The Music Building
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music production |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | 584 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City |
| Website | musicbuilding |
The Music Building is a music rehearsal facility at 584 Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.[1] It is the largest music rehearsal facility in Manhattan with 69 studios on 12 floors that are leased to musicians. It is located near Times Square and allows 24/7 access for musicians. Notable musicians such as Madonna, Interpol, Billy Idol, and Joey Ramone have been tenants at The Music Building.[2] Numerous recordings have taken place at the Music Building by some of the notable tenants.
History
[edit]The Music Building was founded in 1979, originally consisting of two locations; one in Queens and one in Manhattan. The Queens facility served predominantly rap and heavy metal bands, while the Manhattan building attracted punk, rock, and pop artists.[3] In 1996, the Queens building was destroyed by a fire, and the Manhattan location became the sole hub for the city’s rehearsal scene.[2][3] Today, the 12‑story building provides 69 rehearsal studios with around‑the‑clock access, and its hallways are covered in graffiti art left by current and former tenants.[3]
Artists
[edit]The Music Building has been the home to many famous recording artists. In 1979, Chandra Oppenheim started her recording career here.[4] One of the most famous was Madonna who was a tenant from 1980 to 1984.[5] The Strokes are also former tenants of The Music Building and spent most of 1999 writing and rehearsing material there before making their live debut at the Spiral in 1999 and releasing their first album in 2001.[6] The Music Building was also the home to Dubway Studios until 1992.[7]
Other notable tenants include:
- Nervus Rex[8]
- The Del-Lords[8]
- The Fleshtones[8]
- The dB's with Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey[8]
- Interpol[9]
- Billy Idol[2]
- Ambulance[10]
- Jeremy & the Harlequins[11]
- Joey Ramone[2]
- The Patti Smith Group with Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye[12]
- Spread Eagle[13]
- Television[12]
- New York Dolls[12]
- The Toys[14]
- They Might Be Giants[15]
Recordings at The Music Building
[edit]| Band or artist | Album(s) and/or song(s) | Year(s) of recording |
|---|---|---|
| Spread Eagle | Subway To The Stars | 2019[13] |
| Jeremy & the Harlequins | Remember This | 2018[11] |
| The Magnetic Fields | Love at the Bottom of the Sea | 2012 |
| The Strokes | Angles | 2011[16] |
| Teddy Thompson | Upfront & Down Low | 2007 |
| Joseph Arthur | Our Shadows Will Remain | 2004 |
| Lili Anel | Hi-Octane Coffee | 2001 |
| Spread Eagle | Spread Eagle | 1990 (debut album)[13] |
| They Might Be Giants | (She Was A) Hotel Detective | 1988 |
| They Might Be Giants | They Might Be Giants | 1986 (also known as "The Pink Album") |
2026 Madonna and Bilt partnership
[edit]In May 2026, Madonna and the credit card company Bilt paid one month’s rent up to $1,999.99 for every musician tenant of The Music Building. The artist had rehearsed in the building early in her career (1980–1984). Tenants were notified via email, with the building manager stating that the money was provided “solely because Madonna wanted to support the musicians in the building where she got her start.”[17]
Tenants welcomed the relief. Drummer Gabe Kirchheimer called it “an amazing show of support,” while DJ Boy Wonda said the building had shaped his entire career and described the rent subsidy as “a much‑needed lifeline for many just trying to keep the industry alive.”[17]
Madonna herself stated, “Artists arrive every day to New York, with a dream and more often than not with little else. As much as I struggled when I showed up here with nothing, I look back very fondly on this time in my life. The creativity, diversity and community of artists all supporting each other while having the freedom to experiment is something I would have never experienced in another place.”[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Deep South Vintage. "Music Building NYC". Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "About Us". The Music Building.
- ^ a b c DeMicco, Jason. "Interview with The Music Building Manager Jason DeMicco" (Interview). Live for the Music. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ^ "'It was grungy, gritty, rough': The 11-year-old who fronted an 80s post-punk band". TheGuardian.com. November 13, 2018.
- ^ Madonna Rising (Documentary). VH1. 2009.
- ^ "The Stokes Biography". Yahoo Music. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ Dubway Studios. "News". Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Cost, Jud (July 18, 2009). "Q&A with Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey". Magnet.
- ^ "Interpool in Their Own Words". Chart Attack. June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ Artist Direct. "Artist Bio – Ambulance". Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ a b "On Stage: Steel City legend keeps to his roots | the Unionville Times".
- ^ a b c "Recording Studios in New York". Manta.com.
- ^ a b c "Spread Eagle Premieres "Sound of Speed" From Upcoming Album "Subway To The Stars" - XS ROCK". xsrock.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20.
- ^ "The Toys". History of Rock. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ "Music". They Might B Giants. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ Ryzik, Melena (March 9, 2011). "Different Strokes". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Kreps, Daniel (2026-05-28). "Madonna Pays Rent for Tenants of Iconic New York Rehearsal Space: 'A Much‑Needed Lifeline'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-05-30.