A few years ago I was DJing most days of the week across a combination of bars and clubs throughout…read morethe city. From this, I took an interest in recording music. I met a male vocalist who was into the same scene as I was, dance music but wanted to create something different. We hooked with a band and started to write some lyrics. As we were both beginners, we didn't have any experience in recording. We came across Madhouse Rehearsal rooms and they were really helpful from the moment we called them. We hired the studio for a few hours and recorded our new track which were then mastered for us (at an additionall cost). Great experience and very popular with musicians in the city

Madhouse is one of the cleaner, more upmarket (if you've been to some of the less salubrious…read morefacilities around Brum, you'll know what I mean) rehearsal rooms in the city centre. The walls are lined with pictures of the owners posing with various rock glitterati and the rooms come equipped with Marshall amps. It's all very rock - as are a lot of the bands that rehearse there. I've used this studio several times over the years and always found it well-equipped and clean. I've also found it one of the more expensive places to rehearse, but you get what you pay for. They also sell strings and drumsticks to people not using the rooms, which is always handy when you're on your way to a gig and realise you need a high E or you've forgotten something.

If I can't get a spot in a friends room at Muthers Studio for a rehearsal, then I'll come to Rich…read moreBitch. They've been going for almost thirty years, and they area pro set-up. If you are reading this and you are a Birmingham University student, you may be pleased to know that this legendary studio is tucked down an entry road off the Bristol road, not far from the Uni. A location that is outside of the city centre means you can hire a room for between £12.50 and £15.50 an hour. One is big enough to use as a (small) dance studio, and that's exactly what it's called. I've used that for rehearsals for theatre performances, and you might want to do the same. There are recording facilities here too. If you are making a music video, the studio also have a green screen room. There is an emphasis of Raaaawk! in here, but we are in Brum, so there's no surprise there. I'm mentioning that because if you are in a quieter band, you may have slight bleed between some of the rooms, but not so much that it impedes your session. The studios, foyer and all other areas at Rich Bitch are all beautifully lit with minimal decor making the studio a pleasure to be in. I think there is a woman's touch at play here! She might be Rich but she sure ain't no....

Another rehearsal studio that has been around longer than most musicians on the scene, Rich Bitch…read moreis tucked away behind Selly Oak's main drag. As a rehearsal rooms, it's pretty standardised, with the same bog standard amps and PAs you find in rehearsal rooms everywhere. There's various sized rooms with a varying price range to match, the cheapest being £12.50 an hour . I've never experienced any problems when using it, apart from it maybe being slightly less ventilated than I'd like. The equipment always seems to work, and the acoustics in whatever room we've ended up rehearsing in have always seemed quite good too. It has a recording studio too but I can't comment on that as I no nothing of it. Rich Bitch also gains extra points for being the only place in Selly Oak you can buy guitar strings - if you're a guitar player, you'll know how important that is.

Strange scene the rehearsal room scene. For a seasoned old semi-pro like me, the cleaner and more…read moreclinical the facilities, the less vibe the place seems to have. But there is a fine line between a certain ambience and outright squalor (take for instance the rehearsal complex in Birmingham I once visited which had a dead pigeon rotting in an open lift shaft and holes in the stairs. No such problems at Hockley Street Studios, which is neither soullessly spotless or seriously dilapidated. I've been using rehearsal spaces in and around Birmingham for about 14 years and Hockley Street Studios is the one I've used the most over the last 8 years and have rented a lock-up there for the last two and a half years. All the staff are friendly and are themselves musicians. It's the kind of place where they soon get to know you. Rehearsal spaces can get expensive but this studio has a small room which can be rented for £5 an hour. The amps and PAs in the by-the-hour rooms work, there's a free pool table and there's no holes in the stairs. My one minor quibble is they rarely sell single strings, which is a pain in the backside if, like me, you're always snapping your high E

Affordable, well staffed rehearsal place about 10-15 minute walk from Birmingham City Centre…read more If you are a band looking for a lockup, the studios have a number to choose from ranging from £40-80 a week depending on need. This amount is reduced is you share your lockup. There are drinks and snacks available, a free pool table and a lounge to hang in and the studios put on a number of parties throughout the year. Recommendation - Room 19 is the room to use for rehearsals!

Fazeley Park is a rehearsal space and recording studio in the heart of Digbeth. It is just a small…read more5 room place with rooms for bands to rent long term and one room dedicated as recording studio which could also double up as a social club with it's silver curtains and dingy lighting! It is run by musicians who have been a part of the Birmingham music scene for almost 20 years so they know what they are doing. While it doesn't have the facilities that a bigger studio might have you get a much more homely, personal vibe and if you record there you get a very distinct sound with the recordings, something that is becoming a trademark of the place among the garage rock and indie world. They also occasionally have private parties there as part of ColdRice which are also things of legends now too!

Oxygen Rooms offers the full package - rehearsal studios, an array of recording and production…read moreservices and hd video production services too. It's 30 quid an hour for recording and production, 200 quid for 8 hours and 8 pound for off-peak rehearsals. They have deals for the committed amongst you who want to devote a large chunk of hours to honing your 'riddims'. They have a lot of gear to lend for the unequipped amongst you too. It's a great quality studios for the dedicated musicians out there. You can get down and focus on producing some fine music at Oxygen knowing that nothing's been compromised on. A lot of established acts use Oxygen so that is confirmation that it is a bona fide studio.

This is the coolest place. If you want to see your child progress way past beginner level as a…read moremusician unlike some "academies". Its also a fantastic venue, had some great nights here. it's the choice of SIPS education too as their rock school base. Top Class rehearsal gear and a comfortable atmosphere.

A really quite stunning collection of guitars! Friendly staff that'll pretty much let you play…read moreanything you want! Definitely worth going I you're thinking if getting a new guitar. The only disadvantage is that it is about a 20-25 minute work from New Street station. Unless you go by car and park at the limited car park at the store.

Don't be mislead by this shop's initials. They don't deal in remedies for a woman's 'time of the…read moremonth'. Instead Professional Music Technology deal in music equipment, specialising in keyboards, drums and both bass and six-string guitars. I came in here for a Fender Telecaster and I didn't really know the pros and cons of the different Squire, Mexican or US models. The assistant explained the differences in a clear way and left me to decide which one suited my budget. Another time I've been in here was to get a portable recording studio with a microphone and the necessary leads. I got a discounted deal on this, as well as being able to pay in instalments PMT is a little way out of town, so its not as easily accessible, (depending on where you live) as city centre music shops, but their collection of guitars makes them worth traveling to if you are considering a purchase of a new axe.

Silent Filter Promotions have been running in Birmingham for three years. Pretty much any night of…read morethe week, you can find at least one of their gigs going on at a venue in Birmingham. They put on a wide variety of indie, punk, rock and acoustic acts (although no metal or screamo) and are instrumental in helping a hell of a lot of young bands take their first tentative steps onto the Birmingham gig circuit. When I say young, I've seen kids as young as 13 appearing at Silent Filter gigs, their proud parents watching on. Silent Filter is run by Phil, a very amiable Villa fan who makes a point of introducing every band at every gig. This is a small but significant step because it stops it being a succession of anonymous bands whom no-one knows. Phil's intros are always funny and ensure that every band starts their set with a bit of a cheer rather than shambling on to an embarrassed silence. You can find Phil on the door of his gigs at the Academy 3, Island Bar, Waggon & Horses, Adam & Eve, Sunflower Lounge, Moseley Arms and more besides.