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LA’s Best Hourly & Monthly Recording Studios (from a musician)

👋 LA Musician Newsletter

Are you a musician in Los Angeles looking for the right recording studio to get the best sound for your music? Are you trying to not break the bank?

There are over 400 registered recording studios in Los Angeles, making it difficult to choose just one!

This blog post will give you some tips and advice to help you find the best recording studio in Los Angeles to help you capture your music.

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Almost all of the studios listed here are locally owned and operated. Be kind and support local.

Hourly Studio Rentals + Daily Lockouts

Finding reliable, clean studios can be tricky. As an active recording artist in Los Angeles, these are my favorite places to record.

All of these hourly studios cost less than $50 per hour.

On average, you can expect to pay between $35/hr and $50/hr for a recording studio in LA.

📹 Peerspace

Locations: All over LA

Price: About $50/hr

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Peerspace Discount Code: Use this discount code for Peerspace to get $50 off your first booking.

Search through hundreds of affordable recording studios in LA on Peerspace. (Source: Peerspace)

Peerspace is the Airbnb of recording studios and creative spaces.

Use their site to search by date, location, and type of recording studio you’re looking for. There are hundreds of professional and amateur recording studios in LA to choose from from Hollywood to Malibu.

Hosts on Peerspace add information about microphones, soundproofing, computers, plugins and more before you book.

Peerspace is hands-down my favorite way to find recording studio space and rehearsal studio space in Los Angeles. You can find some of the best recording studios in LA through Peerspace.

🏴‍☠️ Pirate Studios

Location: Silverlake and Culver City

Price: About $20/hr

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Pirate Studios Discount Code: NICHOLAS638256 — Use this discount code for Pirate to get about $20 off your first booking.

Pirate Studios in Silverlake is great for making beats and demos. (Source: LA Music)

Pirate Studios offers some of the most affordable recording spaces in all of LA.

For about $20/hr, you can get a clean room with speakers and a vocal booth. Pirate is great for songwriting or production sessions where you only need a laptop and a microphone.

Pricing is based on demand throughout the day. This means that a great way to save money at Pirate is by avoiding evenings and weekends. Instead, mornings and weekdays are slightly cheaper!

All studios at Pirate are managed remotely. There isn’t a studio representative on-site.

Once you make a booking, you will receive an email containing a door code for entry. The Pirate facility has approximately 20-30 studios, each accessible via a keypad. In case of any issues during your session, they offer 24/7 support.

Parking is always tricky here. Park on the neighborhood streets rather than trying to find space in the parking lot.

💲 Hush Money

Location: Downtown LA

Price: $45/hour or $300-$400/day

Link: https://www.hushmoneymusic.com/

Hush Money offers beautiful studios for about $45/hr and can be booked via text message. (Source: Hush Money)

Hush Money is a gem in Los Angeles. Owned and operated by musicians, they’ve got 4 unique recording studios available by the hour or all-day.

Get help recording your song with an engineer for just a little extra.

Rates are very reasonable and every studio is super clean and ready to hit record.

Get into a vocal booth and record vocals or record some guitars in the spacious and vibey rooms.

💇 The Barbershop

Location: Echo Park

Price: $35/hr or $50/hr with an engineer

Link: thebarbershoprecordingstudio.com

Get cozy in The Barbershop and record a full band starting at $35/hr. (Source: The Barbershop)

The Barbershop, named after owner Scott Barber, has everything you need to make a great record. The views and vibes from this Echo Park studio are next level.

The studio has drums, guitars, and tons of other live instruments to make tracking a breeze. You can book online through an email form or by DMing, calling, or texting Scott directly.

Artists like Grouplove, Grace Vanderwaal, and boy pablo have all made their way through The Barbershop over the years.

🦌 Golden Impala

Location: Silverlake

Price: $45/hr without an engineer or $75/hr with an engineer

Record and tune your vocals at this hip vocal production studio in Silverlake.

Golden Impala offers recording and music video production services in Silverlake at an hourly rate of $75.

They have high-quality microphones such as U87s and an Apollo 8 interface to ensure excellent sound quality. You can record live with Autotune or edit your vocals in Melodyne using their in-studio Mac setups.

This studio is ideal for vocal tracking and laying down album-ready vocals.

To get started, bring your instrumental files in WAV or MP3 format. The studio can also assist with downloading beats from Beatstars or YouTube.

Please note that a minimum of 2 hours is required and a 100% deposit is required upfront. However, this studio is perfect for tracking lead vocals, doubles, and adlibs for a single release. It's designed with modern pop, hip hop, and EDM productions in mind.

🟦 Opus Recording Studio

Location: North Hollywood

Price: $35/hr solo or $60/hr with an engineer

Link: https://www.opusrecordingstudio.com/

Opus in NoHo fosters creativity and a fun studio vibe. (Source: Opus)

Opus is a high-quality North Hollywood recording studio equipped with Ableton Live 10, Logic X, Pro Tools, and a Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo.

Opus Recording Studio has two recording studios, with or without a sound engineer. Each studio holds a maximum of four people. Both studios are ideal for mixing and mastering sessions, but are primarily used for vocal recording and production sessions.

If you’re in the Valley, Opus is a great place to quickly get into a vibey space to write and work on pop or hip-hop projects.

Opus Recording Studio provides a safe and comfortable environment for musicians to create 24/7.

🌺 Black Lotus (New in 2024)

Location: North Hollywood

Price: From $30/hr to $50/hr

Black Lotus makes it easy to start a session with drums, piano, and guitar amps all ready to go.

Owned by Berklee graduates and passionate studio players, Black Lotus in NoHo offers two spaces with a third one coming soon.

Studio A costs $50 per hour or $400 for a full day, while Studio B is priced at $30 per hour or $200 for a full day.

They provide additional services such as engineering and musician hire, along with mix, edit, and master services with endless revisions.

The recording studio was designed to make it simple for artists to show up and start recording drums! What started as a way for the owners to record their own tunes turned into a way to offer affordable, world-class recording rooms to independent artists.

⚫ Broken Complex

Location: North Hollywood

Price: About $50-100/hr. Discounts for longer sessions or with an engineer.

Broken Complex Studios is a full-service professional music studio in North Hollywood, also offering mixing and mastering rooms.

The studio has a control room and a live room with space for a full band. There’s also a vocal booth, guest lounge, and a shower for longer stays.

Book for $50/hr (8 hour minimum) or $100/hr on your schedule. They also sell beats on their website through BeatStars.

🍥 MIX Recording Studio

Location: Downtown LA

Price: About $45/hr (3 hour minimum). Discounts for longer sessions.

MIX offers a vibrant space for modern pop and hip hop productions. (Source: MIX)

MIX Recording Studio provides high-quality studio space and a range of additional services, including recording, mixing, mastering, production, podcast and audiobook recording, vocal production, tuning and editing, beats, and industry consultations.

They specialize in pop, hip-hop, and RnB, and EDM projects and you can easily book sessions with or without an engineer on their website.

MIX Recording Studio is an exciting studio space that makes creativity feel effortless. From the chairs to the walls, it's clear that this studio was built by musicians for musicians. This makes it an ideal place to finalize a mix or record a full pop vocal.

Get cheap and discounted recording space for less than $20/hr if you’re willing to work at night after 12 AM. They also offer free studio tours to connect with the industry community.

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“I highly recommend MIX Recording Studiofor all of your recording needs! After trying multiple different studios in LA, none of them even compared to MIX. The space is always super clean, and the staff is professional and helpful from booking questions to studio time. If you get a chance to work with Nick, he's the only audio engineer I'll go to. He has a great ear, always brings good vibes, and works super efficiently.” - Gabe Wilson

💗 FAM

Location: Westlake, East of Downtown LA

Pricing: $25-$40/hr without engineer ($30/hr with engineer)

Get in a creative mood with very flexible recording rates at this Downtown LA recording studio.

FAM curates four different recording studios, each designed for inexpensive and efficient recording sessions in modern productions.

The artwork, lighting, and songwriting couches make this a fun space to channel your inner Billie Eilish. Connect to their Apollo Twin with your Macbook and get going with your project.

This studio rental ranges in price from approximately $25 to $50 per hour with only a two-hour minimum requirement.

Two studios are ideal for beat-making, vocal tuning, and editing, while the other two are best suited for dialing in a mix.

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"This is a wonderful place for anyone interested in making all kinds of music. The entire staff is great, from the engineers to the interns. It is quite affordable, considering they offer one of the best studio experiences.” - Cedrick Nguena

Monthly Lockout Studio Rentals

Sometimes you need a dedicated recording space that’s always available 24/7. Monthly lockouts and rentals give you the flexibility to record whenever you want.

On average, you can expect to pay at least $300-400 per day to rent a studio with equipment. For monthly rentals, prices are closer to $2,000 per month.

🇼 The Williamson

Location: North Hollywood

Price: $1,700-$3,200/month

Link: https://thewilliamsonstudios.com/

Private production studios with a dedicated vocal booth and clouds on the ceiling.

The Williamson is a private workspace in North Hollywood designed for people in creative industries. They have about 20 studios available at this location.

It offers production suites, recording studios, executive offices, and event spaces. They’re ideal for clients who want a discreet and quiet place to record and work.

Production rooms at The Williamson are big enough for recording solo or with a group.

You can secure monthly lockouts for studios, offices, and production suites with a minimum commitment of one year.

The Williamson offers a luxurious hotel-like atmosphere with 24/7 exclusive access, convenient parking, fast internet, daily cleaning, a rooftop deck for events, and much more.

〰️ Exposition Studios

Location: Culver City

Price: $1,800-$2,800/mo

Link: https://www.expositionstudios.com/productionlockouts

Rent full-time studio space in West LA at Exposition. (Source: Exposition)

What started as a rehearsal studio became some of the best monthly production and recording lockouts in town.

They only have 8 studios right now, but you can get on the waitlist for whenever they open up.

Studios are soundproofed, very clean, and some have iso booths for vocals built-in.

📼 Beat Garage (Hourly, Daily, and Monthly Lockouts)

Location: North Hollywood

Price: $25-$50/hr or about $450/day

Link: https://beatgarage.com/

Booking: Apply online for monthly lockouts or call (818) 358-0099 to rent hourly.

Beat Garage offers hourly rooms equipped with guitars, synths, and recording equipment. They also offer monthly lockouts of empty rooms.

BeatGarage offers both daily and monthly studio lockouts in North Hollywood.

Their live tracking rooms also double as rehearsal studios and can be rented in conjunction with their famous Studio B if you need more space for your songwriting or recording day.

Their main studio has an excellent vibe, is centrally located in the Valley, and comes equipped with drums, pianos, guitars, and anything else you might need to lay down a full song or demo.

If you rent monthly, expect quiet sound-proofed rooms that are designed with productive musicians in mind.

🦷 Snaggletooth Studios

Location: North Hollywood

Price: $500-$1,500/month

Access 24/7 practice and recording space in North Hollywood at Snaggletooth.

Although they’re primarily an hourly rehearsal studio, Snaggletooth also offers monthly lockouts for drummers and other small bands to record and rehearse.

These studios are ideal for solo drummers or artist projects looking to rehearse and record in the same space. Great for demos or running through a full live set. These rooms are designed to get loud.

🍋 LemonTree Studios

Location: Highland park

Price: About $3,000 per month

Record whenever you want in a dedicated recording studio in Highland Park.

LemonTree is a premiere monthly studio lockout space located just outside of downtown Los Angeles. They don’t offer hourly, daily, or weekly rentals of any kind.

Located in Highland Park, LemonTree offers 20 boutique bring-your-own-gear production lock-outs for long term leases.

All studios are soundproofed and separated from each other to ensure quiet and clean recordings. The studios share live tracking rooms too. The live tracking room has talk-back monitors to each private studio. Since 2007, LemonTree’s studios have produced hits for Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Skrillex, and more.

📈 Lockout Music Studios

Price/Sizes: Unknown

Locations: Torrance, Long Beach, and Riverside

Sizes/Pricing: Unknown

Lockout Music Studios offer monthly rentals to producers and bands on the outskirts of LA. (Source: Lockout)

All the rooms are sound-padded, acoustically tuned, and available 24/7 for use as a recording studio or beat-making studio.

The big selling point of Lockout Music is its location.

Most recording studios for solo artists are located in the Valley or Hollywood, but Lockout Music Studios are currently on the outskirts of LA County.

They plan to expand to more central locations soon, but currently serve a much-needed group of musicians who don’t want to spend two hours sitting on the 405 to get into the studio.

Musicians living in Torrance, Long Beach, and Riverside now have access to the same quality of gear and recording spaces as those in West Hollywood.

FAQs About LA Recording Studios

What should I look for in a recording studio in LA?

There are a few types of recording studios in LA. There are fancy studios with vocal booths, drums rooms, and a wall of synthesizers and outboard gear. There are also small studios where it’s just a set of speakers, a microphone, and a USB recording interface.

Make sure your studio is equipped to handle the type of project you want to record. Do you just want to record vocals? A cheaper studio might be able to handle it. But if you want to record guitars through some loud amps, you’ll need to check that the studio has the gear you need.

Most studios have a gear list on their website or on their Peerspace page with additional info.

Also, check that the studio has a safe place to park and load in. Gear theft from cars happens from time to time.

If you’re looking for an ADR recording studio for voiceover work, check out this guide.

How much does it cost to rent a recording studio in Los Angeles

Costs vary depending on the studio, but hourly rental rates typically start at around $40 an hour, with monthly rentals starting around $2,000.

What should I bring to the recording studio?

You shouldn’t need to bring anything besides your laptop or computer to a recording studio. Almost all studios have all the necessary gear you’ll need to record your song if you’ve checked their gear list beforehand.

You must bring those if you want to record your guitar or instruments. You should also bring any reference material you plan to use during your session, such as song lyrics and chord charts for other musicians.

If you are recording a podcast in LA, you can use the equipment available in most recording studios!

Do recording studios in Los Angeles offer discounts or promotions?

Generally, no. Most studios are privately owned local businesses. However, you can negotiate better deals if you book many hours at a time or for a full day.

Some of the bigger companies operating studios around town, like Peerspace and Pirate, do have discounts and promo codes, though.

How do I have a great recording session?

Preparation is key before recording. Familiarize yourself with your songs beforehand to save time. Ensure your equipment is in good condition, bring a backup instrument, and replace amp tubes and strings at least a week before recording.

Focus on your performance and how it relates to the song's message. Communicate your preferences to the recording engineer.

Record live with a band to capture the energy of the performance. Use a guide vocal as a reference point throughout the session.