Hong Kong has a rich local music scene, but for the uninitiated, spacious practice studios with good gear can be hard to come by. Not exactly in plain view, band rooms are mostly tucked away in industrial centers and old commercial buildings. Some are in more suspecting locations, like music tutorial schools.
Hourly rental costs go from around HK$40 (for drum practice rooms) to upwards of HK$200 (for full band rehearsal studios), depending on how big the room is. Many offer packages and discounts at non-peak hours.
Gear, including microphones, amps, PA systems, is usually all-inclusive. At some, you can even borrow a guitar or a bass if you don’t want to bring yours.
This one’s for all the closet superstars—here’s Coconuts‘ non-definitive list of music rehearsal rooms in Hong Kong island, Kowloon and New Territories.
Hong Kong island
Proceed Studio (Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun)
With two locations in Kennedy Town and one in Sai Ying Pun, Proceed Studio is a go-to rehearsal space for those on the island. Rent out the Sai Ying Pun location and you might earn yourself a fan or two—the studio, a Queen’s Road West ground floor unit, has massive windows that unfailingly stop curious passerbys in their tracks.
G/F., Elegant Garden, 409 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun
Shop 8, Nan Hai Plaza, 46-47 Praya West, Kennedy Town
Flat 16C, G/F, Belcher Court, 2-18 Sai Cheung Street, Kennedy Town
P&B Studio (Sai Ying Pun)
P&B Studio offers two rehearsal rooms, with respective gear stated clearly on their website. If you just want to play the drums on your own, you can rent a separate drum rehearsal room outfitted with a jazz drum kit.
Unit 808, Kenbo Commercial Center, 335-339 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun
Drums & Strings Music (North Point)
Drums & Strings is a music tutorial school that also has studios for hourly rental. Their drum rehearsal room, which has two drum kits, is perfect for lessons or jamming along with a friend. Their website also lists one free session for every ten attended.
RM C, 22/f, Bank Tower, 351 King’s Road, North Point
Kowloon
Simply Rock (Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, San Po Kong)
Simply Rock has five locations in the city (including three in New Territories—see below), and great rates too. Check out their Facebook pages, which is regularly updated with new discounts. If you and your band are ever in the mood for a long, late night jam session, you can rent their studios from 11pm-6am for just HK$300.
601A, 6/F, Ho King Commercial Center, 2-16 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok
Rm R, 11/F, Blk 4, Kwun Tong Industrial Centre, 436-446 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong
9/F, Startex Industrial Building, 14 Tai Yau Street, San Po Kong
Read more: David Boring on Hong Kong, post-punk, and Hong Kong’s live music scene
Silver Studio (Lai Chi Kok)
Besides for offering a rehearsal space with gear listed on their website, Silver Studio also provides lessons in keyboard, guitar, ukulele, bass and drums. They also have beginners’ drum scores of popular Cantopop and Mandopop songs for purchase.
2A-05, Luen Hing Factory Building, 109 King Lam Street, Cheung Sha Wan
Half an Hour Studio (Mong Kok)
Half an Hour Studio is down to one rehearsal room after they were forced to close their smaller room, located next door, last May. Their studio is spacious and decorated in a dark, monochromatic theme, which may or may not help to set the mood for your music depending on what you play.
1201, 12/F, Prosper Commercial Building, Yin Chong Street, Mong Kok
New Territories
Simply Rock (Fo Tan, Tsuen Wan)
In addition to its Kowloon locations, Simply Rock also has studios in the New Territories with top-notch gear and staff on hand to help. The Tsuen Wan location is about a five-minute walk from The Mills, the textile-mill-turned-art-space, while the Fo Tan one sandwiched among towering industrial buildings.
Unit K2, 21/F, Superluck Industrial Center Phase 1, 48-53 Sha Tsuen Road, Tsuen Wan
9F, On Wah Industrial Building, 41-43 Au Pui Wan Street, Fo Tan
S.A.W. Music (Yuen Long)
Located in Yuen Long, S.A.W. Music has two band rooms available for rent. For those who envision themselves getting a little more practice in, consider their 10-hour package deals, which offer a discounted hourly price.
Unit 506, 5/F, Kar Wah Industrial Building, 7-11A Hi Yip Street, Yuen Long
