Hyde Street Studios

What Hyde Street Studios does

Hyde Street Studios is a private, multi-room professional recording studio operating in San Francisco since 1980, with its facility at 245 Hyde Street originally opened in 1969 as Wally Heider Recording. The studio offers music recording, voiceover, podcast, and audiobook production services across two locations: the flagship Studio A (headquarters at 245 Hyde Street) and Rancho Rivera (an annex studio opened in 2017 in the Sunset District). Its core technology stack combines vintage analog equipment — including a Neve 8038 console brought from England, a Wally Heider-designed echo chamber, an Otari 24-track tape machine, and an extensive collection of original vintage tube microphones — with modern digital workflows including ProTools, Source Connect remote collaboration, and pristine low-noise preamps. The studio claims to be the longest-running multi-room recording facility in the Bay Area.

The studio serves a diverse client base spanning major recording artists (Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Green Day, Tupac, Kanye West, Train, Cake, OneRepublic, Willie Nelson, Chris Isaak, Bob Mould, Earth Wind & Fire), broadcast and media companies (ESPN, Discovery Channel, NPR, Fox's Family Guy), publishers (Simon & Schuster), and tech/transportation firms (Pinterest, Lyft). Service offerings include album and single recording, mixing, mastering, audiobook narration, podcast production, and commercial voiceover — with the latter meeting standards such as Audible ACX specifications. The business operates a direct-to-consumer model: customers contact the studio by phone or email for quote-based pricing, with free tours and consultations offered to prospective clients. The facility hosts a community of resident engineers, including Grammy-winning engineer Will Chason, supporting flexible project staffing.

The studio is privately owned by Michael Ward, a singer, songwriter, and producer who has been active in the Bay Area since 1974. Day-to-day operations are managed by Jack Kertzman, who joined as an engineer in 2012 and was promoted to manager in 2017. Hyde Street Studios has not raised any external funding, has no parent company, and is not publicly listed. No patents, certifications, or formal partnerships are disclosed in the available materials.

Name

Hyde Street Studios

Website

https://hydestreet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hyde Street Studios is a private, multi-room San Francisco recording studio operating since 1969, offering music recording, voiceover, podcast, and audiobook production using vintage analog equipment and modern digital workflows for major artists and enterprise media clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Recording Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (512240)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Music recording services
• Voiceover recording
• Audiobook production
• Podcast recording
• Studio time rental

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Studio Time Rental/Recording Sessions: Revenue generated from booking studio time for music recording, voiceover, podcast, and audiobook sessions. Clients pay for access to recording facilities, equipment, and engineering support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Hyde Street Studios is a multi-room professional recording studio that rents studio time for music recording, mixing, mastering, voiceover, podcast, and audiobook production. It operates three distinct spaces: Studio A (vintage Neve 8038 console, echo chamber, grand piano, Hammond B3), Rancho Rivera (20-channel API The Box console, 4 rooms, opened 2017), and dedicated voiceover/podcast/audiobook rooms equipped for Source Connect remote conferencing and Audible ACX-compliant capture.

Product overview

Hyde Street Studios is a multi-room professional recording studio offering music recording, voiceover, podcast, and audiobook production services. The studio operates three main spaces: Studio A (flagship room with vintage Neve 8038 console), Rancho Rivera (annex facility with API The Box console, opened 2017), and VO/Podcast/Audiobook recording services. The studio is known for its vintage equipment, vintage microphone collection, and analog recording capabilities including echo chambers and plate reverbs. Hyde Street Studios is proud to be the longest running multi-room recording studio in the Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio A Recording Sessions Flagship recording room featuring a vintage Neve 8038 console (maintained and modified in 2016), two isolation rooms, a 9ft Baldwin grand piano, and a Hammond B3 organ. Used for full album recording, single tracking, mixing, and mastering sessions by professional and emerging music artists, bands, and producers.
• Rancho Rivera Recording Sessions Annex studio in San Francisco's Sunset District with 4 recording rooms, control room, live room, 2 isolation booths, kitchen/lounge with grand piano, and back patio. Equipped with a 20-channel API The Box console with Neve 1272 preamps and API EQs, Otari 24-track tape machine, and an extensive microphone collection. Offered for music recording, voiceover, and audiobook sessions.
• Voiceover / Podcast / Audiobook Recording Commercial voice recording services for audiobooks, podcasts, interviews, and voiceovers for radio, television, and film, with conferencing options including Zoom with Source Connect (Nexus) and phone patch so remote producers can listen and communicate. Complete isolation and ultra-clean audio achieved via top-notch microphones, modern low-noise preamps, and pristine audio conversion, meeting specifications such as Audible ACX. Clients have included Simon & Schuster, ESPN, Discovery Channel, Family Guy (Fox), NPR, Pinterest, and Lyft.

Quantifiable outcome

• Longest-running multi-room recording studio in the Bay Area

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Abbey Road Studios: London-based legendary recording studio and global destination. Comparable vintage equipment heritage, iconic status, and destination-studio brand, but operates at significantly larger scale with global recognition and corporate backing.
• Capitol Studios: Iconic Hollywood recording facility within the Capitol/Universal Music ecosystem. Comparable legacy status, vintage equipment, and destination-studio brand, but operates as part of a much larger music industry conglomerate with broader resources.
• Henson Recording Studios: Formerly A&M Studios, Hollywood-based historic recording facility now owned by The Jim Henson Company. Comparable heritage, vintage equipment, and premium music/film recording services, but operating as part of a larger parent organization.
• United Recording / Ocean Way: Historic Ocean Way / United Recording facility in Los Angeles, now part of a broader portfolio. Comparable vintage analog heritage and premium music recording services, but operates at a larger institutional scale with multiple locations and broader service offerings.

Direct peers

• Electrical Audio: Chicago-based analog-focused recording studio built by Steve Albini. Comparable in its commitment to vintage analog equipment, tape-based workflows, and uncompromising sonic character — a similar philosophy of prioritizing equipment authenticity over modern convenience.
• Sunset Sound: Hollywood-based historic recording studio (founded 1958) offering multi-room analog and digital recording. Comparable on long heritage, vintage console inventory, and broad artist client roster across music and film/TV sound work.
• Conway Recording Studios: Los Angeles-based premium commercial recording studio serving major label and film scoring clients. Comparable tier of high-end recording services and analog/digital hybrid capability, though larger and more LA-focused in client base.
• The Village Studios: West Los Angeles-based premium recording studio with vintage and modern hybrid setup. Comparable on premium-tier commercial recording services and multi-room facility serving top-tier artists and film/TV clients.
• Sound City Studios: Los Angeles-based historic recording studio famous for its vintage Neve 8028 console and analog workflow. Directly comparable on vintage equipment heritage, premium music recording services, and destination-studio reputation built over decades.
• Fantasy Studios: Berkeley, California-based commercial recording studio with a similar heritage profile, multi-room facility, and historic client roster. Most directly comparable peer given shared Bay Area location, vintage equipment ethos, and parallel service offering for music, voiceover, and post-production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HydeStStudios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hyde Street Studios