What Floating Earth does

Floating Earth is a UK-based location audio recording, production, and mobile post-production company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Perivale, West London. Its service portfolio is anchored by a 200+ channel mobile outside broadcast (OB) truck equipped with a LAWO MC56 mixing console (64 faders, 12 layers), Pyramix 256-channel multitrack recording, 256 remote mic amps, Dolby Atmos-ready surround monitoring, Ravenna network audio over fibre optic, and 4K video recording with embedded audio and timecode. This is supplemented by three portable location recording rigs capable of up to 128 channels per session and three West London post-production suites with Pyramix editing, 5.1 mixing, transfer and re-mastering capabilities — together supporting up to four simultaneous recording projects worldwide.\n\nThe company serves four primary segments: major record labels (Universal, Sony, Warner, EMI) for catalog and artist production; broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4) for live broadcasts and music programming (including the Royal Wedding, Queen's Diamond Jubilee, BBC Proms, and Brit Awards); orchestras, opera companies, and ensembles (English National Opera, Glyndebourne, London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia) for session and live recordings; and high-profile artists (Adele, Coldplay, U2, Take That, Kylie Minogue) for live DVD and concert recording. Supporting services include studio engineering at external UK facilities, in-house record production, instant on-site CD duplication, full project and executive management, multi-media/ DVD production, and independent radio and TV production with satellite feed capability.\n\nThe business model is professional services revenue, quote-based per project, with pricing dependent on location, duration, channel count, crew composition, and post-production requirements. Go-to-market is reputation-led: client acquisition occurs primarily through direct relationships, repeat business from major labels and broadcasters, referrals within the UK and international classical/pop recording community, and visibility from Grammy, BAFTA, International Emmy, and Prix Italia award recognition. The company markets through a minimal web presence plus Instagram, Facebook, and X accounts, with no direct sales team identified in the data.

Name

Floating Earth

Legal name

Floating Earth

Website

https://floatingearth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Floating Earth is a UK-based location audio recording, production, and mobile post-production company founded in 1987, serving major record labels (Universal, Sony, Warner), broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4), orchestras, opera companies, and marquee artists (Adele, U2, Coldplay) with a 200+ channel mobile OB truck and three West London post-production suites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ealing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Location Recording Services: On-site audio recording for live events, concerts, broadcasts, and studio situations using portable rigs or mobile OB truck. Services include fully crewed sessions or dry hire of recording equipment.
2. Post Production and Mastering: Editing, mixing, and mastering services at West London premises for projects recorded by Floating Earth as well as external clients from individual artists to major record labels.
3. Studio Engineering: Engineering services provided in UK recording studios at competitive rates, with arrangement of studio bookings on non-commission basis.
4. Record Production: In-house producers manage recording projects for various record labels and artists, with selection of most suitable producer for each project.
5. Instant CD Production: On-site CD manufacturing at live events, enabling immediate sale of recordings to concert attendees.
6. Project and Executive Management: Full project organization including artist booking, venue arrangement, and coordination through to finished CD. Includes executive production service for initiating and coordinating projects for license or sale to record labels and broadcasters.
7. Broadcasting Services: Independent production services for radio and TV including production, engineering, editing, presenting, mixing, and live broadcast arrangements with satellite feed capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Floating Earth provides professional on-site audio recording, post-production, and mastering services for music labels, broadcasters, orchestras, and live event producers. The company operates a 200+ channel mobile OB truck with LAWO MC56 console and Pyramix multitrack recording, alongside three West London post-production suites offering editing, 5.1 mixing, and remastering. Services span location engineering, studio engineering, record production, instant CD burns, project management, multi-media production, and broadcasting.

Product overview

Floating Earth is a UK-based location audio recording, production, and mobile post-production company operating as a unified suite of interconnected professional audio services. The portfolio is anchored by the OB Truck — a 200+ channel mobile recording unit with LAWO MC56 console and Pyramix multitrack capability — supplemented by three portable Location Engineering rigs for live and studio recording up to 192 channels. Post Production and Mastering operates from three West London suites offering editing, 5.1 mixing, and re-mastering. Supporting services include Studio Engineering (staffed sessions at external studios), Record Production (in-house producers), Instant Media Burns (on-site CD duplication), Project/Executive Management (full project coordination through to physical product), Multi-Media Production (video and DVD services), and Broadcasting (radio/TV production and live broadcast facilities). The company runs four simultaneous recording projects globally, serving classical, pop, rock, and broadcast clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OB Truck A 200+ channel mobile outside broadcast truck equipped with a LAWO MC56 console (64 faders, 12 layers), 256 remote mic amps, Pyramix 256-channel multitrack recorder, Dolby Atmos-ready surround monitoring, 96k capability, and Ravenna network audio with fibre optic stage links, deployed for live concert, broadcast, and large-scale recording projects.
• Location Engineering Mobile audio recording using three portable carry-in rigs capable of recording up to 128 channels in live or studio situations, plus the mobile OB truck for up to 192 channels, available with full crew or as dry-hire for CD, radio, TV, webcasting, and global location projects.
• Post Production and Mastering Three high-quality post-production suites at West London premises with soundproofing, floating floors, and air conditioning. Includes Pyramix editing, 5.1 mixing rooms, transfer and re-mastering services, and handling of multiple source formats for external clients and labels.
• Studio Engineering Engineering services provided at prestigious UK recording studios with staff who have worked across leading facilities, offered at competitive rates with non-commission studio booking organization.
• Record Production In-house production services pairing clients with producers whose styles match specific project requirements, drawn from experience across multiple record labels and recording scenarios.
• Instant Media Burns On-site CD duplication service enabling live concert recordings to be sold within minutes of performance completion, ranging from dozens to hundreds of copies.
• Project Management and Executive Production Full project coordination including artist booking, venue arrangement, engineering and editing staff, producer selection, artwork design, and CD pressing from runs as small as 50 units. Executive production service for initiating and brokering projects to record labels and broadcasters.
• Multi-Media Production Full-service video and DVD production capabilities including film and television collaboration, equipment access for video production, and DVD mastering.
• Broadcasting Services Independent radio and TV production services including recording, broadcast facilities, engineering, editing, presenting, mixing, and live-to-air arrangements such as satellite feed and live link-ups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner of multiple Grammy, BAFTA, Gramophone, Golden Prague, International Emmy, and other prestigious industry awards across classical and broadcast categories
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BBCcoreOthersMajor UK broadcaster and one of Floating Earth's most significant clients. The company has worked extensively with BBC on numerous television productions, live broadcasts including the Proms, Brit Awards, classical music documentaries, and special events such as the Royal Wedding and Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RAK Studios: Long-established London recording studio serving major-label pop and classical artists. Comparable UK-based boutique serving similar label clients with location and studio recording services.
• Metropolis Studios: West London recording and post-production complex serving major-label artists with mixing and mastering capability. Overlaps with Floating Earth on UK-based high-end recording and post-production for label clients.
• Real World Studios: Peter Gabriel-founded residential studio in Box, Wiltshire, known for world-music, classical, and major-label recording projects. Comparable in serving prestige artists across classical and global genres with UK-based infrastructure.
• Angel Studios: London recording facility with strong classical, film, and broadcast engineering heritage. Comparable as a UK specialist studio serving orchestral and broadcast clients with high channel-count capability.
• Abbey Road Studios: Iconic London recording studio offering location, post-production, and broadcast-grade recording services to major labels and orchestras. Closest comparable as a UK-based, award-winning recording facility serving classical and pop artists at the highest tier.
• Air Studios: London recording studio at Lyndhurst Hall operated for film score and classical recording with major-label clientele. Comparable in targeting prestige film, classical, and orchestral projects with similar premium client base.
• Strongroom Studios: London recording and post-production complex serving major-label artists. Comparable UK-based studio with overlapping post-production, mixing, and label-relationship business.
• British Grove Studios: London boutique recording facility founded by producer Mark 'Spike' Stent, serving major-label pop and orchestral projects. Comparable as a high-end UK recording studio with similar premium client roster.

Emerging players

• Britannia Row Productions: UK-based live-sound and broadcast audio provider serving major concert tours and events. Partial overlap on the mobile/location audio capture side rather than studio recording.

Regional players

• SDEBands / Mobile Recording Companies (UK): Smaller UK-based mobile recording operators serving local orchestras and live events with portable rigs. Comparable business model for location recording but at a lower channel-count and budget tier than Floating Earth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/floating_earth
• Facebookinstagram.com/floating_earth
• Xinstagram.com/floating_earth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Floating Earth