Women-Owned and Led Studios, Sound Companies, and Services

Studios

---

Arizona

---

Five Thirteen Studios Phoenix, AZ

CATHERINE VERICOLLI: Owner, engineer, manager, and the one who will most likely talk to you about scheduling, rates, and whatever other questions you may have about booking a project at Fivethirteen. Catherine has headed all console installations and outboard wiring since the studio’s first console and 2″ machine in 2006, and is more or less an analog purist. She also co-edits pinknoisemag.com and teaches a few classes at The Conservatory Of Recording Arts and Sciences in her spare time, if you believe in things like ‘spare time.’

Australia

---

Thomas Henry Reid Music Foundation, Inc. – Tasmania

(THRMF) is a non-profit professional mixing, recording and mastering studio for females. THRMF aim is to address the gender imbalance in the field of sound engineering by empowering, building confidence, encouraging and supporting musically professional females in the art of sound engineering; by addressing a range of barriers girls and women experience in the audio industry. Through nurturing the female artist talents to allow them to be empowered in the production of their own and others’ music.

Germany

---

Queer Ear Mastering – Berlin

We are Tara Transitory and Nguyễn Baly, we started Queer Ear Mastering from the necessity to create a safer space for female and queer artists to get their music mastered, though we are not exclusive and everyone is welcome. Our expertise covers a wide variety of styles from eclectic pop to soul, traditional, experimental, electronic, electroacoustic, and most other things in between this wide spectrum. Genres aside, what is essential in our practice is to assist artists in materializing their sonic imaginations. We have been finalizing sound for Vinyl, CD, Digital Release, Performance, Installation and Film since 2007 before opening up our services to the public in 2019. In addition to mastering, we also provide dramaturgical consultation for music for installation, stage and film as well as technical services such as reel-to-reel/cassette to digital transfers and vinyl test pressings.

Canada

---

imaginit music – Toronto

Canadian owned and operated company that believes music creation, production and performance contribute to the well-being of all. The epicenter is a coach house studio in Toronto, Canada – a unique environment for writing, recording, rehearsing and studying music from around the world. Founder/Director Lisa Patterson custom designs on-site studio services to meet individual needs of artists, songwriters and performers, as well as off-site curation and moderation for music industry organizations. imaginit music is committed to humanitarian work through it’s initiative ‘The Citizen Suitcase Arts for Refugees’.

---

California

---

Planetwood Studios – Los Angeles

CATHARINE WOOD, Owner/Producer at Planetwood Studios, LLC has engineered on over 500 commercially released songs – including her own custom compositions which have aired on NBC, ABC, BBC, ESPN and more – both nationally and abroad. With professional isolation & control rooms – live drums, piano, string, vocal recording + in-the-box production, Los Angeles-based Planetwood Studios offers services for music recording, mixing and mastering, custom composition, audio post mixing and more.

Amaculent – Los Angeles

Owner and Operator Ali McGuire is a producer, recording and mix engineer. Ali offers services for Recording, Mixing, Mastering, Vocal Editing, and Production.

 

Deane Creative – Los Angeles

Shannon Deane is a Los Angeles-based audio engineer, specializing in sound design/editing/mixing for film, TV, web content and more. Originally from Austin, TX, she attended The University of Texas, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Radio-Television-Film with a concentration in Audio Production. More than 15 years experience in audio post production, and 20 years experience in music performance, recording and composition.

Noctvrnal  Los Angeles.

Co-founders Helena McGill and Anna Wozniewicz are visual storytellers with a background in sound design for narrative film. After noticing a lack of female entrepreneurs in audio production, the duo decided to launch Noctvrnal in January 2017 and have since expanded into the XR and immersive tech space.

Noctvrnal is bringing immersive sound design to the forefront of virtual and augmented reality by pushing the boundaries of current techniques to create a more visceral experience. The team is passionate about creating new worlds through sound, and their work has been featured at MIT, USC, and VRLA.

 

Neato Mastering – Infrasonic Sound

Oakland, CA and Nashville

Piper Payne is the owner and chief engineer of Neato Mastering. Piper has mastered music for many artists, including Madame Gandhi, Geographer, Kat Robichaud, ANML, Elletrodomestico (Jane Wiedlin/Go-Go’s), Sioux City Kid, Battlehooch, Psychic Twin, Mars Today, Fritz Montana, Tumbleweed Wanderers, The She’s, Pine & Battery, Beautiful Machines, Headlander (video game), Emily Afton, Alexis Harte, Deer Park Avenue, Abbot Kinney, American Lions, Alta View, Bed., Travis Hayes, Vela Eyes, Higuera, Hundredth, New Diplomat, Brendan McCreary, Crashing Hotels, Eagle Wolf Snake, Moetar, Bad Form, Gardens, The Boys After, Sabertooth Zombie, Makeunder, MC Rai, Gay Paris, Real Numbers, Shawna Virago.

4th Street Recording – Santa Monica

4th Street Recording celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014, it also celebrates a newly installed vintage API console, and its 12th RIAA Gold/Platinum award with The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather.” Ownd and Operated by Kathleen Wirt.

4th Street Recording feels like a cozy home in a friendly little beach town, but offers all the big city benefits of Santa Monica’s Bayside District, simply put, 4th Street Recording is a good place to stay for a long time. And, as the staff will advise, “If you don’t take a walk down to the ocean at sunset, you’re not using the full facility. SoundGirls Members receive a discount. Check Member Benefits for details.

Women’s Audio Mission – San Francisco

The studio has a vast collection of amazing audio gear and microphones and has previously hosted projects by Alanis Morrissette, R.E.M., Timbaland, and Radiohead. WAM’s unique studio is home to a rigorous internship and training environment that cultivates women recording engineers and producers and provides a low-cost, high-quality recording environment for independent artists.

Kentucky

---

Nitrosonic Studios – Lexington

Boasting newly constructed studios at a convenient downtown location, state of the art recording gear, 3 professionally tuned drum kits, and a 50’x20′ live room with a sound beyond description, Nitrosonic Studios is more ready than ever to help take your project from idea to mastered songs.

NitrosonicStudios.com
NitrosonicMasteringHouse.com

April Edwards – Owner/Lead Mix Engineer
Danielle Barkman – Owner/Lead Mastering Engineer
Leah Arrington – Owner/Session Artist
Abbi Buettner – Studio Manager

La La Land – Louisville

La Land is an analog/digital based recording studio in Louisville, Kentucky built around a 40 channel vintage Trident TSM40 board (originally built for the famed Record Plant in Sausalito, CA). With a full array of classic analog gear and with a 2500 square foot tracking room with 3 isolation booths, it’s a perfect environment to create, explore, and record any dream album. The studio has been a creative home to national acts and regional acts over the last 7 years.

Anne Gauthier is the Head Engineer and Studio Manager

​La La Land is within a few hours drive from Chicago IL, Nashville TN, Cincinnati OH, and Bloomington IN.

---

Michigan

---

Motor City Woman Studios – Detroit

Motor City Woman Studios is woman-owned and Black-owned. We specialized in the production of podcasts, voiceovers and audiobooks. We also offer “pop-up studio” services which include audio and video livestream and recording from remote locations.

Nevada

---

Cat Alley Studios – Las Vegas

Cat Alley Studios is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental and vocal music.

Co-Ownded by Maya Sprouse Ferreira is the co-owner and co-founder of the Las Vegas based studio, Cat Alley Studios. Maya has worked in various areas of the music and entertainment industry from PR to symphonic conducting. With a BA from Paul McCartney’s school in Liverpool, and a MM from Berklee College of Music, after initially starting a DMA degree in conducting, Maya’s path changed focus and turned instead to where their passion truly lies: music technology.

New York

---

23db Productions – New York

Fela Davis co-founded 23db Productions with Denis Orynbekov

Studio Divine – Ashland, OR

Owner Sylvia Massy is as famous for her radical recording techniques as she is for her award-winning projects with Johnny Cash, Tool, System of a Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince and others. And in pro audio’s great tradition of mentoring, Massy often shares her techniques and experiences via a lively social media presence, industry events, her book Recording Unhinged, and her former “Gear Stories” column in Mix.

Bread Truck Audio –  Portland, OR

Pennsylvania

---

Blue Honey Studios – Philadelphia

Owned and operated inside of the South Philly residence of Beth Langley and Tiffany Teich. Both hold Bachelors Degrees of Science in Show Production and Touring as well as an Associates in Recording Arts from Full Sail University. Blue Honey Studios is made to be a creative space for local artists and musicians to create, collaborate, learn, and have a dope time. We offer a studio/creative space, recording equipment and software, production, mixing, recording, and free hang time with our 1 year old Lab mix, Blue. Our rates are designed to keep our space available to any artist struggling or not. This studio was created by women with the intention to give other women the opportunity to make music in a place they feel they can create to the best of their ability.

Puerto Rico

---

LION LIGHT MUSIC

Recording, Mixing and Mastering Music studio that supports inclusivity and non-violence.
Jessica De Leon owns and operates Lion Light Music and is the founder of Comparte tu Luz a non-profit organization that focuses on using music and art to inspire a positive social change. Provides workshops, create artistic social media content and community projects.

---

Tennessee

---

 

Neato Mastering – Infrasonic Sound

Oakland, CA and Nashville

Piper Payne is the owner and chief engineer of Neato Mastering. Piper has mastered music for many artists, including Madame Gandhi, Geographer, Kat Robichaud, ANML, Elletrodomestico (Jane Wiedlin/Go-Go’s), Sioux City Kid, Battlehooch, Psychic Twin, Mars Today, Fritz Montana, Tumbleweed Wanderers, The She’s, Pine & Battery, Beautiful Machines, Headlander (video game), Emily Afton, Alexis Harte, Deer Park Avenue, Abbot Kinney, American Lions, Alta View, Bed., Travis Hayes, Vela Eyes, Higuera, Hundredth, New Diplomat, Brendan McCreary, Crashing Hotels, Eagle Wolf Snake, Moetar, Bad Form, Gardens, The Boys After, Sabertooth Zombie, Makeunder, MC Rai, Gay Paris, Real Numbers, Shawna Virago.

Washington

---

Cedar House Audio Productions Seattle 

We bring a combined 30+ years audio production experience to every project we produce. Co-Owned by Suzie Brutke-Smurdon and Lyssa Browne . Cedar House Audio Productions specializes in the Spoken Word.  Whether it’s an audiobook, an audio tour, a podcast, voices for video games, or any other kind of Spoken Word audio; we translate your story from the page to the listening ears of the world.

Resonant Mastering – Seattle

Rachel Field is co-owner and Mastering Engineer at Resonant Mastering in Seattle. She works on all genres, and with a wide variety of  local and international artists including Whitney Mongé, Fauna Shade, Old Coast, Jericho Hill, Ryme, The Fucking Eagles, and Anomie Belle. Resonant Mastering utilizes top flight mastering-specific analog gear and outboard digital processing for a variety of possible results. Resonant Mastering is co-owned by Rachel Field and Ed Brooks.

United Kingdom

---

Black Saloon – London

Mandy Parnell’s mastering studio. This is a studio with unrivaled experience in the art of mastering great music! Her 24 years of experience have allowed her to discover and develop her philosophies in analogue and digital audio while working with an amazing array of artists.

She has been nominated and won numerous awards, Grammy, Tech Awards, MPG and various others. She is also an active member of the AES, Grammys, APRS, and MPG, and lectures on mastering and the music industry across the globe.

Palm Bay Music – Ramsgate

Palm Bay Music is an independent record label, music publisher and recording studio located in Ramsgate. The experienced team have worked within the music industry on both sides as artists, writers, producers and engineers. This has given us a fresh perspective and inspired us to do things in a new way. We believe freedom, creativity and transparency are essential to the future of nurturing new talent.

Established in 2018 after founders Rhiannon Mair and Kimberly Anne moved to the Kent Coast to build a musical sea side escape.

LJ Studios – Surrey

LJ studios is a full service audio post production facility covering everything from dialogue and sound effects editing, sound design, foley and voice over recording, music composition and arranging through to final mix and deliverables. Owned and operated by Lucy J. Mitchell a freelance sound editor and dubbing mixer. Lucy is experienced in dialogue, sfx & foley editing, ADR & Voice Over recording and full post mixing. Credits include BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ and ‘EastEnders’, Amazon Prime’s ‘The Collection’ and National Geographic’s ‘David Attenborough’s Rise of the Animals’. I have Protools 12, iZotope’s RX4 Advanced & an extensive sound effects library.

Katie Tavini Mastering

Katie Tavini is a mastering engineer from Manchester, working in Brighton. Katie began working as a producer and engineer in 2009 before a piece of advice changed everything for her. “I was looking to improve my mixes,” she recalls. “Someone told me that if I wanted to do that I should learn to master. Whether it was good advice or not I took it. I loved what I discovered and never looked back.” Mastering clients have included Decca Records, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Abi Wade and Sonic Boom Six. As well as working as a mastering engineer, Katie also hosts Red Bull’s Normal Not Novelty engineering workshops, and has a monthly column in Pro Sound News Europe.

Okno VR London & Sao Paulo

Okno VR is a production company for film, video and virtual reality with offices in London and São Paulo. Relying in 14 years of experience in film and video and 5 years in Virtual Reality, Okno VR applies storytelling sophisticated techniques to create special experiences for its clients and spectators, being in adds, institutional videos, documentaries, fiction or Virtual Reality. Within its team, Okno VR can rely in highly capable professionals in both cities where runs offices, alloying the same result wherever in the world it is operating.

Beyond developing whole films, Okno VR offers specific parts of filmmaking: color correction in HDR, post production, audio post production and podcast. Okno VR is always ready to transform your needs and ideas into amazing pieces.

Arianny Canepa is a director, producer, writer and audio specialist. Graduated in film and television in the London College of Communication, has credits in many featured films. Since 2013 she develops content in VR360. Her skills in VR include stitching, recording, post production, binaural sound, spatial audio, recording and audio mapping for 360 environments.

Wisconsin

---

Audio for the Arts – Madison

A full-service recording and audio production company offering audio expertise and friendly, professional services to a wide variety of clients. Co-Owned by AudreyMartinovich. Audrey’s interest in recording was sparked from her time spent training as a soprano opera singer who, through experimenting with recording voice lessons, fell in love with engineering. Most of her initial experience was gained running sound for local bands and working with directors on sound design and film-scoring projects. Clients include TDS Telecom, Comedy Central, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, and The Nursery Movie.

---

Sound Companies and Event Services

---

 

B4 Media Productions – Orlando, FL

B4 Media Productions is owned and operated by Beckie Campbell. B4 Media Productions provides audio, video, lighting, production management, stage management, technical directing, crews, and training.

 

Western Audio Engineering – New Zealand

Western Audio offers professional live sound production services for all sizes of events and tours. Established in 1993, Western Audio is 100% locally owned and operated. Whether it is music, theatre, festival, sporting, or corporate we have the experience to help you achieve your goal. Western Audio is the leading d&b audiotechnik rental partner in New Zealand. Western Audio is co-owned by Andy Craig , Richard McMenamin, and Gil Craig

Gil Eva Craig is an independent Audio Engineer and Music Producer working in professional audio for the last 18 years. Gil got her start as a recording engineer in 1996 and still owns and operates her own mixing and production studio, The Secret Beehive. She has co-produced an album with Charlotte Yates and has done sound design and written original music for several theatre productions. Her passion though, is live sound, and she currently is the FoH Engineer for The Wellington Ukulele Orchestra and works for the family business, Western Audio Engineering.

Indigo Productions – Buffalo, New York

Live Event Production Company Since 1978 Providing staging, lights, sound, video, lasers and more.

Kathleen A. Cross began producing and directing theatrical productions. Eventually Kathy and husband Joe would take the show on the road touring the east coast with shows like A Christmas Carol, Miracle Worker and Cinderella. The demand for event technology grew until it eventually became the sole focus of the business. Today, 40 years later, Indigo Productions provides the best in live events sound, lighting, video, staging equipment and service out of  Buffalo NY.

IMS Technology Services – Garnet Valley, PA 

IMS Technology Services is a woman-owned business, originally founded in 1994 as IMS, Inc. by Jill and John Renninger. Our exceptional team of AV and IT professionals has enabled our company to experience substantial growth and profitability every single year we have been in existence – a testament to the lasting value we provide to our clients and our team of AV/IT professionals. IMS Technology Services recently deployed an all-Women AV and production crew for an event. 

 

I am the Phoenix Collective  – Los Angeles

I am the Phoenix Collective provides cost-effective staffing solutions for all aspects of the entertainment industry throughout the greater Los Angeles area and parts of Central California. Our company provides professional, hard-working, and knowledgeable staff for events such as special events, corporate gatherings, concerts, festivals, and more.  We know our team’s skillsets well and will place them in the appropriate positions as requested by you. Founded and Operated by Loanne Wullaert

 

Kaleidoscope Productions – Denver

Owned by Carrie Ridgway Kaleidoscope Productions specializes in audio, lighting, video, backline and staging for concerts, festivals, corporate parties, non-profit fundraisers, and other events throughout Colorado.

 

Smart and Savvy Travel

We are a dedicated and professional team of travel consultants specializing in creating comprehensive travel plans for entertainment group tours, business trips, and around-the-world excursions. Having visited more than 80 countries between us, we apply our knowledge and experience to your business and leisure travels to tailor the perfect itinerary just for you. We are SMART & SAVVY. Owned and Operated by Molly Williams.

Easy Partners – New York

Easy Partners specializes in merchandise and apparel for musicians, bands, artists, creators, and other entertainment properties. Years of experience in the industry combined with our love of music, shows, and interesting people have given us all the tools we need to build one awesome space station for our crew.

Cathy Cleghorn has a 30+ year career that includes promoting live entertainment events, accounting on tours, facilitating merchandise sales on world tours, creative art director at a major music merchandise company to founding a global merchandise company. Cathy has worked with a variety of clients like Deborah Harry/Blondie, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, David Bowie, Neil Young, Ferrari/F1, The Rolling Stones, Cirque du Soleil, and The Tragically Hip, to name a few.

Kimberley Bierley started in the concert industry during college, selling tees in various venues around NYC. Her first tour was Pearl Jam in 1998.  After touring globally for many years, her first full exposure to licensing and product development was as Account Director for The Rolling Stones “Bigger Bang” tour, managing all Stones merchandise development until the conclusion of the “Bigger Bang” cycle.  Kimberley has continued to focus on independent special projects for example; The Flight of the Conchords, the Broadway show Fela!, Monsters of Folk and with Easy Partners.

 

The Pretty Cult – Los Angeles

A woman operated screen printing shop that works side by side with a woman printer with low minimums and screen fees. Arielle handles everything from tshirts, totes, bandanas, sweatshirts, and bomber jackets. When Arielle Salsa aka Satan’s Seamstress isn’t sewing up a storm she’s booking shows. With a background and strong love for music, going to shows is as deeply routed in her life as is sewing and creating. For years now Satan’s Seamstress has been booking bands, hosting stages, putting on and presenting shows.

Stone Dog Studios – New Jersey

StoneDog Studios is a design and fabrication scene shop providing creative solutions for film, television, theater, photography, exhibits and marketing events since 2008. We are one of the few woman-owned and operated scene shops, providing premiere production design and set / prop fabrication.

We are a collection of creatives who have worked in the industry for a 20+ years. We are also moms. Hardworking, creative moms with a no nonsense approach to business. We multitask like no other and we make sure our clients’ needs are met. We take care of what is keeping you up at night so you don’t have to. We seriously love a challenge, the more ludicrous the better.

Rebelle Road – Los Angeles

Showcasing “California Country” artists while supporting the growing network of Americana performers from around the country. Creating parity and equity for female artists among the performers in every aspect of our programming, including honoring “rebelle” women who’ve paved the way. Co-Founders are Karen Rappaport McHugh, KP Hawthorn, and Adrienne Isom.

Pro Audio & Music Stores and Lines

Manley

Under the leadership and vision of EveAnna Manley, Manley Labs has created and built some of the finest studio equipment (and high-end home audio components) over the last two decades. Studios across the world count on their mostly tube-based EQs, compressors, microphones, preamps, mixers, and more.

Seymour Duncan

For the past 35 years, Carter Duncan has overseen tremendous growth with Seymour Duncan from humble beginnings as a two-person operation, to becoming one of the world’s premier pickup and effect manufacturers.

Bluedog Guitars – Vancouver

Shocked to discover that there were no local guitar shops focused on really great sounding acoustic guitars – in the entire province! High-end hand-built guitars were impossible to find. Jenn Ladd owner and Paul Haggis spent nine months travelling around the Western United States, visiting local guitar shops, meeting guitar builders and attending the NAMM Show.  When they returned, the opened Bluedog Guitars. Bluedog Guitars has been the awarded the NAMM Top 100 Music Retailers Award five years in a row!

Fanny’s House of Music – Nashville

Walk into Fanny’s House of Music in East Nashville, and you’ll see women. Women teaching music lessons. Women selling strings and picks, guitars, basses, amplifiers and straps and banjos and mandolins and lots more. The walls are filled with pictures of women who have made a life in music, from Nashville icon Emmylou Harris to gospel stomper and early rock ‘n’ roll influence Sister Rosetta Tharpe to contemporary sales queen Taylor Swift. Owned by Pamela Cole and Leigh Maples.

Music Magazines and Zines

Tom Tom Magazine

The only magazine in the world dedicated to female drummers. We are a 74 page full color quarterly print magazine, website, social media community, academy and more. Tom Tom serves as the ultimate go-to guide for the latest information about girl drummers and beat makers around the globe. We seek to raise awareness about female percussionists from all over the world and hope to inspire women and girls of all ages to drum, all while strengthening and building the community of otherwise fragmented female musicians. We cover drummers of all ages, races, styles, skill level, sexualities, body size and notoriety. We are also a proud producer and creator of the Hit Like a Girl Contest: the only contest for female drummers in the world.

She Shreds Magazine

The world’s only print publication dedicated to women guitarists and bassists. We strive to change the way women guitarists and bassists are depicted and presented in the music industry and popular culture by creating a platform where people can listen, see and experience what it means to be a woman who shreds. Our goal is to transcend boundaries like gender and genre—supporting radicalism, respect and revolution.

WOMEN IN SOUND

IS A PRINT ZINE DEDICATED TO WOMEN, QUEER AND TRANS* PEOPLE IN LIVE AND RECORDED SOUND.

 

Guitar Girl Magazine

Guitar Girl Magazine is an ezine dedicated to encouraging and promoting female guitarists and the fans that love them. With a combination of relevant music industry news, guitar gear reviews, fun rock lifestyle finds, insider tips and advice, and special features and events, Guitar Girl Magazine strives to provide content that informs, entertains and engages our readers on a regular basis.

Launched in April 2012 by Tara Low with the goal to create a community for female musicians where they can band together and help support, promote and empower women in music, the ezine continues to grow every year.

 

If you would like your business added to this directory please email us at soundgirls@soundgirls.org