New research from the Music Producers Guild shows that 48 percent of commercial recording studios could collapse within three months without further support from the government.
Dean Street Studio have revealed that without additional help from the government they will only survive until the end of May.
The studios have played host to sessions by David Bowie, The Smiths, and Tina Turner and more recently Florence and the Machine and Adele.
Jasmin Lee, managing director, Dean Street Studios, said: ‘Studios seem to be bottom of the food chain in the music industry, always being beaten down on rates. For those of us who are independent, it’s always hand to mouth on the finances. Many of us have put our life savings into starting our studios and keeping our doors open.’
Unlike live venues, recording studios have not benefited from any of the business rates holidays or associated grants that were announced following the lockdown, but most have been forced to close their doors.
The Music Producers Guild has called for business rates relief and grants to be extended to recording studios, warning that unless the government steps in, many facilities could be lost for good.
Olga FitzRoy, executive director, MPG, said: ‘The UK has some of the finest recording studios in the world, but unless the government steps in with immediate support, half of those studios won’t be around when things get back to normal, and the knock-on effects on the wider industry will be disastrous. We welcome the new grant announced on Saturday, but we have yet to see the details.
‘The Culture Secretary recently said he wanted to protect ‘core architecture’ in the creative industries. If the studios like Dean Street, where Bowie recorded Ashes to Ashes aren’t considered worth saving, then I don’t know what is.’
