Here is everything you need.
We're looking forward to seeing you at London Broadcast very soon. Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions and useful documents to help you prepare.
Useful Documents to download
Location and Arrival
Where is London Broadcast?
London Broadcast is situated in western Marylebone, a short walk from Edgware Road, Marble Arch, Marylebone and Paddington stations.
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Link to Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ld6dyZrCnLpMANyf9
You can download a directions sheet here.
When can I arrive for my session?
We can guarantee entry to the studios up to 15 minutes before your scheduled booking. If you have guests, please remind them to avoid arriving earlier as we do not have a waiting area at the studios for very early arrivals. Please contact the studio team if you require earlier arrival.
Is Parking available on site?
There is limited on-street pay and display parking right outside the studio on Harrowby Street and surrounding streets. These spaces are not bookable in advance and have a time limit of 4 hours stay. They can be secured using the RingGo parking app. There are a number of multi-story carparks a short walk from the studio, such as ParkBee Marble Arch - Kendal Street.
Please note that London Broadcast sits on the border of the Congestion Charge zone.
General Studio FAQ
Do I have private use of the studios for my booking?
Yes, we guarantee exclusive use of the entire studio facility for the duration of your booking. This includes the conference room with a range of refreshments, snacks and tea/coffee.
Are you wheelchair accessible?
Unfortunately, London Broadcast is accessibility only via a stairway from the street level. We are looking at options to make the site wheelchair accessible, but currently it is not possible to provide this access. Please contact us if you need recommendations for a similar studio in London that can accommodate your accessibility needs.
Can I bring my own furniture or props?
Yes, absolutely. We will happily accommodate any deliveries to the studio for your shoot. Please just be aware of our access points into the studio, as it does limit certain item sizes, especially sofas or cabinets. Very long or wide items might not be able to fit through the 2 doorways, which are 195cm x 71cm for the main entrance and 195cm x 72cm for the fire exit entrance. All items need to be carried down a flight of stairs into the recording area. Please contact us if you have any concerns and we will help you work out what is possible. Please see this link to view photos of the 2 access points and we recommend you also look at the studio floor plan.
Can I order catering through the studios?
Catering orders can either be made in advance or on the day through our Business Deliveroo account. For Deliveroo bookings, we pass around our iPad for clients to pick their food and drink options, with our recommendation being Pret A Manger. Delivery is normally 20-25 minutes after the order is placed.
For orders from our other recommended supplier, we will receive requests up to 15:00 on the day before bookings. For Monday bookings, advance orders should be received by 15:00 on the previous Friday.
Please outline any specific dietary requirements or requests at time of booking. Any food expense is added at cost to the final studio invoice.
What is the internet connection speed?
London Broadcast has 2 fibre internet connections. Our main studio line is a lease line from BT with a default 200mb/s upload and download speed, scalable to up to 1 GB/s as required. This is for studio use only.
Our guest broadband line is available to all guests via WiFi and is 100 mb/s download and 50 mb/s upload.
Our third line is an emergency 5G backup mobile router that provides fast internet using mobile data.
Do you have toilet and changing room facilities?
We have 2 individual cubicle toilets with private sink and washing areas. Deodorant, mouthwash, make-up wipes and fragrance is complimentary. The cubicles can be used for changing if necessary.
Do you have space for coats and luggage?
Of course! We have a cloakroom where you can leave your items. You have exclusive use of the storage.
Where I can find more information about studio membership?
Have a look at our Membership page or speak to a member of the studio team.
Cancellation and Rescheduling
What is your cancellation and rescheduling policy?
London Broadcast operates a standard first-come-first-served pencil-booking system. Changes can be made 24/7 online using the link in your confirmation email, or by contacting the studio team.
Pencil Bookings
There is no fee for any cancellation, postponement or rescheduling of a pencil booking that happens with at least 5 business days notice.
You will receive an email 5 business days before your session to confirm the booking. After this point, your booking is confirmed and will be subject to charges for cancellation or rescheduling.
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Within 5 business days - 25% of the cost of booking will be charged.
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Within 72 hours on business days - 50% of the cost of booking will be charged.
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Within 48 hours - 100% of the cost of booking will be charged.
Confirmed Bookings
If we have a second request for a date and time that you have a pencil booking on, we will contact you and give you the option either to confirm or release the booking. You will have 24 hours to let us know. If we do not hear from you after this 24 hour period your booking will be released automatically.
A confirmed booking is considered 'locked' and will be subject to a charge of 100% of the cost of booking if it is cancelled or rescheduled.
Overruns
We don’t tend to worry too much about a few minutes of overrun if we have a free studio after. We will let you know if we need a 'hard finish' for your scheduled session in advance.
If the session runs more than 10 mins beyond the scheduled finished time, the studio policy is to add the time onto the session cost. We charge on an hourly basis, so please do consider this when planning your time!
Studio Specifications
What is the capacity of London Broadcast?
The Conference Room can fit up to 10 people in. We recommend the optimum number is 6-7 people.
TV Studio A can accommodate up to 5 people seated in the studio. We recommend up to 4 people.
TV Studio B can accommodate up to 3 people seated. We recommend up to 2 people.
The Radio Studio can accommodate up to 4 people. We recommend up to 2 people
Across the entire facility, we have run previous sessions with up to 12 people on site. We recommend sessions of up to 8 people is the optimal capacity.
Are the studios soundproofed?
All of the recording spaces are professionally sound treated. Our radio studio has the highest quality of sound treatment and protection. In order to use the genuine window feature, TV Studio B has less acoustic protection than Studio A.
If you have very stringent acoustic requirements, we always recommend popping down and viewing the studios before booking. Our team will are always on hand to answer any questions.
What studio set-ups do you offer?
We offer a wide range of set-up across the 3 studios, including white screen, green screen backdrops. We can create desk or sofa sets.
Our default set-up for TV Studio A is a sofa set-up. We call it 'Breakfast show' set-up.
Our default set-up for TV Studio B is a desk based set-up, but we can also easily change this to be a softer, sofa set.
Our default set-up for the Radio Studio is a traditional table set-up. This is largely a fixed set, but adjustments can be made to the backdrop and LED lights as required.
All the studios can be customised to match your specifications by our team. For more information please visit our studios page on the website, or look at some of our recent work.
Which cameras are you using?
We shoot exclusively on Sony cameras. Our default recording cameras are Sony A7Sii mirrorless cameras. They are a versatile camera which can record at 4K in either natural colours or S-log 2 or 3. Please find here a link to the exact specifications of the cameras.
We have a wide range of Prime and Zoom lenses depending on the requirements of each recording. We normally record at f 4.5 on the individual camera shots to give a good quality depth of field.
We record each camera using the internal SD card recording capabilities. We also record a live mix of the cameras on our Tricaster vision mixer. We have Blackmagic Video Assists available for Prores recording if required.
How many cameras are included within the fee?
A 3 camera set-up is included as standard with all bookings. This is normally 2 tight shots and a floating wide shot.
We can have up to 6 cameras recording in each studio.
Can I read from teleprompters looking direct at the cameras?
Yes all of our teleprompters are 'over camera' so you will be able to read your script whilst looking directly at the camera lens. These are available in all of the studios apart from the Radio Studio.
The teleprompters can be controlled by our team or by the presenter using a remote. You can also use your own tablet should you prefer.
I would like to have my logo or brand on the TVs in the studio, can I do this?
Absolutely. Please send through your logo or brand information to studio@londonbroadcast.co.uk prior to your session and we will do the rest. If you have any particular requirements please let us know and we will prepare accordingly.
Are your lights colour adjustable?
The main studio lights are both dimmable and colour changeable between 5600K (Equivalent to Daylight) to 3200K (Equivalent to Tungsten lighting). They are dimmable 10%-100%.
The LEDs lights are colour changeable using an RGB colour wheel.
In Studio A, the floor colour bars are adjustable using DMX through the studio computer using a RGB colour wheel.
What format should my graphics be for the TV screens?
For still graphics, we need them in 16-9 aspect ratio at 1920x1080 minimum. PNG is perfectly fine, or Adobe source files.
If it’s a video, we can transcode from any format. 1920x1080 minimum please.
For your logo, please send through in the highest possible resolution!
Recording
What are your camera recording formats?
Sony A7Sii
Video Compression: XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264; AVCHD: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264; MP4: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Image Size (pixels): XAVC S 4K: 3840 x 2160 (24p/100Mbps) or XAVC S HD: 1920 x 1080 (24p/50Mbps)
Picture Profile
Parameters: Black level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 [800%], S-Log2, S-Log3), Black Gamma, Knee, Color Mode (Movie, Still, Cinema, Pro, ITU709 Matrix, White&Black, S-Gamut, S-Gamut3.Cine, S-Gamut3), Saturation, Color Phase, Color Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset
Tricaster TC1 (PGM Mix)
Standard: 1080p, 25fps, H.264 in an MP4 container with AAC audio.
Full: 1080p, 25fps, SHQ2 quicktime codec, 4:2:2 encoding, 24-bit audio
Blackmagic Video Assist
The recording formats available for the Blackmagic Video Assists can be found here.
What are your audio recording formats?
Our primary multitrack recording is using an Allen & Heath QU24 desk. The recording format is WAV 48kHz 24-bit.
The back-up master mix recording is WAV 48kHz / 32-bit float. Stereo / Mono. BWF and iXML formats supported.
Do I receive files with audio and video synchronised together?
As standard, you will receive individual recordings for each camera and microphone. These will not be synchronised together as standard.
You will also receive a reference program mix of the recording, which will be synchronised and cutting between the cameras.
We would be happy to synchronise your audio and video together for you after the recording. Let us know your requirements and one of the team will be happy to help.
Is there a video engineer present throughout the recording? Or is this an additional fee?
Our standard studio booking provides full use of the studio with a studio engineer to run your session. For the vast majority of standard recordings this will be all you will need.
If you require additional crew, please reach out to us and we can adjust accordingly.
Do you offering editing and post production services?
Yes, we offer editing and post-production packages for content filmed at the studios. Please visit our services webpage for more information or ask a member of the team.
Can I record more than 1 episode of my content in my 2 hours session?
You are free to record as much as you want in your time. We advise 2 hours per episode as on average it tends to take over hour with re-takes and guest arrival - but every piece of content is different!
The key thing to watch is time. We don’t tend to worry too much about a few minutes of overrun if we have a free studio after. We will let you know if we need a 'hard finish' for your scheduled session in advance.
If the session runs more than 10 mins beyond the scheduled finished time, the studio policy is to add the time onto the session cost. We charge on an hourly basis, so please do consider this when planning your time!
Payment and File Transfer
Are file transfers included in the cost?
Yes, there is no fee for data transfers of recordings.
How can I receive my files from the studio, and how fast?
We can share footage via cloud transfers, using either Wetransfer or a Google Drive link.
For the fastest transfer, we recommend bringing a SSD card to the studio with you. We will transfer instantly after the recording session. If you plan to do this, please plan this into your studio time as we may be unable to host you in the studio after your scheduled session whilst the files transfer!
Please bear in mind that a 40 minute podcast filmed at 4K will require approximately 150-200GB of space!
Do you backup my recordings?
Yes, all recordings are kept on the studio server as a backup and archived.
Please note that media training recordings are deleted as soon as file transfer is complete and are not recoverable. Please see our confidentiality statement for media training sessions here.
Can I pay by card on the day or by card online?
For returning clients payment is not required in advance and you will receive a full VAT invoice from our team after your session. All our information will be provided on the invoice.
For first-time users, international clients, or for larger production projects, we may require a deposit booking in advance of your session. We will reach out to you to organise in good time.
Our standard payment terms is 30 days. Payment can be made by bank transfer or by card. We do not take payment at the studios.
All pricing excludes VAT. Please note that we are required to charge 20% VAT on all studio bookings, regardless of the location of the booking client.
Please let as know as soon as possible if you require supplier forms to be filled out as part of your payment processes.
What are the full company details?
Access Broadcasting® Limited (t/a London Broadcast)
Company number: 12082064 (Companies House).
VAT Number: GB326625306
Registered Address: 46A Harrowby Street, London, W1H 5HT.
IBAN: GB92 BUKB 2018 9313 7109 12
The Barclays UK SWIFT (or SWIFTBIC) code is BUKBGB22.
Full payment details and card payment links can be found on your invoice.
Health & Safety, Security
Do you have controlled site access?
Yes, the main door to the studio operated on a locked 'buzzer' system. A RING doorbell is our intercom to speak to anyone looking to gain access. We have recording devices directly outside both studio entrances.
Is my data secure?
Yes, all data is held on our server and complies with UK Cyber Essentials. No data is ever removed from the studio under any circumstances. We have a specific process for media training recordings.
Do you have Fire Escape routes and detection systems?
Yes, fire safety information is displayed in every room at the studios. There are multiple smoke and carbon monoxide detectors across the site, and 2 fire extinguisher points as well as a fire blanket.
Please contact us if you require specific information.
Do you have any first aid equipment?
Yes, it is located in the kitchen area of the studios. Please follow the signage in the studio or ask a member of the studio crew.
Do you have multiple points of access?
Yes, we have 2 points of access into the studios. You can find more details on our Studio Accessibility Sheet.
We are used to handling specific requests for VIPs and PEPs. Please contact our studio team to arrange security visits.
Do you have air quality management systems?
We have a MAXVAC Medi 8 Air Purifier UV-C & HEPA with Variable Air-flow 800m3/h. The unit is available for use for any studio session.
Across the studios there are a range of air cooling systems and fans that are available for use. There are also portable heaters. Please speak to a member of the studio team if you require any help.