Image from inside a record studio. Image sourced from Pexels.  

The best-kept secret of budding musicians active in the Boston music scene is but a five minute drive from campus: The Record Co. The non-profit musical conglomerate offers both studio time and rehearsal space—both at astoundingly affordable rates charged by the hour—boasting a brand new building that can be characterized as the exact opposite of dingy.

Here, aspiring artists can record songs, write music, riff and rehearse with fellow musicians, practice their playing or even go as far to pick up and learn a new instrument entirely.

The state-of-the-art facility opened its doors back in January 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The space is a stark contrast to other dim-lit, run-down rehearsal spaces around the city. The individuals behind this creative space spared no expense in building it for all to enjoy.

The technology and recording equipment is the best of the best, as are many of the instruments the non-profit extends to guests willing to play. The recording studios are of A-list quality, and one may say even record-deal worthy.

If any students are interested, but don’t have the necessary equipment, do not worry. The Record Co. has got it covered, inviting visitors to use instruments stored in-house.

The Record Co. boasts a wide selection consisting of, but certainly not limited to, both acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, grand pianos and bass guitars, as well as drum sets—complete with Zildjian cymbals—that are based out of Norwell, MA, upon request.

There are a handful of reasons why The Record Co. is so unique when compared to the other various, and often underwhelming, rehearsal spaces that are sprinkled around the city. For one, consider the fact that the space is adorned with both modern scenery, equipment and technology abound.

This in conjunction with not just offering instruments to the paying musicians, but offering high quality ones at that. On top of providing instruments at large, each and every room is stocked with cables, drum sticks, amplifiers, microphones and anything an aspiring musician may need.

The South Boston studio space specifically stands out because it offers three different size rooms to choose from. It can accommodate both the individual learning an instrument, who wants to play loudly in solitude without bothering their roommates, and the five piece band rehearsing for their next gig.

For the rehearsal spaces, the Record Co. gives musicians the option of practicing in either small, medium or large rooms totaling 15 rehearsal spaces altogether. The cost-by-the-hour for these spaces are $10, $15 and $25 respectively.

For artists looking to turn on the red light, the Massachusetts Ave non-profit has four professional grade recording studios to choose from.

The most massive space is Studio A, which comes out at $130 for a four-hour session. The four hour rate for the slightly smaller Studio B is $100. For the much smaller but still substantial studio spaces C and D, four hours of usage amounts to a flat rate of $65.

Both studios A and B are entirely suitable for recording a full band backed by a drummer, while studios C and D are geared more toward vocal-based recording, computer-based beat making, mixing and mastering.

On top of all this, for $20 an hour, the nonprofit rents out its Community—an upbeat, intimate and condensed kind of conference room where Bostonians at large can gather for meetings, artistic collaboration, leisurely lunches or even homework and study sessions, so there is something for everybody.

The Record Co. is located at 960 Massachusetts Avenue and has free parking. Open everyday of the week save Monday; its hours of operation are from 10am to 11pm.