Iconic Nashville studios to open their doors to tourists

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Threatened by looming developers and a changing industry, some of Nashville's Music Row recording studios are preparing to formally open their doors to tour groups for the first time.

Ten studios have formed a partnership to work with local tour companies and provide visitors a behind-the-scenes look at where Nashville's music is made, The Tennessean reported (http://tnne.ws/2blF5n1).

The tours will create a new revenue stream for commercial recording studios, which have been struggling in recent years as home-based recording has grown in terms of both quality and cost effectiveness.

Music Row has long been home to an eclectic mix of recording studios, record label buildings, publishing houses and music industry office space. But its location just southeast of downtown has also made it a prime target for development, with high-end condo developments springing up in the area in recent years.

"One of our primary goals is the new source of revenue for the studios," said Carolyn Brackett, senior field officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The other is to add an experience for visitors to Nashville that hasn't been available before, which is to get inside and see how the music is made."

Tour companies in the past used personal relationships to occasionally get access to recording studios, but there's never been a formal offering, said Dave Kinney, president of All in One Destinations, one of the participating tour companies.

It is unclear when the tours will begin, but Kinney said the studios will be working closely with tour companies to schedule times when each studio will be available.

Studios involved with the partnership include Ocean Way Studios, The Tracking Room, and the Quonset Hut.

The Country Music Hall of Fame already offers tours of the historic RCA Studio B.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com