Where these numbers come from
We read the published rates of eight Dubai studios and one booking platform on 13 October 2026. These are list prices, not averages; studios also negotiate long-term and night deals. Note the VAT line: some lists show prices "+ VAT", others don't say.
Photo and video studios
| Studio | Area | Published rate | Minimum | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueSky, themed rooms | Al Quoz 3 | AED 320–350 + VAT/hour | listed ladder 1–8 h | Included |
| SkyLight, one zone (photo) | DIP 2 | AED 350 + VAT/hour | 2 hours | 2 flashes + modifiers |
| SkyLight, whole studio (video) | DIP 2 | AED 750 + VAT/hour | — | Included |
| Studio360 | — | AED 400/hour; AED 1,300 for 4 h | — | — |
| Shuttrd listing, cyclorama + lifestyle set | Al Quoz 1 | AED 650/hour | 2 hours | Included |
| Shuttrd listings, smaller rooms | Business Bay, Al Quoz | AED 250–263/hour | — | — |
| Creators HQ studio (data from 02.2025) | — | from AED 1,500/day | — | — |
The Creators HQ figure comes from The National in February 2025; we found no newer published rate.
SkyLight publishes a full ladder that shows the volume discount: 2 hours AED 700, 4 hours AED 1,400, 6 hours AED 2,000, 8 hours AED 2,500 (9th hour free), 12 hours AED 3,500, full night 22:00–08:00 AED 3,000, all + VAT. Per hour, the 8-hour block costs AED 312 against AED 350 for two hours.
Podcast studios
| Studio | Area | Published rate | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birdcast | DIP 1 / Business Bay | AED 399/hour | 3× 4K cameras, SM7B mics, lighting, technician, raw files |
| Birdcast, live camera cut | AED 550/hour | Switched multi-cam video ready to publish | |
| Birdcast, recording + full edit | AED 800/session | Editor, sound mastering, grade, intro/outro | |
| Birdcast, half day / full day | AED 1,596 / AED 3,192 | Set changes, sound engineer | |
| Panorama | JLT | AED 350/hour + cleaning | City-view set, studio lights |
| AK Studio | Deira | AED 450 for 2 hours | Multi-camera, mics, lighting |
The difference between AED 225 and AED 800 an hour is mostly people: a technician and an editor. A bare room is cheap; a finished episode isn't.
Worked example: one 4-hour product and lookbook shoot
Same brief at three studios, studio cost only (no photographer):
| Studio | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| BlueSky, standard room | 4 × AED 320 + 5% VAT | AED 1,344 |
| SkyLight, one zone | AED 1,400 + 5% VAT | AED 1,470 |
| Studio360 | AED 1,300 (VAT not stated) | AED 1,300 |
| Cyclorama stage, Al Quoz 1 | 4 × AED 650 (VAT not stated) | AED 2,600 |
If the same shoot also films reels with continuous light, SkyLight's video rate for the whole studio is 4 × AED 750 + VAT = AED 3,150. The cheapest line in the first table can become the most expensive once video enters the brief.
What nobody tells you
The photo rate may not give you the room. At SkyLight the AED 350 photo rate books one zone, and other clients may shoot in other sets at the same time. For quiet audio or full control you book the whole studio at the video rate.
Video needs continuous light. Strobes included in a photo rate are useless for reels. SkyLight lists continuous LED and Astera tubes as add-ons, and paper backdrop at AED 50 per metre.
Overrun is billed by the hour. Bring a written shot list and build in 30 minutes for set-up and 30 for pack-down; both count as rental time.
Bring your own crew, or pay for theirs. BlueSky's rate covers the room, zones and lighting; you bring the crew and the wardrobe. A photographer adds AED 300–1,500 an hour on top; see what a photographer costs in Dubai.
Location matters for your team. Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park studios have ground-floor loading and parking; JLT and Business Bay rooms often rely on public parking. Factor in time for crews and models arriving by taxi.
Studio directory: where to book
Every studio in this guide, with the type of space and where to book. Checked 13 October 2026; rates are in the tables above.
| Studio | Type | Area | Book or enquire |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlueSky Studios | Themed photo rooms, lighting included | Al Quoz 3 | blueskystudios.ae |
| SkyLight Studio | Photo zones; whole studio for video | Dubai Investment Park 2 | slstudio.ae |
| Studio360 | Photo and video studio | — | studio360.ae |
| Vivete Studio | Photo studio, lighting included | — | vivetestudio.com |
| Shuttrd | Booking platform for studios and spaces, incl. cyclorama | Al Quoz, Business Bay and others | shuttrd.com |
| Birdcast | Podcast studio with cameras and technician | DIP 1 / Business Bay | booking.birdcast.me |
| Panorama Podcast Studio | Podcast studio with city view | JLT | panorama-podcast.ae |
| AK Studio | Podcast studio | Deira | akstudio.ae |
| Dubai Studio City (TECOM) | Sound stages, backlots and studios for large productions | Dubai Studio City | dubaistudiocity.ae |
For outdoor locations instead of a studio, see popular shoot locations in the UAE and their rules.
Which studio type for which job
| Job | Studio type | Expected studio cost |
|---|---|---|
| Headshots, 1–5 people | Any lit room, 2 hours | AED 500–800 |
| E-commerce, white background | Cyclorama | AED 1,300–2,600 for 4 hours |
| Lifestyle reels without location permits | Themed sets | AED 1,300–1,500 for 4 hours |
| Podcast, recurring | Podcast studio with technician | AED 399–800 per episode |
| Full day of mixed content | 8-hour block | AED 2,500–3,200 + VAT |
What Savage Media charges
We don't rent studio space; we sell finished shoots with the location in the price.
| Savage Media | Special offer | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| One-off photo or video shoot | from AED 950 | Photos from 24 hours, video from 2 days |
| Savage Story | AED 3,500 first month, then AED 4,500/month | 2 shooting days, 8 reels and 15 photos a month |
| Lifestyle Day | AED 5,500/day | Supercar, yacht or penthouse instead of a studio |
Price the crew side with our video production cost calculator. For hiring talent for a studio day, see model fees and usage rights.
