What Studiomedia Recording does

Studiomedia Recording, also operating as GardenView Sound Studio, is a privately held analog/digital hybrid recording studio located at 1210 Sherman Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, founded in 1980 and managed by Timothy and Scott Steinman. The studio operates from a single facility housing a control room, recording space, office, and cafe, and provides professional recording, mixing, mastering, audio processing, editing, and tuning services across three core service lines: music recording, voice-over recording, and audio post-production (including podcasts, audio books, gaming audio, ADR, and corporate communications). Technical infrastructure centers on a classic Trident 80B analog console paired with Avid Pro Tools Ultimate HDX and a broad plugin ecosystem (Universal Audio, Izotope, Fabfilter, Waves, Plugin Alliance, Celemony), Bowers & Wilkins 803 Diamond monitors with Threshold amplification, and an extensive microphone collection spanning AEA, AKG, Audio-Technica, Blue, Beyer, Electro-Voice, Josephson, Neumann, Royer, Sennheiser, and Shure. Tracking sessions requiring additional space leverage a strategic partnership with Steve Albini's Electrical Audio facility, where the studio houses its Yamaha C7 and Baldwin SF10 grand pianos. Remote recording capabilities are available via Source Connect Pro, Comrex Bric-Link II, and consumer platforms including Zoom, Riverside, Chime, Microsoft Teams, and phone patch.

The business operates on a usage-based hourly billing model with one-hour weekday minimums (two-hour weekday evenings, four-hour weekends), payment due at session end, net-30 terms for credit-approved customers, and credit card payments subject to a 3% processing fee. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and word-of-mouth oriented, anchored by Scott Steinman's four-decade credit list of Chicago jazz musicians, regional theater clients including Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and an SMB-heavy clientele of independent musicians, voice-over talent, home studio owners needing overdubbing, and corporate/media clients requiring post-production. Distribution is direct: phone, email, walk-in, and remote session delivery through Tim Steinman's scheduling function. A new Music Project Bundled rate product is scheduled to launch in summer 2026. The studio has 7 employees, no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue.

The company has operated continuously for over 40 years with no funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or restructuring events disclosed. Customer base is highly fragmented across dozens of named SMB musicians and one enterprise theater client; technology is industry-standard with no proprietary AI/ML capability; and remote infrastructure provides incremental non-local reach beyond the primarily Chicagoland walk-in market.

Name

Studiomedia Recording

Legal name

Studiomedia Recording Company

Website

https://studiomediarecording.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studiomedia Recording (GardenView Sound Studio) is a privately held Evanston, Illinois recording studio founded in 1980, offering music recording, voice-over, and audio post-production services to independent musicians, voice talent, and corporate clients using a hybrid analog/Pro Tools HDX workflow.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recording Studio Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Voiceover Recording & Production (Narration, Promo, Commercial VO) (MPAHAEAK), Remote Recording & Online Session Services (MPAIAHAL), Vocal Production & Coaching (in-studio) (MPAIAHAI)

Keywords

• Audio recording services
• Music production studio
• Voice over recording
• Audio post production
• Mixing mastering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Recording Studio Time: Hourly billing for studio time with minimum booking requirements. Sessions are billed in quarter-hour increments after the first hour. Weekend sessions have higher minimums (4 hours) vs weekdays (1 hour, or 2 hours weekday evenings).
2. Music Production Services: Recording, mixing, mastering, audio processing, editing, and tuning services for musical and vocal performances. Bundled project rates available.
3. Audio Post Production Services: Post-production services including podcast production, audio book mastering, gaming audio, ADR, commercial broadcast, and corporate communications.
4. Voice-Over Recording Services: Professional voice-over recording for broadcast TV/radio, film/video, podcasts, audio books, games, and corporate communications. Both in-studio and remote recording options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Studiomedia Recording operates GardenView Sound Studio, a full-service analog-and-digital hybrid audio recording facility in Evanston, IL serving the Chicagoland area since 1980. The studio provides professional recording, mixing, mastering, voice-over recording, audio post production, ADR, and remote session services for independent musicians, voice-over talent, and corporate/media clients. Operations are managed by Tim and Scott Steinman, with strategic overflow tracking space and instrument access provided through a partnership with Electrical Audio.

Product overview

Studiomedia Recording operates as GardenView Sound Studio, a full-service audio recording facility serving the Chicago area since 1980. The company offers three core service lines: Voiceover Recording Services for broadcast, corporate, and multimedia productions; Audio Post Production for podcasts, audio books, gaming, ADR, and commercial applications; and Music Recording Services including recording, mixing, mastering, and editing. The studio features a Trident 80B analog console, Avid Pro Tools Ultimate HDX, and collaborates with Electrical Audio for additional tracking space. Remote recording capabilities are available through Source Connect Pro and Comrex Bric-Link II integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voiceover Recording Services
• Audio Post Production
• Music Recording Services
• Remote Recording Sessions
• ADR Recording
• Analog to Digital Audio Transfers

Quantifiable outcome

• Professional recordings released on major platforms including Spotify, Bandcamp, Amazon Music, and YouTube

Named customers22 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

Integration14 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Electrical AudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Steve Albini's Electrical Audio facility in Chicago. Studiomedia houses two grand pianos (Yamaha C7 7'6" semi-concert grand and Baldwin 7' SF10) at Electrical Audio. Tracking sessions requiring ample floor space are hosted at Electrical Audio, which offers acoustically excellent rooms and extensive collections of drums, keyboards, guitars, amps, pedals, and specialty instruments. The partnership provides access to additional recording environments and equipment beyond Studiomedia's own facility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Studios: Memphis-based hybrid analog/digital studio with decades of history and a strong artist/reputation-driven booking model. Comparable mid-size boutique facility with similar longevity and engineer-led value proposition.
• Chicago Recording Company: Long-established multi-room recording facility in Chicago offering music, voice-over, and post-production services. Comparable in service mix and Chicago-region client base, though operates at larger scale with multiple rooms.
• Rax Trax Recording Studios: Chicago-based recording studio serving music, voice-over, and broadcast clients with analog and digital capability. Directly comparable regional competitor targeting independent musicians and corporate voiceover work.
• Gravity Studios: Chicago recording facility offering music recording, mixing, and post-production. Comparable regional competitor in the same metropolitan market with overlapping service lines for indie artists and corporate clients.
• Sugar Hill Recording Studios: Houston-based boutique studio with hybrid analog/digital setup and a broad roster of independent and signed artists. Comparable mid-size facility with engineer-driven reputation model and similar genre mix.
• Platinum Sound Recording Studios: Multi-room boutique recording facility offering tracking, mixing, and mastering with a reputation-based booking model. Comparable scale, hybrid workflow, and reliance on engineer relationships for repeat business.
• Paragon Studios: Nashville recording studio known for analog-hybrid workflows and a deep client roster across genres. Comparable in boutique scale, gear profile, and reliance on engineer reputation to drive bookings.
• Electrical Audio: Steve Albini's renowned Chicago recording studio. Direct peer in geographic market and service offering, and also Studiomedia's strategic partner for large tracking sessions, making it the closest comparable for analog-hybrid, project-based recording in the same city.

Broad incumbents

• Sunset Sound: Iconic Hollywood recording complex with multiple rooms and a long history serving major-label and indie artists. Comparable analog-hybrid approach but operates at significantly larger scale and national/international reach.
• Sound City Studios: Historic Los Angeles recording studio known for analog recordings and a deep multi-decade catalog. Comparable analog-hybrid philosophy and longevity, but at broader scale and higher visibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studiomedia-recording

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Studiomedia Recording