Studio Guidebook

Yes! Anyone can record here. Most of our clients are from Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area, although we regularly host artists from all over the world.

Pricing is based on a daily or hourly rate. Pricing is listed on our Studio page here.

We record all styles. We regularly record rock, rap, metal, jazz, classical, world, R&B, and everything in-between.

Yes, We regularly work with outside engineers. We do not discount our rates for guest engineers.

If your engineer is bringing specific pieces of equipment they would like to use for a session, just let us know ahead of time how it connects and we will make sure to have all needed cabling and power prepared. If you have a set of monitors you prefer, bring them along (we have a power amp available for passive speakers).

You may also want to bring along a set of headphones you are familiar with.

When time permits in our schedule, we are happy to have guest engineers come by the studio to get acquainted before the session.

No, we still need to provide you with a staff member to control access to the building and support your engineer.

Typically our days are 10 hours long including setup, and regular breaks for the engineer. Longer sessions can be accommodated when needed for an additional hourly charge.

We are typically in session from 10AM-10PM although many sessions start and end later.

Yes! We typically give tours between 9AM and 11AM during the week, but we can accommodate any schedule with advance notice. Email us to schedule an appointment.

Although our piano is constantly tuned for sessions as requested, we strongly recommend that the piano be tuned before each session. We cannot guarantee that the piano will be perfectly in tune without arranging a tuning beforehand. We are happy to arrange a tuning at any time which costs an additional $175 per tuning.

A 50% deposit is due before any booking is confirmed. Sessions cancelled fewer than 24 hours before session start will result in loss of deposit. Deposits for sessions cancelled more than 24 hours in advance will be transferred to studio credit. All credit card transactions will be subject to a 3% fee. Cancellations caused by the studio will result in a full refund or rebooking of the session.

Yes, we always have fresh coffee, tea, and filtered water. We also have a small kitchen with a kettle, microwave, toaster oven, sink and refrigerator. The kitchen is stocked with utensils, plates, cups and everything else most people need to feel comfortable while they are here.

Several new hotels have been built recently in the area. We suggest using Google Maps to search the area. We like the Kissel, Marriott, Moxy, and the AC Marriott.

At 25th Street Recording, sessions are defined as any work performed by an engineer or staff member related to a client’s project. This can include but may not be limited to editing, recording, mixing, mastering and setup.

Hourly sessions

If only a few hours are needed to complete a project or specific task, we bill our clients by the hour, in half-hour increments. A three hour minimum commitment is usually required for any session booked at an hourly rate.

Block rate sessions

If you need more than a few hours, it is usually best to book a block rate session. A block rate session gives you total access to the studio for a block of time to rehearse, record, edit and mix. 25th Street generally blocks out the hours of 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM – 8:00 AM as block rate times. If multiple days are needed, the studio can be booked at a full lockout rate. Discounts are sometimes extended to sessions lasting a week or more.

All full-rate sessions booked at 25th Street Recording are quoted to include a staff engineer/assistant. Outside engineers are always welcome, and our staff will always be on-hand to assist with any tasks in the studio as needed and to answer any questions. All full-rate bookings give you total access to the studio, lounges, and kitchen area. We control access to the building at all times, so you can focus on your work. We are a single studio complex, so privacy is always ensured.

All of the equipment listed on our gear list is available for use at no extra charge. Piano tunings are always the responsibility of the client, but we are happy to arrange a tuning before your session. Piano tunings usually cost about $175.

We always provide premium coffee, tea and water for clients and their guests. Food and alcohol is provided at the expense of the client, but we are happy to stock the studio for your session if you provide us with a shopping list and a form of payment when you arrive. We can also cater meals in from a wide range of local restaurants and cafes. If you need something special, just ask!

We try hard to prepare as much as possible for every session before our clients arrive as a courtesy, but some additional setup may be required before and during the session. Additional setup time, patching, editing, mix recall, and all other session-related tasks are billed at full rate. These activities are a normal part of every session, and we always work as quickly as possible to prepare for each step of the process.

Deposits are required for all sessions. Deposits are 50% of the total session amount. If you cancel your session within 48 hours you may reschedule with the full amount of your deposit. Cancellations 24 hours or less will result in the loss of your deposit. Studio Cancellations will result in a full refund. No refunds otherwise will be provided for any sessions. All credit card payments are subject to a 3% processing fee. Payment types accepted: Cash, Checks, Credit Cards (Subject to 3% fee), ACH. Note that UMG portal payments are only accepted for multi-day sessions.

The studio can be an overwhelming place to be at first, and our goal is to make you feel at home so you can perform at your best. Bring everything you would normally have with you to perform. Your instruments are part of your sound. We will never force you into using equipment you are not comfortable using. We understand that just because something is newer or costs more, it may not be the right thing for you. If you have a special rug, poster, lamp, etc., bring those things along too!

As your session progresses, we backup all of your data to our secure server system. Clients that have paid in full are always welcome to transfer their files from our system to their personal hard disks at any time for the duration of their session. If you would like to purchase a hard disk from us with a backup of your files please let us know ahead of time. Software versions change rapidly, and we are not responsible for compatibility with any outside system. We are also not responsible for any hard disk failures that happen outside of our studio, or failures that happen to a client’s personal hard drive at any time. Additional backups, mixes, edits and mastering activities that take place after the session will be billed at the agreed hourly rate for that session.

We always welcome your guests in the studio, but their conduct is your responsibility. Studios are filled with expensive equipment that is set up very carefully. If a guest causes any damage, you will be responsible for paying for it. We are a private facility and we reserve the right to remove any guest that we consider unsafe to ourselves and our surroundings.

Many performers are not used to performing with headphones, but often their use is essential in the studio as some instruments may be isolated from one another during recording. We provide a very simple and effective headphone system to all of our performers when needed. Performers in our studio have the ability to independently adjust their own volume and the volume of the other performers in their headphones without affecting the recording, or anyone else. Everyone can make their own personal headphone mix.

At no point does 25th Street Recording assume responsibility for the security or storage of your session data.