What Pirate Studios does

Pirate Studios (operating as Pirate.com) is a London-headquartered, privately held operator of self-service creative studios founded in 2015. The company runs 30+ studio locations across the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and Ireland, with a dense footprint in London (Dalston, Camden, Hackney, Notting Hill, Wembley, and others) and New York City (Bushwick, Gowanus, and Ridgewood, totaling 32–35 recording studios). Its portfolio spans Rehearsal, Recording, DJ, Drum Practice, Guitar, Voice Over, Rap, Writing, Podcast, and Dance studios, available in Lite, Standard, Pro, and Showcase equipment tiers. Studios are equipped with professional-grade hardware including Pioneer CDJs and DJM mixers, Focusrite audio interfaces, Yamaha monitors, RØDECaster Pro podcast units, and Pearl/Natal drum kits.

The core technology stack is a self-service physical infrastructure model: customers book online through book.pirate.com, receive instant pin-code entry, and access studios 24/7 without on-site staff. OpenLIVE is an in-house proprietary add-on that performs automatic session audio capture and delivers editable recordings to users post-booking. The company monetizes purely on a pay-as-you-go, hourly unit-pricing model with no subscription requirement, with rates ranging from approximately £10/hour (UK drum studios) to $23.10/hour (NYC Recording Pro), and €7.50+/hour in Europe. Ancillary revenue drivers include a Refer-a-Friend program, a brand partnership program for marketing integrations, and the Artist Hub community platform hosting workshops, AUX group feedback sessions, and radio play opportunities.

The customer base is a long-tail mix of individual musicians, bands, podcasters, DJs, electronic producers, dancers, choreographers, and music/dance instructors across five primary personas. Marketing is digital-first, leveraging the Pirate blog, YouTube, Instagram (@pirateofficial), SoundCloud, Twitter/X, Facebook, and a weekly email newsletter offering free credit and discounts. Legal entities include Pirate Studios Limited (UK, company number 09669260) and Pirate Studios GmbH (Germany, HRB 188426 B), with co-CEOs David Borrie and Mikey Hammerton leading the German operating entity. The company has raised $20M from Talis Capital in November 2018 and has not disclosed subsequent funding rounds, suggesting capital-efficient operations or operating profitability.

Name

Pirate Studios

Legal name

Pirate Studios GmbH

Website

https://pirate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pirate Studios operates 30+ self-service 24/7 creative studios across the UK, US, Germany, and Ireland, offering hourly bookings of recording, rehearsal, DJ, podcast, and dance spaces to musicians, podcasters, and dancers via an online platform with pin-code entry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Studio Rental Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Recording Studios (Commercial, Project, Mobile) (MPAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rehearsal & Pre-Production Studios (Rehearsal Rooms, Backline) (MPAIAHAK)

Keywords

• Self-service recording studios
• Music rehearsal spaces
• DJ practice studios
• Podcast recording studios
• Creative studio rental

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Studio Hire Rental: Hourly and daily rental of creative studios including recording, rehearsal, DJ, podcast, voice over, drum, guitar, and dance studios. Customers pay per session with no subscription requirement, offering flexible pay-as-you-go access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pirate Studios operates a network of self-service creative studios for musicians, podcasters, DJs, and dancers that can be booked by the hour 24/7 through an online platform and accessed via pin code. The offering spans recording, rehearsal, DJ, drum, guitar, voice-over, rap, writing, podcast, and dance studios equipped with professional gear, with the proprietary OpenLIVE add-on providing automatic session recording.

Product overview

Pirate Studios operates a network of self-serve creative studios for musicians, podcasters, DJs, and dancers, bookable by the hour 24/7 through an online platform. The core offering consists of multiple studio types including Rehearsal Studios (for band practice), Recording Studios (for music production), DJ Studios, Drum Practice Studios, Guitar Studios, Voice Over Studios, Rap Studios, Writing Studios, Podcast Studios, and Dance Studios. These are available across Lite, Standard, Pro, and Showcase tiers with varying equipment configurations. The company also offers OpenLIVE, an automatic session recording add-on, alongside an Artist Hub community platform providing networking, events, and workshops. The business model combines hourly studio hire with community and partnership services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recording Studios Professional music production and vocal recording studios available 24/7 for hourly booking, equipped with audio interfaces, microphones, monitors, and MIDI controllers. Offered in Lite (1-2 people) and Pro (larger groups with vocal booth) configurations for musicians, producers, and vocalists.
• Rehearsal Studios Self-serve music practice rooms available 24/7 for hourly booking, equipped with amplifiers, drums, mixers, and microphones for band rehearsals. Available in Lite, Standard, Pro, and Showcase tiers with varying equipment configurations for musicians and bands.
• DJ Studios Turnkey DJ practice spaces equipped with Pioneer CDJs and mixers for DJs and electronic music producers. Standard studios feature 2 decks; Pro studios offer 3 decks with advanced equipment and custom lighting. Bookable by the hour 24/7 through the self-serve platform.
• Drum Practice Studios Specialized drum practice rooms with 5-piece Pearl or Natal drum kits, with cymbals included in Lite, Pro, and Showcase tiers. Available for solo drummers, lessons, and bands, bookable by the hour 24/7.
• Guitar Studios Creative guitar studios available 24/7 for practice and recording, equipped with guitar amplifiers and related equipment for individual guitarists and bands.
• Voice Over Studios Soundproof recording spaces optimized for voice recording, narration, and audio production, equipped with RØDECaster Pro podcast units and professional microphones. Available for podcasters, voice-over artists, and audio creators by the hour 24/7.
• Rap Studios Recording and rehearsal studios designed for rappers and hip-hop artists, featuring vocal booths, full backline, and professional audio equipment. Available across US, UK, Germany, and Ireland locations by the hour 24/7.
• Writing Studios 24/7 writing rooms for songwriters and lyricists, providing private creative spaces for songwriting, lyric writing, and composition.
• Podcast Studios Dedicated podcast recording spaces equipped with RØDECaster Pro Integrated Podcast Units, multiple microphones (4x Rode Procaster), and studio headphones (KRK 6400), available for hourly 24/7 booking.
• Dance Studios Specialized dance practice spaces with non-marking flooring requirements, subject to specific terms for footwear and studio capacity. Available for dancers and choreographers practicing and preparing performances.
• OpenLIVE Automatic session recording add-on that captures audio during studio sessions, providing artists with a link to edit their recording online after the session without requiring additional equipment or technical expertise.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Brand PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPirate Studios offers brand partnership opportunities for companies looking to connect with the creative community. Partnerships include brand activations at studio locations, sponsored events, and brand integration within the Pirate community ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Splacer: Marketplace for hourly/daily rental of unique creative spaces (studios, lofts, venues). Comparable to Pirate's model of monetizing creative spaces on a transactional, self-serve basis, though Splacer is more general-purpose (events and content) while Pirate specializes in music/audio.
• PeerSpace: Online marketplace for hourly booking of creative and event spaces in major cities. Directly comparable to Pirate's self-serve, hourly rental GTM motion and target buyer (creators, performers, podcasters), though PeerSpace aggregates third-party spaces while Pirate operates its own locations.

Emerging players

• Deskpass: On-demand workspace access platform offering pay-as-you-go booking of coworking and creative spaces. Comparable to Pirate's self-serve booking infrastructure and transactional revenue model, but Deskpass focuses on general coworking/office rather than music/audio-specialized studios.
• Spacious: On-demand workspace marketplace with hourly/daily pricing for underutilized spaces. Comparable to Pirate's self-serve, pay-per-use booking concept and hourly pricing approach, applied to general workspace rather than specialized music studios.
• Workfrom: Platform helping remote workers find and book workspace by the hour or day. Comparable to Pirate's transactional, location-discovery-driven booking flow, though Workfrom targets knowledge workers rather than musicians and serves as a directory rather than an operator.

Broad incumbents

• Industrious: Premium flexible workspace operator with global locations and a hospitality-led service model. Comparable to Pirate as a multi-location creative/workspace operator with standardized experiences, though Industrious targets enterprise office tenants rather than music creators and operates staffed rather than self-serve.
• Reverb: Leading global marketplace for buying and selling music gear, instruments and pro audio equipment. Comparable to Pirate as a core infrastructure provider serving independent musicians and audio creators, though Reverb monetizes gear transactions rather than studio time.
• Abbey Road Studios: Iconic London-based commercial recording studio offering professional recording, mixing and mastering services. Comparable to Pirate as a London recording studio operator serving music creators, though Abbey Road targets high-end professional clients with staffed, premium services rather than self-serve hourly access.

Others

• BandLab: Free online DAW and social music creation platform used by tens of millions of musicians. Comparable to Pirate as a destination for independent music creators, but BandLab is a digital production tool and community rather than a physical studio network.
• Soundtrap: Cloud-based DAW owned by Spotify, targeting creators and education markets. Comparable to Pirate's podcast/creator segment as a digital creation surface, but a software substitute rather than a physical studio complement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/piratedotcomUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSwjnUdIV8djQl8q2vcR0xA
• Facebookfacebook.com/piratedotcomUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/pirateofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pirate-studios-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pirate Studios