recording offers several advantages in the post-production process.
- Dialogue Synchronization: ADR enables actors to match their lip movements and performances with on-screen visuals accurately.
- Noise Reduction and Cleanup: ADR studios provide controlled environments, minimizing unwanted background noise and allowing for cleaner dialogue recordings.
- Flexibility and Corrections: ADR allows for dialogue adjustments, corrections, and re-recordings.
- Localization and Internationalization: ADR studios with global partnerships can facilitate dialogue replacement in different languages, making films and shows accessible to international audiences.
When is ADR used?
ADR gives you the opportunity to improve or enhance moments in a film or TV production. ADR, also known as "looping," involves re-recording the audio in a controlled setting, typically at a recording studio.
There are several reasons to use ADR to replace or add audio in a production. Here are some common ones:
- Noisy or unintelligible audio recorded on set: Filming in noisy locations or during bad weather can result in poor audio. ADR is used to replace or enhance the recorded audio in these situations.
- Replacing or adding lines to improve performance: ADR allows for the replacement or addition of lines to enhance the performance or emotional impact of a scene.
- Accents: ADR is used to adjust actors' accents for consistency and accuracy. Sometimes, an entire character's lines may need to be re-recorded due to an off-putting accent.
- Fixing story or continuity errors: ADR can address plot holes or add necessary exposition after production. Changes like renaming a main character may require additional ADR.
- Loop group/secondary characters: Background actors and secondary characters may require additional audio recording to create a realistic atmosphere.
- TV/Airline versions: Distributors may require alternate versions of a soundtrack without profanity or adult language for different markets or platforms.
- Sound-alike for an unavailable actor: In rare cases where an actor is unavailable or unwilling to provide additional dialogue, a sound-alike may need to be hired.
ADR provides a valuable tool for improving audio quality and addressing various production needs in a film or TV project.
Los Angeles ADR Studio Directory
Below is a list of active ADR studios in Los Angeles County.
3421 W Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505
12215 Ventura Blvd. #205, Studio City, CA 91604
5200 Lankershim Blvd Unit 170, North Hollywood, CA
5631 Hollywood Blvd Suite #F, Los Angeles, CA 90028
4309 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Other ADR Studios
In addition to this directory and guide, you can try and look on sites like ShareGrid or Peerspace to book an ADR studio.
FAQs
What is Source Connect?
Source-Connect is an audio collaboration tool that lets you record, review, and approve voice, music, and sound in real-time. It allows you to collaborate worldwide without any technical issues, with clear sound and minimal delay.
With features like Auto-Restore and Auto-Replace, you can have seamless sessions and switch between compressed and original audio easily. Source-Connect also offers Remote Transport Sync (RTS) for synchronizing remote performances with local tracks in real-time, which is perfect for ADR, overdubbing, and review & approval processes.
What is ipDTL?
ipDTL is a technology that allows remote broadcasts in television, radio, and voice-over using a web browser. It is a modern alternative to older ISDN audio codecs and works well with them.
What is a loop group?
A Loop Group is a group of actors who go into a recording booth to record background dialogue for extras, crowd scenes, and sometimes for actors' dialogue. Basically, they record dialogue for all the characters on screen, except for the main actors.
What is a phone patch?
A Phone Patch enables you to connect your live microphone voice and recorded audio to your phone line using an interface known as a patch.
What is a walla group?
Walla is one of the stranger music industry and audio terms. Walla refers to the vocal sounds made by background actors while actors with speaking parts deliver their lines. It is recorded to enhance the realism of the background or provide specific reactions to the scene.
Walla is also known as a "Loop Group" and is typically recorded in post-production, similar to ADR sessions.
A group of voice actors, ranging from a few to 20, stand around a microphone and either murmur indistinguishable words, syllables, or phrases, or have real conversations that are appropriate to the scene. These group vocal tracks are then mixed in with the production track during the final sound mix of the film.
How do I get a job at an ADR or voiceover studio?
Some voiceover studios and post-production houses have summer music business internships. For instance, Private Island Audio offers a recording studio and foley internship.
The best way to get a job in a recording studio for voiceover work is to start building a portfolio of your own work. Then, you can watch for open positions or apprenticeships at local studios.