21 Best Boston Recording Studios

As home to Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA is a huge college town, contrary to what the 1984 music mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap may have you believe.

There is always plenty of talent coming out of Boston, and as result, it’s no surprise that a variety of recording facilities exist, serving Boston and the Greater Boston area.

In this guide, we look at the best Boston recording studios.

Ugly Duck Studios

If you’re looking for audio recording, mixing, mastering, ADR, voiceover, music production, custom music, sound design, Foley, or SFX services, Ugly Duck Studios is the place to be.

The Ugly Duck Team is made up of owners Samuel Creager and David Chapman, engineer Ian Bouslough, head engineer / producer Dephrase (Daniel Babai), and guitarist / engineer Eric Alper.

Ugly Duck Studios came into being in 2013, and best we can tell, they’ve worked with the likes of Pizza Hut, Nike, Hyundai, General Mills, and Miller Brewing Company, to name a few.

If your project involves both audio and video, they seem like the right flock to reach out to.

Cybersound

Cybersound came into being in 1994. They offer a rather extensive and unique set of services including music production, recording, mixing, mastering, editing, MIDI programming, audiobook production, podcasts, voiceovers, ADR, and sonic branding.

But it doesn’t end there. They also offer Cyber Stories, custom music, sound FX, sound design, soundtracks, Skype, phone patch, source-connect, remote recording, virtual mixing, music supervision, project coordination, and voiceover casting.

The three-room facility features Studio A, Studio B, and Studio C. There are photos and gear lists for each on their website.

Their team is made up of owner Perry Geyer, producer / engineer Rob Whitaker, producer / engineer Justin Sheriff, engineer Mike Midura, engineer Ryan Adams, engineer Jim Folino, engineer Jordan Geannaris, engineer Malik Marshall, composer Mami Ienaga, assistant engineer / artist Nick Lancellotti, assistant engineer Clayton Rogers, and assistant engineer / artist Syl Miles.

Their client list includes Big Sean, Jaden Smith, Joe Budden, and many others.

For all types of recording projects, Cybersound is well worth exploring.

Hallock Studios

Hallock Studios offers recording, mixing, mastering, and beats. They’ve opted for a very minimal website with just three buttons – “get a quote,” “buy beats,” and “hear our work” – presumably because they’re quite busy without having to worry about a website, thank you very much. At least they’ve added a few studio photos to their background.

I’m being slightly facetious, mind you. There is more in the internal pages of the website, where we get to learn that the namesake of the studio, Andrew Hallock is the head engineer and the owner, and that he primarily appears to work on hip-hop. There’s also a gear list in case you’re curious what’s being used at Hallock.

Reach out for more information.

Mad Oak Studios

With over 20 years of experience, Mad Oak Studios strives to offer the best recording experience possible to anyone who comes through their doors.

Award winning head engineer Benny Grotto handles most of the recording, and his knowledge of the room and gear pays off beg time. He’s helped artists in practically every genre, some Grammy winners, some Billboard charters. You can also have him produce, mix, and/or master your project.

While their exact rates are unknown, it’s possible to book by the hour, four-hour block, or for a full day at Mad Oak Studios.

For those interested in learning the ropes, you can also apply for their internship.

Q Division Studios

Q Division Studios records and mixes a variety of music. But if there’s something else, you’re looking for, there’s a good chance they offer it – audio archiving and restoration, tape transferring, magnetic tape baking, remote recording, livestreaming and multi-camera taping, voiceovers, live recording, pre-production, listening parties, rental spaces (for photography, video, and film), and more.

The Q Division team includes Matt Alexander, Matt Beaudoin, James Bridges, Sean Cahalin, Joel Edinberg, Pat DiCenso, Colin Fleming, Jon Lupfer, Chuck Hargreaves, Rafi Sofer, Matt Tahaney, Ed Valauskas, Jason Bitner, and Michael Healey.

With two recording rooms – Studio A and Studio B – Q Division is home to an array of amps and cabs, guitars, basses, keyboards, synthesizers, tape samplers, pedals, effects, stomp boxes, drums, microphones, and more. If there’s something specific, you’re going for, you can probably find it here.

The only downside? As of this writing, Q Division still appears to be in the middle of a move. But it can’t hurt to reach out about your project, especially if you’re still in the early development phase.

My Lady On Fire

My Lady On Fire says they’re officially back in action after being closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re not sure how recent that news is, but it’s nice to know they’ve reopened and are ready for action.

My Lady On Fire has a 24/7 recording facility with no restrictions. Their team includes president and founder Rebecca Naree Londel, head engineer and managing director Jason Felitto, engineer Jim Anderton, and composer Alex Abraham.

If you’re interested in working with them, you’ll need to reach out for a quote, because their rates are not on their website.

Overall, though, My Lady On Fire seems full of personality. They’ve got jam session recordings on their website, and they offer internships and sound healing too.

Blink Music

Blink Music offers recording, mixing, mastering, on location recording, video production, artist production, and scoring services.

Their recording facility features a loft style layout with windows (to allow daylight in). The mixing / recording room has 16-foot ceilings and no division (but they do have a heavy-duty isolated sound booth).

Their team is comprised of founder / producer / composer / mastering engineer Tim Lukas, engineer / sound engineer / composer / piano / keys / vocals Marshall Chadbourne, and digital media, music business, production and studio logistics Veronica Diaz along with the occasional help from Tim Bongiovanni, Tom Keery, Baris Perker, and Roston Kirk.

Their website features a ton of information on everything they offer, so be sure to check it out, and if you need more information, drop them a line.

Blink Music can be found in Cambridge, MA, across the river from the heart of Boston.

Olmstead Sound

In addition to recording, Olmstead Sound prides itself in offering sound design, sound reinforcement, and audio system installation services.

It may sound like a specialty business, and I’m sure it is, but they have experience recording over 200 studio recordings and live performances, so it’s fair to say they have a good working knowledge of this realm too. Their samples speak wonders.

Olmstead Sound also offers rentals – wireless systems, microphones, recording mics, live mics, speakers, amplifiers, mixers, signal processors, audio interfaces, and accessories.

For those with needs outside of conventional studio recording services, Olmstead Sound is well worth a look.

Groundbreaker Enterprises

Wow! Groundbreaker Enterprises’ website is loud! Let’s just say they love their bright colors…

Anyway, they offer tracking, editing, mixing, arranging, voiceovers, remote mixing, and music production services. They also sell their own unique beats.

Their rates are reasonable, and vocal recording, editing, and arranging starts at $50 per hour. Meanwhile, their remote mixing service costs $100 per song, $50 per revision, and $25 per small touchup or revision.

The Groundbreaker Enterprises team is made up of owner / producer / engineer / beat maker / songwriter Colombian Dragon (Jesse Wolfe), president / producer / beat maker Big Zack and collaborating artist TheRealShayRosa.

The Bridge Sound & Stage

The Bridge Sound & Stage can be found in Cambridge, MA. The studio was established in 2009 and is owned and operated by Janos “The Arcitype” Fulop, Alex Allinson, and Owen Curtin.

The team also includes Mertz, Jimmy Corbett, Chris Ostrom, Emilee Lyons, Ryan Ainsworth, and Javier Lom.

The award-winning studio has worked with the likes of Netflix, ESPN, iZotope, and more. Studio A offers the highest quality recording and mixing (rates start at $70 per hour with a house engineer), while Studio B was designed to help independent artists get a professional grade sound without breaking the bank (rates start at $40 per hour with a house engineer).

The studios look great, and the asking rates seem more than reasonable, especially if you’re an independent.

The Mix Loft

Located in Quincy, MA, about 30 minutes from the heart of Boston, The Mix Loft has got all the basics covered – recording, mixing, and mastering. Their 1,200 square foot facility is home to an industry standard Pro Tools based system.

Their team is made up of owner Mike, as well as engineers Jason P, Colin V, Sean F, Taron, and Garret.

Their sessions start at a moderate $60 per hour, but their rates are reduced for longer bookings. Six to nine hours is available at $55 per hour, and 10 or more hours is available at $52 per hour.

New Alliance Audio

Found in Somerville, MA, just 15 minutes from the heart of Boston, New Alliance Audio offers recording, mixing, tape transfer, and sound advice services. And they’ve been at it since 1987.

Their website is minimal, and they seem to have a strong focus on social media. Which is fine for visual content, but we’d love to see a lot more bread and butter content on their website, which we simply can’t find. You know, just the usual stuff like rates, staff, studio(s), gear list, gallery, and so on.

JthedjStudios

Founded by J’andre Jhavone Rackard (aka J The DJ), JthedjStudios is also home to director of maintenance Isshiah C. and director of operations Janina R.

Their rates start at $120 for two hours of studio time, but they also offer mixing, mastering, and podcasting services.

Apparently, they host private parties, workshops, photography, and classes as well.

The AM Music Group

Found in Medford, MA, 10 minutes from the heart of Boston, The AM Music Group offers production, recording, mixing, and mastering. The studio was founded in December 2016 by Anthony Malary and Arthur Maressa, specializing in pop, R&B, and hip-hop.

The AM Music Group is home to three recording environments – Studio A (luxury suite), Studio B (standard high-end production and mixing studio), and Studio C (for rehearsals, meetings, self-directed sessions, etc.).

Their engineer team is made up of Ares, Owen, Mellowgod, and Cold Spring Motel.

Phoenix Down Recording

Located in Somerville, MA, Phoenix Down Recording is a studio. You think I’m joking, but there isn’t a whole lot more that we know about them (besides the fact that they have a cool, possibly Final Fantasy inspired name).

They do have solid reviews, though, so we couldn’t ignore that. If interested, send them an email, or give them a call.

Hot Take Recording Co

Hot Take Recording Co is made up of producers and session musicians Ryan Katz and Aaron Brown. Their goal is to offer recording services at an affordable rate, especially for musicians who find the big studio rates a little out of reach.

If you require songwriting / arranging, mixing, or mastering services, Hot Take Recording Co can help.

While they claim to offer very competitive rates, we’re not sure what they are. You’ll want to get in touch to find out. They obviously operate out of Boston, but where, exactly, is also a mystery.

Oak Grove Recording Studio

Oak Grove Recording Studio specializes in recording and composing music for singers and songwriters, and as such, they claim to offer very affordable rates.

Oak Grove also offers custom music for a variety of occasions, be it weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, or otherwise.

And, if you’re looking for recording courses, they’ve got that too.

You can find Oak Grove Recording Studio roughly 20 minutes from the heart of Boston in Malden, MA. If you’re a singer or songwriter looking for some help with your tracks, these are probably the guys to contact.

Infinite Recording Studios

Infinite Recording Studios does a bit of everything when it comes to audio, including music production, mixing, mastering, vocal tracking, audiobooks, podcasting, on-location recording, artist promotion, graphic design, video production, ADR, voiceover, and remote recording.

While we don’t see any attribution, apparently they’ve been named Boston’s best recording studio in 2021, and they were also ranked in the top 10 recording studios in Boston in 2022.

They have a multi-genre focus and cover the gamut from pop and hip-hop to jazz and country.

Inside their facility, you’ll find Studio A (featuring the best of modern meets vintage), Studio B (producing and recording suite), Studio C (for self-directed sessions), and The Lounge (complete with desks, couches, kitchen, TV, and an Xbox 360).

They also have a beats store in case you’re looking for something pre-crafted.

All in all, Infinite Recording Studios has one of the best, and most thorough websites with all the information you could possibly want in booking your next recording session, ordering a mix or master, or taking audio production and engineering lessons.

You can find the studio in Reading, MA, roughly 20 minutes from central Boston.

SUM Studios

The SUM Studios creative space appears to have an aversion to pigeonholing themselves with regards to what they do, but what we can gather from their website is they offer an array of recording, rehearsal, performance, photography, video, and visual arts services.

We also see that they’ve been hosting a variety of events. Rates begin at $30 per hour for two hours minimum. They apparently have a Studio B, and we assume there’s a Studio A too, but their website does not make this clear.

Their website is legitimately confusing, so you’d better reach out if you’re thinking about booking with them.

SUM Studios is in Malden, MA.

Goat House Studio

Because they’re using one of those one-page booking systems, there’s not a whole lot we know about Goat House Studio (besides its fun name). They do have great reviews, though, often singling out their engineering as being top notch.

Goat House Studio is in Malden, MA.

Plaid Dog Recording

Occasionally, we do like to highlight some unique offerings, and the concept behind Plaid Dog Recording is quite cool. They’ve combined recording with crowdfunding, thus helping artists raise funds to record professional quality albums.

They even follow a specific plan to ensure every part of your recording project is funded. First, they help you get started with a single and promo video. Next, they initiate a crowdfunding campaign customized to the individual. Finally, once the campaign has been completed, they bring you back into the studio to record your album. Travel expenses and lodging is covered for those not from the Boston area.

Apparently, they have a good success rate too – they’ve been able to raise 50% more funds than other campaigns and are twice as likely to succeed as your average music campaign.

Their recording facility was designed by Sonic Space’s Lou Clark. In total, they have three tracking rooms (with one live room featuring a 20-foot ceiling), an isolation booth, and two control rooms.

The Plaid Dog team is made up of Mike Davidson, Carter Sanders, Max Challis, Bryan Fennelly, Cairo Marques-Neto, Kayla Blackburn, Sam Su, and Hayley LaCosse.

Before you get too excited, though, you should probably reach out to Plaid Dog Recording directly. My guess is they’re quite busy, and they probably handpick the artists they want to work with.

Top Boston Recording Studios, Final Thoughts

It doesn’t matter the nature of your project, you should be able to find a recording studio in Boston that meets your requirements. If possible, book multiple studio tours, get to know the staff and engineers, and consider your budget before booking.

No matter what you might be shooting for, you’re bound to find a good fit if you do the looking. Have fun recording in Boston and let us know how it goes!