10 Best Recording Studios in California (Top Picks For 2024)

Looking for the best and most famous recording studios in California? Awesome! Read on…

As the home state for the music recording mecca of Los Angeles, California has a lot of options available for recording studios. And they aren’t only in Southern California.

That’s a good thing because California is a large state covering a diverse geographical as well as a musical landscape. So no matter where you are in the state and no matter what style of music you play, there is a recording studio for you.

Bongo Boy Recording Studio

Bongo Boy Studio is in McKinleyville on the Northern California coast, the opposite end of the state from L.A. With a relaxed, small-town atmosphere in a focused and professional setting, Bogno Boy is the perfect place for bands and songwriters to record and recorded bands like Diggin Dirt.

Google reviewers love head engineer Domonic Romano for giving them a professional big city sound in the heart of the small Humbodlt community. This is why 13 reviewers give the studio an average of 4.8 stars.

Website:

https://www.bongoboystudio.com/

Location:

1873 Cliff Ave, McKinleyville, CA 95519

Services & Cost:

• recording
• songwriting
• music production
• mixing
• mastering
• consultation
• graphic design
• audio preservation

Contact Bongo Boy Studio through their website for prices.

BlckLBl Studios

BlckLbl Studios is located in the state’s capital of Sacramento and offers song and album production under the guidance of a few professional engineers on staff. They don’t have a lot of background info on their website, but they are clearly well-loved.

147 Google reviewers write glowing reports of the professional equipment and all the engineers on staff. They are efficient, friendly, and helpful, which is why the studio has an average of 4.9 stars.

Website:

https://blcklbl.org/

Location:

2020 Hurley Way Suite 190, Sacramento, CA 95825

Services & Cost:

• production
• recording
• mixing
• mastering

Service	Cost
Recording with an engineer	$100 for a 2-hour minimum
Recording with an engineer after minimum	$50 an hour
Production	$75 an hour
Mixing and mastering	$25 – $300
Full Song Special (with production, recording, mixing, master, and engineer)	$300
Full Song Special Plus (with custom beat, engineer, producer, recording, mixing, mastering)	$500

If you are located in the Burbank area – Check out our list of The 7 Best Recording Studios in Burbank, CA

Prairie Sun Recording Studio

Prairie Sun Recording Studio is located on a 10-acre ranch in the wine country north of San Francisco. It was founded by Mark Rennick and has played home to many diverse musical legends including Van Morrison, Primus, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. Prairie Sun is also home to “The Waits Room” where Tom Waits recorded his album Bone Machine.

With a list of clients like theirs, it’s just icing on the cake that 40 Google reviewers give Prarie Sun a 4.9-star rating. They praise the engineers, the beauty of the setting, and the family-like atmosphere of the studio

Website:

https://www.prairiesun.com/

Location:

1039 Madrone Ave, Cotati, CA 94931

Services & Cost:

• recording
• mixing
• mastering
• engineering
• lodging

Contact Prarie Sun through their website for pricing.

Uprise Recording

Owner Michael Cox started Uprise Recoding to serve musicians who aspire to follow their dreams. Located in Sacramento, the studio offers top-of-the-line gear and professionalism in a comfortable environment.

An Average of 4.9 stars is what Uprise Recording has earned from 89 Google reviewers. There are many returning artists in that group, and they all love Michael for his knowledge and expertise.

Website:

https://upriserecording.com/

Location:

1217 Del Paso Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815

Services & Cost:

• recording

Service	Cost
Recording for 1 hour	$85
Recording for 2 hours	$170
Recording for 3 hours	$255
Starving Artist Bundle	$300 for 4 hours of studio time
Pro Artist Bundle	$600 for 8 hours of studio time
Rockstar Bundle	$999 for 16 hours of studio time
Platinum Artist Bundle	$1999 for 32 hours of studio time

Noise Eater Recordings

Located on the coast in Santa Cruz, Noise Eater Recordings offers their clients a polished sound for the raw emotion that they give to their art. This straightforward studio offers the fundamentals needed to make a great record in a classic California beach city.

Many of the Google reviewers recorded not just one song at Noise Eater but entire albums. They love the passion that the studio has for creating a clean and professional sound. This is why 32 Google reviewers give the studio a solid 5 stars.

Website:

https://www.noiseeaterrecordings.com/

Location:

112 Chilverton St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Services & Cost:

• recording
• mixing
• mastering

Contact Noise Eater Recordings through their website for pricing.

Red Eye Recording Studios

Red Eye Recording Studios makes its home in San Jose and offers quality recording services at good rates to everyone from rappers to full bands. 

31 Google reviewers give Red Eye 4.9 stars for being the kind of studio that takes time with the artist to get the project done right. Red Eye is on time and professional. 

Website:

https://redeyerecordingstudios.com/

Location:

2257 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116

Services & Cost:

• recording
• mixing 
• mastering

All services are charged at an hourly rate of $70, including the engineer.

Mad Muse Studios

Mad Muse Studios wants their clients to interact, collaborate, and create, and Mad Muse thinks they are best able to do that in the large open area of their studio. They offer vintage instruments and digital recording equipment.

81 Google reviewers love not only Mad Muse’s recording and music production but their live performance filming. In an area that is highly competitive for recording studios, it says it all that Mad Muse has a solid 5 stars.

Website:

https://madmusestudios.com/

Location:

1015 E 14th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Services & Cost:

• recording
• mixing
• mastering

Contact Mad Muse through their website for pricing.

The Village Studios

Also in Los Angeles, The Village Studios has been in operation for 6 decades recording more musical legends than you can shake a stick at. Their vintage equipment goes with the 1920s era Masonic Temple and informs their use of high-end technology.

115 Google reviewers give the studio an average of 4.8 stars. The reviewers love the courteous staff and being able to record in a legendary place with a great historic vibe and knowledgable engineers.

Website:

https://www.villagestudios.com/

Location:

1616 Butler Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Services & Cost:

• recording
• mixing
• live performances

Contact them for pricing.

Mix Recording Studio

With a sleek, space-age look, MIX Recording Studio has a broad presence in the industry recording artists and bands in many genres and working for industry clients such as Sony Music, Epic, and Atlantic.

82 Google reviewers give the studio an average of 4.7 stars for its high-quality sound and the industry knowledge of the engineers. They particularly love working with the engineers who hold nothing back for the benefit of the artist’s vision.

Website:

https://mixrecordingstudio.com/

Location:

539 S Rampart Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Services & Cost:

• production
• vocal production
• recording
• mixing
• tuning and editing
• mastering
• beats
• podcasts
• audiobooks
• photo
• video
• consultation
• private events

Service	Cost
Studio time without an engineer	$49 an hour
Studio time with Advanced Engineer (includes recording, mixing, mastering, stems)	$74 an hour
Studio time with Elite Engineer (includes production, development, EP or album mastering sessions)	$84 an hour
In-studio photoshoot (1 hour and 10 edited photos	$99
Artist documentary (1 hour of filming, 2 hours of editing, 3-5 minute video)	$149
In-studio music video (includes 2 hours of filming and studio rental, edited and ready the next day)	$349
Studio Vlog (includes 2 hours of filming, ready in 2 days)	$175
Podcast studio rental	$49 an hour
Audio podcast (with engineer)	$65 an hour
Audio and video podcast (with engineer)	$80 an hour
Livestream audio and video (with engineer)	$95 an hour

GoodLove Audio

GoodLove Audio believes the potential of the artists they work with. They are curious about different genres and all the possibilities of sound and are passionate about seeing artists achieve the kind of sound they want for their records.

As one Google reviewer put it, “Everyone passed the vibe check.” The 30 other reviewers agree that GoodLove Audio creates a professional and extremely helpful environment that is geared toward artistic success and an end-product that musicians can be proud of. This is why GoodLove has a solid 5 stars.

Website:

https://goodloveaudioca.com/

Location:

6330 Hollywood Blvd Suite 22, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Services & Cost:

• recording
• producing
• engineering
• vocal booth
• mixing
• mastering

GoodLove Audio offers a 12-hour block of studio time for $360. If you want more details on pricing, contact the studio through their website.

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