What was Motown’s studio called?

“Hitsville U.S.A.” is the nickname given to Motown’s first headquarters and recording studio. The house which was formerly a photographers’ studio, is located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, near the New Center area. Motown’s studio was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959.

After purchasing the house, Berry Gordy converted it for use as the record label’s administrative building and recording studio.

In 1959, Berry Gordy formed his first label, Tamla Records, and purchased the property that would become Motown’s Hitsville U.S.A. studio. The photography studio located in the back of the property was modified into a small recording studio, which was open 22 hours a day (closing from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for maintenance), and the Gordys moved into the second-floor living quarters.

Following mainstream success in the mid 1960s through mid 1970s, Berry Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles and established the Hitsville West studio there, as a part of his focus on television and film production as well as music production.

Today, the “Hitsville U.S.A” property operates as the Motown Museum, which is dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music. The museum occupies the original house and an adjacent former residence.