Want to book a session?

Levy Mhlongo

Want to know how to book your spot in one of the fantastically refurbished studios at The Downtown Music Hub?

This is your man. Levy Mhlongo.

International Faces

Nevermind our locally bred talent ... did you know that some international artists and acts have recorded here at Downtown Studios over the years too?

Check out who ...

U2

The Awesome SSL Duality ... the New Studio Standard

It's just a few more weeks before the SSL Duality will be fully installed and operational in Studio One at the legendary Downtown Studios. 

With over 200 consoles sold, Duality has firmly established itself as the finest music console money can buy, and provided a new industry standard for professional audio production.

Akin to previous generations of classic SSL consoles, Duality achieves success by enabling engineers and producers to work quickly and ergonomically, as well as delivering superior sonic results. Duality’s innovative hybrid approach has found many fans, by combining a traditional analogue path and signal processing along with exceptional DAW control, all within a single hardware surface.

The Upgraded Equipment

Downtown Studios at 62 Goud Street, Johannesburg

As you all know, Downtown Studios at 62 Goud Street has undergone a major refurbishment, overhauling its studios.

This is the upgraded equipment available to you in each studio.

Out With the Old, In With the New

by Paul Martin

The hole in the wall that the Solid State Logic 4000G exited through 

Well, we tossed a thoroughly used Solid State Logic 4000G through the first story window (literally!) and thanks to the negotiations by our board of directors, we were blessed with a new one… a better one.

Meet the Downtown Music Hub Board Members

Don Laka
Don Laka is Chairperson of The Downtown Music Hub board. He is an entrepreneur and was also one of the first black people to own a fully-fledged record company and recording studio. He is the only qualified mixing and mastering engineer on the SADC region.

Nothemba Mlonzi
Nothemba Mlonzi is the Deputy Chairperson of the board. She is a lawyer by profession and has been an acting judge of the High Court. She is currently an entrepreneur.

Yvonne Mhinga
Fondly known as Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Yvonne Mhinga is a musician, businesswoman and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.

Oupa Lebogo
Oupa  Lebogo is a producer, the former Secretary General of the Creative Workers Union of South Africa, a songwriter and the Vice President of the Federation of International Musicians Chair.

Lindumizi Mngoma
Lindumizi Mngoma is a musician with a special focus on choral music.

Mandla Maseko
Mandla Maseko is a qualified arts projects management specialist. He is also the Managing Director of Black Eagle Sound cc, the Deputy Chairperson of the Association of Independent Record Companies, the former Treasurer of Moshito Conference and Exhibitions, and is currently a member of the Music Industry Federation of South Africa.

Greg Moloka
Greg Moloka is the Station Manager at Kaya FM.

Win R10 000 worth of studio time at The Downtown Studios

Legendary Studio 1, where some of SA’s great musos have recorded, will be made available for three young artists in June 2014. 

Two lock-outs - that is two full day sessions with a fully trained sound engineer - are worth R10 000 and these new artists will be given full access to the new sound decks, refurbished to the value of R3 million. 

Email your music portfolio to darryl@dtmh.co.za by 17 June 2014 to stand a chance to win your lock-out at one of SA’s most legendary recording music hubs.

Welcome to Downtown Studios

Downtown Studios has a long, rich history in the African music landscape. The Department of Arts and Culture, having met with artists and various stakeholders in the industry realised that access to good quality recording studios is difficult for many South African artists to come by. And so when Gallo decided to stop the recording side of their business and sell the Downtown Studios, the Department of Arts and Culture snapped them up.

"The Downtown Studios are a historical landmark, a heritage site and have an important story to tell about South African music history," says Chola Makgamathe, CEO of the The Downtown Music Hub. 

When the Department purchased the studios, and the Fox Street building, they created the Downtown Music Hub. The purpose of the Hub is to create access and economic opportunities for all the music role players, to develop musicians, establish state-of -the-art recording, manufacturing and distribution facilities and create a competitive advantage for the local music sector in the global market. An inaugural board was appointed, made up of people from highly esteemed members music financial and legal sectors, tasked with managing the Hub.

"South African artists have a problem," says Chola. "First with accessing good quality facilities, and when they actually do, they have major problems with accessing post-production that enables them to send quality products to the market".