Austin studios
D157, near Kadamba Market, D Block, Gamma 1, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201308, India
Austin Studios feels less like a conventional soundstage complex and more like a 20-acre playground that was built by musicians, for musicians. It occupies the former site of the city’s municipal airport—runway lights retired, hangars reborn—so rehearsal rooms, scoring stages, mix suites, and lounge patios spread out under the same sky that once guided prop planes. Jagged airplane doors open to reveal cavernous tracking spaces with 40-foot ceilings; the original control-tower glass becomes a skylight over a drum booth. A tarmac that once welcomed pilots now hosts food-trick courtyards between sessions, where producers pedal up on bikes and songwriters trade phone numbers over breakfast tacos at the on-site food-truck, Jettie’s Park.
Inside Hangar C—still branded with 1960s “Follow Me” arrows—two acoustically variable stages (A, 8,600 sq ft; B, 5,200 sq ft) can be reconfigured for full-orchestra film scores, indie-rock albums, or live-to-disc streaming sessions. Cloud walls ride on ceiling tracks so a 110-piece ensemble can be isolated for a Marvel trailer cue at 9am and then torn down for a synth-pop duo by lunch. The heritage Neve 8068 from Ardent Studio, Memphis lives in Stage A alongside an Avid S6; vintage Fairchild 670s and a rack of Pultecs sit beside Pro Tools HDX and 96 kHz Burl converters. In Stage B, a 56-input SSL 9080 offers a contrasting color, while an adjacent machine room keeps the hum away from ribbon mics. Free analog tape is stockpiled—yes, actual 2-inch guarded by a retired TSA fridge—for filmmakers chasing “that La La Land warmth.”
The backlot continues the fun: isolation booths disguise themselves as decommissioned jetways, a greenscreen hangar doubles as an echo chamber, and shipping containers lined with rock-wool become lockout songwriting pods. A vintage C-45 Expeditor fuselage is parked permanently near the carpark; artists climb inside its stripped cabin to capture whispery, in-flight vocal tones. Even the lobby is a museum: flight boards still flip destinations like “Los Angeles/Recording,” luggage conveyor belts now transport guitar cases.
Writing rooms and editorial bays surround the stages in low-slung brick buildings. Each bay is dark-walled, windowed toward the courtyard so creativity feeds off communal energy. Show-South Productions, Friendly Boots, and a dozen boutique managers keep offices on-site, making it common to bump into a Netflix music supervisor beside the espresso cart. For overnight lockouts, fully equipped apartments—old pilot quarters retrofitted with Herman Miller chairs, turntables, and twin XL bunks—let bands move in for a week without leaving the gate.
Six miles from downtown, Austin Studios plugs directly into the city’s bloodstream—free SXSW shuttles terminate here, ACL Fest opening-night parties spill onto its apron, and midnight taco runs trace the old runway lights. Artists leave with more than tracks: they carry stories of a place where Skrillex, Terence Blanchard, Shakey Graves, and an 80-piece mariachi ensemble have all chased the same Texas sunset.
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- Published: August 5, 2025
