Everything you need to know before booking your first session, from rates to etiquette.
Booking a recording studio in Los Angeles can be intimidating, especially if it's your first time. With hundreds of options ranging from bedrooms to world-class facilities like Capitol Studios, knowing what to look for is half the battle.
First, define your goal. Are you tracking drums? You need a large live room with high ceilings. Cutting vocals? A smaller, treated iso-booth is often better (and cheaper). Mixing? You need a room with accurate monitoring, not just vibe.
Rates in LA vary wildly. 'Budget' studios often run $40-70/hr, while mid-tier rooms hit $80-150/hr. Top-tier luxury rooms can exceed $200/hr, usually without an engineer included. Always ask if the rate includes an engineer ('with engineer') or if it's just for the room ('dry hire').
Studio etiquette is crucial. Arrive on time, not early (the engineer might be eating or resetting). Don't bring a huge entourage unless you cleared it first. And if you're bringing files, bring them on a formatted hard drive and use a cloud backup like Dropbox as a failsafe.
Finally, check the gear list. Don't assume every studio has a Neumann U87 or a specific guitar amp. If a specific piece of gear is deal-breaking for your sound, email ahead to confirm it's working and available for your session.