Hot Milk Studio is a recording studio in Berlin specializing in live ensemble recording, mixing, mastering and artist-centered production—helping musicians create performances that feel connected, natural and vibrant.
Our favorite recordings aren't built one track at a time—they emerge when musicians connect, listen and perform together. That's the philosophy behind Hot Milk Studio. Every room, sightline and signal path is designed to preserve the energy of real musical interaction. Set in a quiet, forested part of northern Berlin, the studio offers a calm and inspiring retreat where artists can escape distractions, immerse themselves in the creative process and make recordings that feel honest, human and alive.
Our Philosophy →
Most sessions begin like this: musicians arrive and set up their instruments, we set up microphones and test levels, we drink a coffee or two and have breakfast, then we get the headphone mixes up and running. After that, we start tracking!
Visual contact between players
With large windows, our rooms — up to four, including the control room — provide sightlines so that cues can be given and timing stays intact.
Acoustic flexibility
Each of our rooms has its own acoustic signature, so depending on the sound we are trying to achieve, we can go from dry and intimate to ambient and spacious.
Live tracking first and foremost
Whenever possible, we prefer capturing full takes over assembling parts. Although, edits and overdubs have their place, as long as they serve the performance.
Sessions that are focused and fun
We protect the working atmosphere. Decisions get made quickly, but no one is rushed.
Multiple rooms, lots of instruments, natural vibe.
Live Tracking
Multiple rooms with visual contact for honest, full-band takes.
Learn moreJazz & Acoustic
Warm, natural capture for small group jazz, strings, winds, brass and acoustic projects.
Learn moreMixing & Mastering
Mixing and mastering for projects recorded with us or elsewhere.
Learn moreClassical on Location
Concert halls, churches, conservatories — recorded on site with full control.
Learn moreDrum Recordings
Variable acoustics for your drums, from tight and dry to big and ambient — for rock, jazz, pop, and acoustic music.
Learn morePiano Recording
Acoustic piano sessions for classical, jazz and contemporary projects.
Learn moreVocal Recording
Vocal recording with a wide selection of top microphones and top recording chain.
Learn moreVideo Session Production
Live-recorded sessions captured on camera, edited as performance films.
Learn moreOne project we're especially proud of, and three listening rooms grouped by what's on the music stand. Press play — only one player runs at a time.
Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocărlia
When Adrian Raso reunited with Balkan brass powerhouse Fanfare Ciocărlia nearly a decade after their acclaimed first collaboration, the result was a fearless blend of jazz, rockabilly, and brass-driven energy that became The Devil Rides Again.
Listening room
Full-band takes with sightlines between the rooms — rock, jazz, world and beyond.
Listening room
Jazz bands of varying size from 2 to 10 members, recorded, mixed and mastered to reflect the specific sound and intent of each project.
Listening room
Chamber, choral, operatic — captured in the studio and on location across Berlin.
The Matthew Liebeck Quartet — trumpet, piano, double-bass and drums — spent a day at the studio recording live with full sightlines in separate rooms. Almost no overdubs, mostly first and second takes, and Isabelle Schmitz filmed the recording process for the band.
Matthew Liebeck
trumpet
Felix Mross
piano
Ben Lehmann
double bass
Shinichi Nakajima
drums
I'd like to recommend Rob and all the staff at Hot Milk Studio — because they make great records. Use them, they're great.
We came across Hot Milk Studio with a critical sound project and limited time. The service was spectacular, the work exactly what we were aiming for, and we enjoyed the whole experience. I recommend this place with confidence.
Rob Cummings is a total pro. Very dedicated, relaxed and focused on getting the job done. I highly recommend Hot Milk Studio.
Rob Cummings is one of the nicest people I have ever met — with an extraordinary sense of humor and the patience of a saint. He's a real studio expert with deep experience, creative ideas for every situation and an excellent feel for what a project needs. I highly recommend Hot Milk Studio.
Short stories from sessions where the challenge mattered as much as the result.
Recording a Ten-Piece Improvising Jazz Ensemble
The challenge: record Enrico Olivanti's improvising decet in separate rooms with separate headphone mixes. The approach: piano, strings and guitar in the large room, brass and woodwind in the isolation booth, drums and bass in the drum room, singers in the control room. The result: a debut record that sounds just like their thrilling live gigs.
Read the case study →
Recording Opera with Orchestra On Site in Berlin
The challenge: record a full orchestra and operatic soloists for the Dramatic Voices program in Berlin. The approach: Decca tree with spot mics for the orchestra, and an array of six mics for the singers. Since we were also filming the performances, we had our hands full. But by planning thoroughly in advance, we had no unintentional surprises and obtained excellent results.
Read the case study →
Most projects start with a conversation — about the music, the players, the sound you'd like to hear back and your goals with the production.
We start by understanding the music, the players and the sound you're after.
We map the room setup, instrumentation and timeline to fit the project.
Calm, focused tracking with the ensemble together in the room.
Layering vocals, soloists or additional parts on top of the core takes.
Comping the best performances and tightening the details — musically, not surgically.
Building balance, depth and character so the production feels like a performance.
Final polish, level and translation across streaming, vinyl and broadcast formats.
Stems, masters and assets delivered in the formats your release actually needs.
Hot Milk Studio works on a day-rate basis: €500 per day (plus 19% VAT), with a minimum booking of 2\u00a0hours. For larger projects spanning 3 or more days — typically recording, mixing and mastering scheduled across separate sessions — a project rate of €400 (plus 19% VAT) per day applies. Unattended mixing is priced per song at €350 (plus 19% VAT), covering up to 64 fully edited tracks and two rounds of revisions (price does not include editing and/or vocal tuning). Unattended stereo mastering is priced per song at €50 (plus 19% VAT) with two rounds of revisions. Unattended stem mastering is priced per song at €100 (plus 19% VAT) for up to 8 stems with two rounds of revisions.
Hot Milk Studio is located in Berlin-Buch, in a quiet, forested part of northern Berlin, inside a historic building designed to support focused, distraction-free recording sessions. The address is Schwanebecker Chaussee 5, 13125 Berlin.
Hot Milk Studio specializes in jazz, soul, world music, rock, singer-songwriter and roots music, with a particular strength in live ensemble recording. Classical, choral and operatic projects are also recorded regularly, both in the studio and on location across Berlin.
Hot Milk Studio has four interconnected rooms with visual contact between them, allowing full bands or ensembles of varying size to play together live while each instrument is recorded with acoustic separation.
Yes — live session video is available alongside audio recording, produced through Hot Milk's collaboration with trusted freelance videographers who work regularly at the studio. Audio stays the priority the way it does on every session, with camera work planned around the mic setup rather than the other way round. See Live Session Video Production for the full process.
Yes. Hot Milk Studio works with a network of experienced session musicians, arrangers and composers, giving clients access to some of the most experienced professional musicians in Germany when a project calls for it.
Yes — the studio regularly works with artists and producers well beyond Berlin, from international acts flying in for a project to remote clients sending stems for overdubs or mixing from anywhere in the world. Sessions and communication run in English or German, whichever the project needs.
Hot Milk Studio is run by Robert Cummings, a drummer, producer and engineer with more than 30 years of experience across recording, mixing and mastering, with credits and recommendations from producers including Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads). That background shows up throughout the studio — the drum room and percussion locker in particular reflect a player's perspective as much as an engineer's — and it shapes how every session is run: calm, focused and built around capturing a genuine performance rather than assembling one.
Yes. Hot Milk Studio works with artists at every stage, from a first EP to a full album production, offering the same live-tracking approach, acoustic craftsmanship and hands-on guidance regardless of project size.
Whether it's a finished album, a vague idea, or somewhere in between — we'd like to hear about it. No commitment, no sales pitch. Just a conversation about what you want to make.
