"We Deliver Collaboration, Innovation, And Comfort For Artists And Brands"-Varun Parikh

Varun Parikh, founder of Bay Studios, has redefined audio production in Mumbai with a relentless drive for innovation and excellence. Leaving a corporate career at Deloitte to follow his passion for sound engineering,Parikh built Bay Studios into a creative powerhouse since its launch in 2020.

With five state-of-the- facilities, the studio has become a trusted name for top artists like Divine, as well as global brands. Under his leadership, Bay Studios has earned prestigious accolades, including the IRAA 2024 Award for Best Song Mix & Master, solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the and film industry.

In an exclusive conversation with Loudest.in, he shares insights into his journey and explores the role of audio in branding.

Here are edited excerpts:

Q1.What inspired your transition from Deloitte to founding Bay  Studios, and how has this journey shaped your vision for the studio?

My brief flirtation with Chartered Accountancy and Deloitte was the result of not really knowing what I wanted to do in life. All every aptitude in the early 2000s did was guide you towards the path of the subject you scored highest marks in, which was pretty pointless if we’re being honest. It was a result of one of these supposed tests and a general industry demand for more CAs that I ventured into that line. During my time at Deloitte I met some amazing people, who I’m still in touch with till today, but more importantly I realised that the 9-5 and sitting at one desk wasn’t really for me. So I cut short my time with Deloitte and accounting, and I shortlisted my four main interests - sports, movies,  & food. For some reason, probably societal conventions, I never considered the extremely niche gaming industry even though I was a hardcore gamer back then.

A  accident in my 10th grade which eventually resulted in a metal hip transplant had already cut short any ambition of a sports career, and I never really considered sports management or journalism at the time. I played guitar for two bands but  only ever seemed a hobby at the time. I briefly thought about becoming a  and attending culinary , but my real interest was in movies, specifically animation. So after a short gap post Deloitte to figure life out, I joined a Filmmaking course with a specialisation in VFX & Animation. It was fun, but the program lacked structure, and the head of Animation at the institute regularly conveyed a pretty grim description of what we were getting into, which disheartened a lot of us students. During my time there, I was the team leader for our contingent that would take part in Mumbai’s leg of the ‘48 Hour Film Project’. Everyone being a film making student obviously wanted to do something related to the visuals such as direction, cinematography, editing, etc; and since I was gigging with a couple of bands I thought handling the audio for the film might be fun. It went so well that a couple of other contingents from our institute also asked me to do sound for their short films, and thus the idea that this could actually be a viable career was born.

So I started researching the industry, found out there was something called “Audio Engineering”, and looked up courses here and abroad. I was keen on going to one of the Film Schools in Vancouver, , Prague or LA to specialise in their audio course; and with the appeal of , I had one foot in the door to the LA Recording . I was also simultaneously meeting people in the audio industry here in Mumbai, via my family and friends network, and the singular most advice every single one gave me was that a degree or certification from an expensive  holds little to no value in our creative line of work, and everyone starts from the same job level irrespective of qualification. So I dropped the idea of taking a loan to do this course abroad, looked up a sound engineering course in Mumbai, and began my journey in this field. I started working in commercial studios in Mumbai, working at three different ones for just under 7 years, and then freelancing for 2 years, before deciding I wanted to open my own commercial space. Thus the idea of Bay  Studios was born.

Originally we had decided on the name ‘Night  Studios’, synonymous of the late night work culture in our industry, but after some research and seeing as that name was already taken, we we changed it to ‘Bay ’, with “Bay” being a play on this city we love so dearly.

My time at other studios drastically shaped how I envisioned Bay  to be. I had some great mentors, and some not so great. The amazing thing is that you get to learn a lot from both sets of people, and the most important thing you could learn is what not to do. Even then, I made several mistakes during the initial phase, some large ones like entrusting the wrong contractors for the initial build (even after months of delays, we had to redo a bunch of things immediately after launch). Unlike how most people would have you imagine, it’s absolutely alright to make mistakes, the important thing is to learn from them and avoid repeating them. After several months of financial planning, nine months of finding the right place, another seven of construction, Bay  Studios opened for business on 2nd February, 2020. Yes, that right, 2020. That infamous year. We had barely been in business for just over a month, when the world as we knew it changed indefinitely. The Pandemic.

That first month is till date still the best ever month we’ve clocked worked between our original two studios, over 700 hours of only. Then everything changed. We were shut from March till June, and once we returned, the Industry’s landscape had changed for good. This thrust into the deep end of business life helped us stay afloat in a way and grow to five rooms today. We were able to prioritise service delivery instead of hours worked, explore and open new avenues of audio production revenue, and not just stay afloat but keep growing year on year.

Today, our vision is to grow into an audio production powerhouse, and be THE place someone thinks of anytime they need anything audio related. To aid this we’re launching an online platform in the near future to ease service bookings and automate workflows for both the customer and us. We’re launching an education division soon to help aspiring artists, and a CSR initiative to give back to the community with workshops and free services for underprivileged children and aspiring artists. We’re also exploring setting up an Independent label with the use of Web3 and blockchain technology, as the rest of the infrastructure is already in place. By incorporating the power of artificial intelligence, we plan to elevate the studio experience to every sector requiring any level of audio production.

Even with all the above mentioned, this is just the beginning.

Q2.How is Bay  Studios redefining the audio production business to meet the evolving needs of artists and brands in today's dynamic market?

Bay  Studios is redefining the audio production business by embracing a modern and artist-centric approach. We offer versatile spaces and services tailored to the evolving needs of musicians and brands. Our team of experienced engineers prioritises creative collaboration and cutting-edge technology to deliver high-quality audio productions. When artists come to Bay  they feel at home. With multiple studios and engineers, we can cater to projects of any scale or budget.

Q3.Working with artists like Karsh Kale and Divine, how do you approach balancing creative expression with technical precision?

Actively listening, clear communication, and a mutual respect for the Artist and their creative ideas and technical expertise is absolutely essential to this process. It is imperative through the session to always be available, without always being around. Once that trust is built things start to flow on their own. Karsh’s collaborative album, ‘The  Dream’, with Chinese popstar Sa Dingding in 2014, was my first official International credits. The funny thing about that session, I didn’t know I was the recording  until it began. I thought I was only going to be assisting a more senior  just as I had done the year before on Karsh’s album ‘Up’.

Communication skills are great, but nothing if not backed up by technical quality, with quick problem solving and thinking on your feet during long sessions. Know the technology you’re working with to maintain high levels of precision and quality throughout the production process, making it easy on the artist.

It's important to understand that creative processes can be fluid and dynamic, and one’s approach has to be flexible, allowing for the artist’s creative process to flow, with space for experimentation and improvisation, but all the while maintaining a focus on achieving the desired sonic outcome.

I try to pay a close attention to detail in every stage of the production process, from recording and mixing to mastering. This meticulousness ensures that the final product meets the highest technical standards while preserving the artistic integrity of the .

Q4.Winning prestigious awards like the IRAA and Cannes World Film Festival, what do these accolades mean for Bay  Studios' legacy?

Winning an IRAA award and gaining validation and appreciation from your peers is a great feeling. While I mixed the song that won best Original Song in the Rock category at the Cannes World Film Festival last year, I technically did not win the award myself, but being a part of an artist's journey and knowing you played a role in their success is an absolutely wonderful feeling. Honestly, I haven’t thought about Bay  Studio’s legacy, we only turn five next month! But what such accolades do help with is an enhanced reputation and increased visibility. These achievements are also a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of our entire team, and winning these awards boosts morale, fosters a sense of pride, and inspires us to continue pushing creative boundaries.

Q5.What’s your ultimate goal for Bay  Studios, and how do you see it redefining audio production in India and beyond?

Today, our vision is to grow into an audio production powerhouse, and be THE place someone thinks of anytime they need anything audio related. To aide this we’re launching an online platform in the near future to ease service bookings and automate workflows for both the customer and us. We’re launching an education division soon to help aspiring artists, and a CSR initiative to give back to the community with workshops and free services for underprivileged children and aspiring artists. We’re also exploring setting up an Independent label with the use of Web3 and blockchain technology, as the rest of the infrastructure is already in place. By incorporating the power of artificial intelligence, we plan to elevate the studio experience to every sector requiring any level of audio production.