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Music Studios Around New York

New York City is home to a vast array of recording studios, including some of the world’s most famous. The listening public may not know their names, but these studios have been part of the creation of thousands of hit recordings. Several of these New York music studios have particularly storied histories, including Electric Lady Studios, Avatar Studios and MSR Studios.

  1. Electric Lady Studios

    • Electric Lady Studios was built by the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, opening just before his death in 1970. Seeking a casual venue for recording his many jam sessions with musician friends, Hendrix purchased and remodeled the Greenwich Village building that formerly housed the Generation nightclub. Despite Hendrix’s death and other setbacks, Electric Lady has thrived. Many hit records have been recorded within its three studios, totaling many millions of records sold. These include David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” the Cars' “Heartbeat City,” Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” and albums by the Clash, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, the Foo Fighters and a long list of others.

      Electric Lady Studios
      52 W. Eighth St.?
      New York, NY 10011
      (212) 677-4700
      electricladystudios.com

    Avatar Studios

    • The name Avatar Studios may not be familiar, but in its previous incarnation as the Power Station, this studio’s credit can be found on albums by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Cher and many others. Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and many jazz and orchestral recordings were created in this studio. The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant, giving the studio its original name when it was opened in 1977 by producer Tony Bongiovi. In 1996 the studio was purchased by Sony and the name changed to Avatar, but the building and the studios within remain the same.

      Avatar Studios
      441 W. 53rd St.,
      New York, NY 10019
      (212) 765-7500
      avatarstudios.net

    MSR Studios

    • MSR Studios bills itself as “the largest full-service recording facility in New York City.” MSR was created when Manhattan Sound Recording was merged into the 48th Street facilities of Legacy Recording Studios in 2009. In January 2010, the Grammy for best electronic/dance album was awarded to Lady Gaga’s “The Fame,” which was recorded here. Several other MSR recordings were nominated, including songs and albums by John Legend, Common, Liza Minnelli, Neil Young and a duet by Willie Nelson and Norah Jones. The previous year, as Legacy, the studio was a part of Grammy-winning recordings by Al Green, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Mary J. Blige and Ne-Yo, among others.

      MSR Studios
      168 W. 48th St.
      New York, NY 10036
      (212) 944-5770
      msrstudiosny.com

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