What Blackhill Studios does

Blackhill Studios is a single-site, founder-operated recording studio based in Southampton, United Kingdom, established in 2016 by Tom Gibson. It delivers professional audio services across four integrated lines: recording and voiceovers, production and songwriting, mixing and mastering, and artist development/tuition. The studio serves primarily independent musicians, singer-songwriters, and bands in the Southampton area, alongside media clients (BBC, Channel 4, History Hit via Dan Snow, Southpoint Films) requiring broadcast-quality voiceover and production work, and a small base of home recordists seeking professional polish on specific elements.

The facility is built around a custom acoustically treated live and vocal room, combined with a curated hybrid of vintage and modern equipment — Paul Reed Smith, Gibson and Fender guitars; Roland SH101, JX3P and Juno-106 hardware synths; Audient, Universal Audio and Mackie outboard; and a software stack led by Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, Native Instruments Komplete Ultimate 10 and Waves plugins. Differentiated service features include a live E-mix streaming capability that lets remote clients participate in mixing in real time, a partnership with Lathe to the Grave offering free vinyl with full-day sessions, and an artist development programme that extends beyond production into industry mentoring.

Commercially, Blackhill operates as a project-based professional services business with direct-to-consumer sales (phone, email, contact form, in-person consultation) and remote mixing/mastering delivered globally. Pricing is quote-based with deposits required upfront for studio sessions and an hourly rate of £25 for mix tweaks. The company is registered as Blackhill Studios Limited (UK private limited company), is entirely founder-owned with no external investment, runs with a small team of 2–5 people including one intern, and is positioned as a community hub within the Southampton music scene through networking events, university/college links, and a referral network of local creative service providers.

Name

Blackhill Studios

Legal name

Blackhill Studios Limited

Website

https://blackhillstudios.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Blackhill Studios is a founder-operated recording studio in Southampton, UK, delivering recording, mixing, mastering, production, songwriting and artist development services to independent musicians, local bands, and select broadcast and media clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recording Studio Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs) (MPAIAHAO), Music Production, Recording & Audio Engineering (EDAMANAH)

Keywords

• Music recording services
• Audio mixing mastering
• Songwriting production
• Artist development
• Voiceover recording

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recording Sessions: Full day recording sessions with deposit upfront to secure booking, balance payable before final day. Mix tweaks and additional work charged at hourly rate.
2. Mixing & Mastering: Remote mixing and mastering services. Payment agreed in advance for mixing work. Prices vary by number of songs, tracks, length, and genre with competitive UK industry pricing and package discounts available.
3. Production & Songwriting: Co-writing and production sessions. Can work with clients at any stage from concept to fully fleshed production. Pre-production sessions offered for larger projects.
4. Artist Development & Tuition: Production tuition offered one-to-one in a working studio environment. Artist development program for artists with potential. Instrument and vocal tutoring referrals.
5. Vinyl Partnership Add-on: Partnership with Lathe to the Grave to offer free vinyl with full day recording sessions. Additional vinyl copies available for purchase through Lathe to the Grave.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Blackhill Studios is a single-location professional recording studio in Southampton offering four interconnected audio production services: Recording & Voiceovers, Production & Songwriting, Mixing & Mastering (with remote live-streamed sessions), and Artist Development & Tuition. The studio provides end-to-end music production from co-writing and demo recording through to radio-ready mixes, masters, and artist career guidance, supported by modern and vintage equipment and an acoustically treated live room.

Product overview

Blackhill Studios is a single-location recording studio in Southampton offering an integrated suite of audio production services. The core offering centers on four interconnected services: Recording & Voiceovers (using custom-built live rooms with industry-standard microphones), Production & Songwriting (co-writing and production from concept to completion), Mixing & Mastering (with live remote streaming capabilities), and Artist Development & Tuition (providing industry guidance and production education). The studio provides additional value through partnerships like the Lathe to the Grave vinyl program and operates with modern/vintage equipment including guitars, microphones, hardware synthesizers, and professional software. Services are available seven days a week with sessions typically running 10am-6pm, with evening/late night options on request.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recording & Voiceovers Professional audio recording service for artists, bands, and voiceover talent, using a custom-built acoustically treated live room with industry-standard microphones to capture high-quality recordings for demos, EPs, albums, and broadcast voiceovers.
• Production & Songwriting Co-writing and production service helping artists develop songs from concept through to fully fleshed-out productions, with experienced songwriters and producers available at any stage of the creative process, including pre-production sessions for larger projects.
• Mixing & Mastering Professional mixing and mastering service that brings recordings to radio-ready quality, including a remote live-streamed E-Mixing option that allows clients anywhere to listen in and send real-time comments during the mix.
• Artist Development & Tuition Artist development program offering creative direction, songwriting guidance, industry understanding, and marketing advice, plus one-to-one production tuition in a working studio environment delivered by a qualified teacher with lecturing experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Radio-ready recordings for demos, EPs, and albums
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lathe to the GraveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2018Partnership with Lathe to the Grave, a vinyl production company, to offer clients a free 7-inch vinyl disc when recording a single in a full day session. Records are lathed rather than pressed with no minimum order, perfect for merch stalls and PledgeMusic campaigns. Every disc is listened to in full during production to ensure quality. Additional vinyl copies can be ordered through Lathe to the Grave.
• The Songwriting AcademycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTom Gibson is a mentor for The Songwriting Academy and regularly teaches courses around the country. Blackhill Studios offers production masterclasses as part of their involvement. The Songwriting Academy is a key referral partner with many industry links.
• Local Session MusiciansminorOthersNetwork of local professional session players who can be brought in for sessions including piano, bass, guitars, violin, cello, analogue synths, or vocals. Organized through the studio when booked.
• Local Creative Service ProvidersminorOthersStrong ties to local photographers, videographers, web designers, managers, and music shops who can help artists in their wider endeavors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rockfield Studios: Independent residential recording studio in Monmouthshire, Wales, founded in1963. Directly comparable to Blackhill as a UK independent studio offering tracking, mixing, production and artist development, though at a much larger and more residential scale.
• Miloco Studios: London-based independent recording studio group operating multiple rooms. Directly comparable as a UK independent studio offering tracking, mixing and production services to indie and signed artists, with a similar services-based model.
• RAK Studios: Long-established independent recording studio in London offering tracking, mixing and production. Comparable as a UK independent studio competing for the same indie and signed-artist recording budgets as Blackhill, though based in a higher-rent central London location.
• Strongroom: Independent recording studio in London offering recording, mixing, mastering and production services. Comparable as a UK independent multi-service studio competing for the same indie and commercial recording and mixing clients as Blackhill.
• Assault & Battery Studios: Independent London recording and mixing studio offering tracking, production and mixing. Directly comparable as a UK independent studio serving indie and signed artists with a similar services and production-led model to Blackhill.
• The Chairworks: Independent recording studio in Castleford, northern England, offering tracking, mixing, mastering and production. Comparable as a UK regional independent studio serving indie artists and labels with a similar service mix to Blackhill.

Broad incumbents

• Metropolis Studios: Large London recording facility offering tracking, mixing and mastering across multiple rooms. Comparable service mix to Blackhill, but at significantly larger scale and with a global commercial roster, positioning it as a broad incumbent in the same category.
• Abbey Road Studios: Iconic London recording studio offering tracking, mixing, mastering and immersive audio. Comparable services portfolio to Blackhill, but at a far larger scale and broader commercial and film/TV client base, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Pure Rehearsal: Rehearsal and pre-production studio linked from Blackhill Studios' own website. Comparable as a Southampton-area creative production service for musicians, but focused on rehearsal rather than full recording/mixing, making it a regional adjacent player.

Others

• The Songwriting Academy: UK songwriting education and mentorship organisation that Tom Gibson teaches with and that drives referral business to Blackhill. Comparable only as an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor, given its education-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BlackhillStudio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClYRjYj2D2z3IbJbDFVfnZg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackhillStudiosUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackhillstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackhill-studios

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 Blackhill Studios