Testing, testing 1, 2, 3 🎶
Calling all local musicians: go ahead and start planning out your Grammy acceptance speech. Columbia has several recording studios where you can channel your inner Jack White or Dr. Dre and turn your song ideas into real music – in some cases, for free.

Can’t play an instrument, but still want to learn how to produce music? Some studios have educational opportunities + information sessions on how to use the latest in recording software.

Jam on. ⤵

🎧 The Jam Room

Photo by @alexmccullumbiii

📍201 S. Prospect St. | 📞803-787-6908

Probably Columbia’s best-known studio (and home to local favs like FatRat Da Czar), the Jam Room offers custom analog recording (through Fisheye Mastering) + mastering for vinyl, for all of the hipsters reading this. Top-notch instruments + effects make the Jam Room a perfect place to book a recording sesh.

🎧 Archer Avenue Studio

📍1534 Main St. | (803) 556-1250

Archer Avenue is a newly renovated studio, located just 10 minutes from downtown that offers Pro-Tools and tons of other industry standard equipment. Freeway Music also hosts recording classes in their studio for anyone looking to up their recording game. Pro Tip: to hear some of the artists that have recorded at Archer Avenue, stay on the lookout for SceneSC’s yearly sampler.

🎧 Strawberry Skys

📍1706 Platt Springs Rd. | 📞 803-794-9300

Strawberry Skys offers the latest in ProTools and iZ RADAR Nyquist technology, along with classic analog style recording. Specializing in all genres, you can record in-studio or have your project mixed online by a member of their professional staff.

🎧 GEM Recordings

📍 2825 Millwood Ave. | 📞 803-256-3413

Offering 24-track analog recording and 32+ track ProTools recording, G.E.M. Recordings is a great studio for recording music, and even voice-overs + commercials. They also offer courses for anyone who wants to learn how to create their own music at home with recording software. Fun fact: they were one of the first studios in the entire country to have ProTools in 1991.

🎧 Track One Music

📍 2519 Devine St. | 📞 803-351-0096

Track One Music records and mixes using a hybrid system of HD ProTools + analog. They assist in any sort of gear rental and help to provide session musicians, copyrighting, scoring and even artwork. They also boast a pretty rad list of musicians (I accidentally just spent 2 hours listening to some of the bands).

🎧 Richland Library North Main

📍 5306 Main St. | 📞 803-754-7734

Yup, you read that correctly. Richland Library’s North Main location offers a totally free, fully functioning recording booth for anyone to use. Not sure how to use recording software? No worries – they offer an information course called “Recording 101” where you can learn all of the basics.

I went to an arts school for music production in high school, so getting to research all of the recording opportunities in Columbia had me extremely stoked. I mean, anyone can walk into Richland Library’s recording booth and basically transform into Mick Jagger. That’s pretty cool.

Have you ever used one of Cola’s recording studios? Did we miss one? Reply to this email to let us know your experience.

–Nicole