The studio was established in Los Angeles by Chicago transplant Putnam in 1957, with funding from Sinatra and Bing Crosby. The space was named one of the “7 Audio Wonders of the World” by the Audio Engineering Society in 2020 and its collection of top-tier equipment is the stuff of legend. This is a sad turn for United Recording Studios, whose state-of-the-art, acoustically treated rooms are as much part of a record’s sound as its creators. The report made note of the studio’s significant role in “Record Companies Come to Hollywood,” and heralded its founder, Bill Putnam as a “pioneering recording producer.” The City of Los Angeles conducted its own Historic Resources Survey Report of the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan Area in January 2020, which included United Recording Studios. In 2017, Hudson applied to move the studio, demolish the remaining structures and build multiple high-rise buildings in their place, the Los Angeles Times reports. In fact, Hudson owns the Sunset Gower lot where United Recording is located. By that same token, the cultural and historical value of United Recording Studios is of far less importance than the well-appointed land the building sits on. This type of lucrative return is very attractive for a company whose main source of profit is real estate rather than creative arts. Instead, Hudson’s plan for “strengthening the studio’s financial position” in order to keep its “heritage intact” is to rent out the studio for film shoots and special events.Įarlier this year, the studio was used to record Jack Harlow’s Super Bowl Doritos commercial, which must have commanded a strong rental fee - presumably significantly more than a music recording session would generate, in a much shorter period and with minimal professional on-site staff. The reason for these policy changes is United Recordings’ current owners, real estate investment company Hudson Pacific Properties, laid off almost the entirety of the studio staff on March 6, as per the Los Angeles Times.
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