For Subscribers

Analysis January 2026: The plight of UK recording studios

2026-01-02T10:11:00

AIR Studio 1 Control room cr Lee Kirby

An industry body has launched a campaign to help the UK’s recording studios, which have been hard hit by the cost-of-living crisis. What can be done to sustain them?

Recording studios in England are seeking targeted support with business rates in the face of surging operating costs. Unlike music venues, studios are excluded from the government’s 2025–26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief scheme, which offers qualifying businesses a 40 per cent discount on their rates…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.