LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Pirate, a British company whose low-cost, self-service recording and performance studio business grew into the largest network of recording facilities in the UK, is bringing the concept to North American with the launch of new studios on both coasts.
Pirate has opened two self-service studios in Los Angeles, and three locations in New York that provide a range of professionally equipped studio spaces for DJs, producers, musicians, podcasters, voiceover actors, dancers and vocalists looking for places to rehearse or record.
The studios offer features such as keyless, contactless entry, high speed internet, and professional studio equipment, and can be rented for rates starting at just $10 per hour depending on the specific studio. According to Pirate, most customers will just need a laptop and a USB cable to start working.
At present, Pirate operates two studios in Los Angeles’ West Adams and Silver Lake neighborhoods and three locations in New York, with two located in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick and Gowanus and one in Ridgewood Queens.
Pirate launched in 2014 as the brainchild of co-founders David Borrie and Mikey Hammerton, who decided to open their own studio in Bristol, England. Once it was up and running, they began letting friends use it for rehearsals and began to expand to other parts of the UK.
Pirate now operates more than 400 studios around the world.
“We saw an opportunity to make studios more affordable for people simply by being open all the time,” says Pirate co-founder David Borrie. “This had the added benefit of giving artists better accessibility, letting them use the studios at the times that suited them. Since then, we’ve just tried to identify the types of studios artists need and build them, trying where we can to break down the barriers that stop artists from creating the music and stories we love.”
As part of the expansion to North American Pirate co-founder and VP Sammi Alani has relocated to the U.S. to oversee North American operations.
“Long term, Pirate plans to operate in every major city in North America by the end of 2024,” he explains. “We are committed to identifying key creative areas for our locations and plan to add to our roster of studios in New York and LA while exploring cities like Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Atlanta, Nashville and Toronto for expansion over the next two years,” Alani said.
To mark the launch of their North American studios, Pirate is currently offering 30,000 hours of free studio time to new customers. Each new customer can receive a complimentary three-hour session in any of their rooms from February 24 until March 23, 2021.
