Ocean Way Nashville Studios

What Ocean Way Nashville Studios does

Ocean Way Nashville Studios is a premium commercial recording facility located at 1200 17th Avenue South on Nashville's Music Row, operating from a 100-year-old Gothic revival grey stone church. Founded in 1996 by Gary Belz and Allen Sides and acquired by Belmont University in 2001, the studio functions simultaneously as a commercial recording business and as a teaching facility for the university's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. The facility comprises five distinct studios: Studio A (flagship orchestral tracking room with 30-foot ceilings, 2,850 sq ft main room, four isolation booths, and the world's largest custom 80-input Neve 8078 console), Studio B (SSL Origin-equipped tracking/mixing room), Studio C – The Cave (Dolby Atmos mixing and mastering), Studio D (overdub, ADR, foley, surround mixing), and The Lighthouse (vintage 1970s API split-monitor console, edit space, podcast production). Core revenue is generated through hourly and project-based studio rentals for music tracking, orchestral scoring for film/TV and video games, Dolby Atmos mixing and mastering, podcast production, and ADR/foley work. Secondary revenue comes from a Shopify-hosted merchandise storefront selling branded apparel.

The client base spans major record labels (Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Apple Music), streaming platforms (Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime, Paramount Plus, Spotify, YouTube Music), film and gaming studios (Lionsgate, DreamWorks Animation, EA, Sony PlayStation), and a long roster of recording artists (Morgan Wallen, Bon Jovi, Dan + Shay, Hardy, JellyRoll, Cody Fry). Go-to-market is direct-to-client: bookings are handled through Business Manager Jamie Warden via phone (615-320-3900) or contact form, supported by referral-driven demand from established relationships and Belmont University's industry network. Marketing is largely reputation-led, leveraging the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing affiliation, the 30th NAMM TEC Award nomination (2026), social media presence, and the in-house "It's Gonna Be Great" podcast. Studio service pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; only merchandise unit prices are listed.

Name

Ocean Way Nashville Studios

Legal name

Ocean Way Nashville Studios

Website

https://oceanwaynashville.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ocean Way Nashville Studios is a premium commercial recording facility on Nashville's Music Row, housed in a 100-year-old church with the world's largest Neve 8078 console. Owned by Belmont University, it serves music artists, film/TV/game composers, and podcasters across five specialized studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recording Studio Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Sound Recording Studios (512240), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs) (MPAIAHAO)

Keywords

• Commercial recording studio
• Orchestral scoring services
• Dolby Atmos mixing
• Film TV scoring
• Music production facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Recording Studio Sessions: Hourly or project-based rental of recording studio facilities including tracking rooms, control rooms, isolation booths, and live orchestral spaces. Revenue generated from music recording, overdubbing, and mixing sessions.
2. Orchestral Scoring Services: Recording large-scale orchestral and choral scoring sessions for film, TV, and video game soundtracks. Groups as large as 82 musicians can be accommodated.
3. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, and hats through Shopify storefront.
4. Dolby Atmos Mixing and Mastering: Atmos mixing and mastering services for immersive audio content in Studio C - The Cave.
5. Podcast Suite and Edit Space: Rental of podcast production facilities and edit spaces in The Lighthouse studio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ocean Way Nashville Studios is a multi-room commercial recording facility that rents tracking rooms, control rooms, isolation booths, and orchestral spaces by the hour or project for music recording, overdubbing, mixing, mastering, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, podcast production, ADR/foley, and film/TV/video game scoring. Operations are supported by experienced in-house engineers and an extensive collection of vintage analog consoles, microphones, and outboard gear alongside modern DAW systems.

Product overview

Ocean Way Nashville Studios is a multi-studio commercial recording facility owned by Belmont University, offering five distinct studio spaces serving the music, film, TV, and gaming industries. The portfolio includes Studio A (flagship orchestral/scoring studio in a converted church with the world's largest Neve 8078 console), Studio B (SSL Origin-based tracking/mixing room), Studio C/The Cave (Dolby Atmos mixing/mastering suite), Studio D (versatile production room for ADR/foley/surround), and The Lighthouse (vintage API console-equipped studio). Core services encompass music recording sessions, orchestral scoring for film/TV/video games, podcast production, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio mixing. The company also operates a merchandise store selling branded apparel including hoodies, t-shirts, and hats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio A Flagship recording studio in a 100-year-old church sanctuary featuring a 38' x 50' main tracking room with 30' ceilings, four isolation booths, an 800 sq ft control room, and the world's largest custom 80-input + 64-monitor Neve 8078 console. Designed for tracking, orchestral and choral recording, film and TV scoring, and video production.
• Studio B Recording studio equipped with an SSL Origin console and 48 channels of AVID HDIO converters, featuring a tracking room, live booths, and a third-level lounge with full kitchen, billiards, and outdoor patio overlooking Music Row. Used for tracking, overdub, and mixing sessions.
• Studio C - The Cave Specialized mixing and mastering studio designed for Dolby Atmos immersive audio mixing and mastering services.
• Studio D Versatile production studio equipped with Avid S3 and Pro Tools Ultimate, with capabilities for overdub, mixing, ADR (automated dialogue replacement), foley recording, sound design, and surround sound mixing.
• The Lighthouse Production facility featuring a 1970s API split-monitor recording console (32 channel, 16 buss), vintage lab, edit space, and lounge, with Mac Mini M4 computer and Pro Tools/Logic Pro DAW systems for recording and production work.
• Scoring Services Orchestral and film/TV scoring services accommodating groups as large as 82 musicians in Studio A's 2,850 sq ft recording space with 30' ceilings, vintage Neve 8078 console, Neumann M50 microphones, and Decca tree; covers scoring for films, TV, video games, trailers, and record sweetening.
• Media and Podcast Production Services Podcast recording and production services offered through a dedicated podcast suite, supporting voice-over, dialogue, and podcast content production.
• Client Recording Sessions Commercial recording sessions including tracking, overdubbing, mixing, and mastering for artists, bands, and labels across genres, with prior sessions hosted for Bon Jovi, Cody Fry, Dan + Shay, Hardy, JellyRoll, and Morgan Wallen.

Quantifiable outcome

• Groups as large as 82 have recorded in the space.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Belmont UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Belmont University purchased Ocean Way Nashville from the founders Gary Belz and Allen Sides in 2001. The studio functions as both a commercial recording facility and classroom, in conjunction with the school's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. The university hires paid student-workers from Belmont at the studio.
• Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Belmont University's Mike Curb College for audio engineering education. The studio serves as a training ground for students pursuing careers in audio engineering and music production.
• The Recording Academy (Producers & Engineers Wing)minorOthersProfessional industry affiliation recognizing excellence in recording and production standards.
• Audio Engineering Society Nashville ChapterminorOthersAffiliation with AES Nashville chapter for industry networking and professional standards.
• Studio Instrument RentalsminorOthersInstrument rental service provider recommended on Resources page for clients needing additional equipment.
• Backline Music RentalminorOthersBackline equipment rental service recommended for Nashville-based session equipment needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Abbey Road Studios: World-renowned London studio famous for orchestral film/TV scoring and historic recording heritage. Competes with Ocean Way for international film and game scoring projects and is a comparable premium-tier destination for large-ensemble recording work.
• Henson Recording Studios: Former A&M Studios in Hollywood, a large multi-room complex historically used for film scoring and major-label recordings. Comparable to Ocean Way for high-budget orchestral projects and offers a similar multi-studio commercial facility model.
• Sunset Sound: Historic Los Angeles recording complex known for vintage analog consoles (custom Neve, SSL) and rock/pop recordings. Comparable to Ocean Way's Studio A in offering premium vintage analog signal chains for major-label projects, and referenced explicitly in Ocean Way engineer Austin Atwood's prior freelance work.
• AIR Studios: London recording facility purpose-built by George Martin for film and orchestral scoring. Directly comparable to Ocean Way in scoring capacity, premium acoustic design, and serving major international film/TV/game composer clients.
• Blackbird Studio: Premier Nashville recording and mixing studio founded by Martina McBride and John McBride. Directly competes with Ocean Way for the same Music Row client base across music recording and mixing, offering comparable multi-room facilities and Grammy-credentialed engineers.
• EastWest Studios: Hollywood recording complex (formerly Western Recorders and United Western) renowned for premium acoustic spaces and vintage equipment. Comparable to Ocean Way for major-label music recording, film scoring, and orchestral sessions.
• Capitol Studios: Iconic Hollywood recording facility owned by Universal Music Group featuring vintage echo chambers and analog consoles. Directly comparable as a major-label-affiliated flagship recording destination serving top-tier artists and orchestral scoring work.
• Sound Emporium Studios: Long-running Nashville recording studio with deep country and pop credits. Competes directly with Ocean Way for artist tracking and mixing sessions in Nashville, sharing the same Music Row ecosystem and overlapping high-profile country artist clientele.
• Avatar Studios (formerly Power Station at BerkleeNYC): New York City recording facility known for vintage Neve consoles and major film scoring work. Competes with Ocean Way for orchestral and film/TV mixing sessions and shares a similar large-room vintage analog positioning.

Broad incumbents

• United Recording / Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles): Original Ocean Way-branded studio founded by co-founder Allen Sides in Los Angeles. Shares heritage and brand DNA with Ocean Way Nashville; operates as a flagship West Coast recording destination with similar vintage Neve console inventory and film scoring capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/owaynash
• Facebookfacebook.com/OceanWayNashvilleStudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanwaynashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Ocean Way Nashville Studios