Strings Attached

What Strings Attached does

Strings Attached Studio is a private, sole-operator music production studio based in Collendoorn and Hardenberg, The Netherlands, founded and run by violinist and arranger Frank van Essen. The studio offers three integrated service lines: (1) String Arranging & Recording, spanning solo violin to full string orchestra; (2) Orchestration & Conducting for studio and live productions across semi-classical, pop, and film/video genres; and (3) Scoring & Music Production, including composition for documentaries, film, and full album production. The underlying craft is entirely human-performed — Frank personally plays violin, viola, and contributes drums/percussion, and draws on a network of session musicians for larger ensemble work.

The business model is project-based professional services with quote-based pricing; no public pricing is listed, and all engagements are initiated through the studio website contact form. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: direct outreach from music producers, recording artists, and film/TV composers, supplemented by word-of-mouth from a deep existing book of high-profile clients. The customer base spans major Dutch and international pop, rock, and electronic artists (Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Within Temptation, Calum Scott, Marco Borsato, Krezip), UK folk/rock acts (Iona, Barbara Dickson), and broadcasting productions (Eurovision Song Contest 2020-2021, The Passion, Kerst met de Zandtovenaar).

Commercially, the studio is bootstrapped, privately held by Frank van Essen, with no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue. Headcount is approximately 6, with Frank as the sole full-time operator and a flexible bench of session musicians. The studio's explicit value proposition is the authenticity of real acoustic string recordings, framed in direct opposition to AI-generated or synthesized alternatives ("No AI involved"), and supported by Frank's Berklee College of Music Master Certificate in Orchestration for Film & TV (2014) and 30+ years of professional experience.

Name

Strings Attached

Legal name

Strings Attached

Website

https://stringsattached.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strings Attached Studio is a Netherlands-based, sole-operator music production studio led by Frank van Essen, providing real acoustic string arranging, recording, orchestration, and film/TV scoring services to music producers, recording artists, and composers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Production Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224)

akta.pro primary industry

Arranging & Orchestration (MPAIAHAG)

Keywords

• String arranging services
• Orchestration and scoring
• Music production services
• Violin recording studio
• Film and tv scoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Collendoorn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. String Arrangement & Recording Services: Project-based professional services for string arranging, recording, and orchestration. Services range from solo violin recordings to full string orchestra productions for pop, classical, and film/TV projects.
2. Orchestration & Scoring for Picture: Commissioned film/TV scoring and orchestration work, including documentaries, TV series, and live event productions.
3. Music Production & CD Production: Full album/CD production services including co-writing, arranging, recording, and mixing for select artists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Strings Attached is a private music studio operated by Frank van Essen that provides professional string arranging, recording, and orchestration services for music producers, recording artists, and film/TV composers. Services cover solo violin through full string orchestra productions, plus conducting, scoring, and full music production for documentaries, albums, and live events, using real acoustic instruments with no AI or synthesized strings.

Product overview

Strings Attached Studio is a single-operator studio run by Frank van Essen, offering an all-inclusive service for string arranging and recording. The portfolio consists of three integrated service offerings: String Arranging & Recording (covering solo violin to full string orchestra), Orchestration & Conducting (for studio and live productions across semi-classical, pop, and film/video genres), and Scoring & Music Production (including documentary and film scoring, and music production). All services are delivered by Frank van Essen personally, combining his roles as arranger, string player, composer, conductor, and producer. The studio explicitly emphasizes human-only services, stating 'No AI involved.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• String Arranging & Recording Professional string arranging and recording services ranging from solo violin to full string orchestra, delivering an all-inclusive production package covering arranging, orchestrating, and recording. Targeted at music producers and recording artists seeking authentic real-instrument string performances for pop, rock, folk, and electronic tracks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Worked on hundreds of recordings with artists including Martin Garrix, Within Temptation, Calum Scott, and many others

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gordon Groothedde (Producer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGordon Groothedde (producer for Marco Borsato, Nick & Simon, Matt Simons, Intwine) was one of the first people to use Frank's string arrangements in pop songs. Their ongoing collaboration since the early days helped establish the Strings Attached service, which has since been discovered by many producers and artists.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Musiversal: Online platform that books remote session musicians and producers for clients worldwide. Directly comparable to Strings Attached as both deliver on-demand professional recording services to music producers and artists, though Musiversal operates as a marketplace aggregating many players rather than as a single studio.
• Remote Control Productions: Hans Zimmer's film scoring company producing orchestral and hybrid scores for major motion pictures. Comparable to Strings Attached's film/TV scoring and orchestration services, though targeting A-list Hollywood productions rather than Dutch pop and European TV.
• Bleeding Fingers Music: Hans Zimmer-affiliated film and TV scoring studio. Comparable to Strings Attached's orchestration and scoring offering for visual media, though operating at substantially larger scale with a roster of composers and orchestral arrangers.

Emerging players

• AirGigs: Online marketplace connecting music producers with session musicians and mixing/mastering engineers globally. Comparable to Strings Attached in delivering session musician services to remote clients, but operating as an aggregator platform rather than as a personal studio brand.

Broad incumbents

• Abbey Road Studios: Iconic London recording studio providing orchestral recording, scoring and production services. Comparable to Strings Attached on the orchestral recording and film scoring dimensions, but as a broad incumbent offering a full portfolio of services beyond string arranging.
• AIR Studios (Lyndhurst Hall): Legendary London recording facility offering orchestral recording, mixing and mastering services to film/TV and pop clients. Comparable as a recording-and-orchestration services provider, though operating as a broad incumbent facility rather than a niche single-operator specialist.
• Spitfire Audio: Leading UK developer of high-end orchestral sample libraries used by composers and producers worldwide. Comparable as it shapes the demand for orchestral content but competes as a substitute technology rather than a service provider — its quality improvements directly affect Strings Attached's addressable market.
• Real World Studios: Peter Gabriel-founded residential recording facility in the UK offering orchestral and ensemble recording services. Comparable on orchestral recording for pop/film clients, but broader in scope (residential, mixing, mastering) and larger in scale.
• EastWest Sounds: Long-established developer of orchestral sample libraries and virtual instruments used by film composers and producers. Comparable as a substitute offering for human orchestral arranging in lower-budget contexts, putting structural pressure on the human-arranger market Strings Attached serves.

Others

• Native Instruments: Major developer of music production software, virtual instruments and sample libraries. Comparable as an enabler of the broader music production ecosystem in which Strings Attached operates, but is not a direct competitor for bespoke human orchestration services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/FrankvanEssen
• Facebookfacebook.com/ftvessen
• Instagraminstagram.com/frank_vanessen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strings-attached

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Strings Attached