Pirate Studios has raised $20 million in new finding for its growing network of self-serve high tech music studios. Pirate operates 350 studios in 21 locations in London, New York and Berlin, with plans to grow internationally.
The funding will be used to build more music studios in the US and Europe. The round was led by Talis Capital with Talis’ Matus Maar named as a co-founder of the startup.
Pirate Studios offers rehearsal, recording, pre-production and DJ studios. Each includes online booking and 24 hour keycode access.
Many studios also include automated recording and live streaming. Bands and DJs rehearsing in one of them can record, mix and master using built in room mics and inputs. These automated studios can also stream video and audio of the sessions live on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud.
In addition to offering high tech recording and rehearsal space, it’s not hard to imagine some amazing spontaneous collaborations live streamed in the evening and released to Spotify in the morning. Cue, The Pirate Sessions….
“When we founded Pirate Studios our dream was to create innovative spaces to support emerging talent,” said David Borrie, co-founder and CEO of Pirate Studios. “We want to see music thrive and help musicians get their music out to their fans, through whatever route they think is most appropriate. We are building both the physical space to create, as well as the technology to record and share, that puts power back into the hands of musicians in a period when the digitisation of music continues to radically upset the old order of this industry”.