London’s world-f amous AIR Studios is up for sale. Founded by the late Sir George Martin in 1969, the studio, which has been located inside a converted church in Hampstead, North London since 1991, has hosted some of the biggest names in music from Sir Paul McCartney and Adele to David Gilmour, George Michael, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Liam Gallagher, and U2.
Of the forthcoming sale, co-owner Richard Boote said: “The sale of AIR Studios is a significant moment in the history of the music industry. Some of the most legendary soundtracks and records of the 20th and 21st century have been recorded at AIR and we know that there is still scope to expand and grow the business further.”
The facility’s hexagonal shaped 300m live room has made it a popular destination for film composers and Hollywood studios. Scores for Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Wonder Woman, Justice League and Alien Covenantwere all recorded at AIR Studios.
In a statement made to Billboard, co-owner Paul Woolf added: “We have survived primarily because what we do, we do extremely well. It’s like most things that are high quality. We’re not looking to rack ‘em, stack ‘em and pack ‘em. That’s not our approach. The business is great. It’s very solid. We have very loyal clients and we’re very grateful.
“We’re not corporate in how we run it and we’re very conscious of finding someone who buys into that and supports the staff. We’ve got probably the best tech team in the U.K., so we want them looked after and we want [the buyer] to take AIR onto the next step. To look at opportunities to develop and grow the place and treasure its history and heritage.”