How Much Does It Cost to Build a Video Studio in Australia?

If you have started researching studio builds in Australia, you have probably noticed that prices range from a few thousand dollars to well over a hundred thousand — with very little explanation of what drives the difference. After completing more than 80 professional studio builds across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, we can tell you exactly what costs what, and why.

The short answer: there is no standard price for a studio build because there is no standard studio. The cost is determined by what you need to shoot, the space you are working with, and the level of infrastructure required to make it work reliably every day.

Cost overview by studio type

Studio type	Typical investment (AUD)	What is included
Small office conversion	$15,000 – $35,000	Ceiling-mounted tracklight system, single background, basic acoustic treatment, dedicated power circuits
Mid-size commercial cyclorama studio	$35,000 – $70,000	600mm cyclorama, overhead softbox or tracklight grid, DMX control, acoustic treatment, motorised background system
Full professional content studio	$70,000 – $120,000+	U-shape or corner cyclorama, full lighting infrastructure, DMX, acoustic treatment, motorised multi-background system, electrical upgrade
Vehicle or automotive studio	$100,000 – $200,000+	Large-format U-shape cyclorama (10m x 8m+), overhead softbox array, full lighting grid, high-load electrical
School or education studio	$20,000 – $55,000	Dual studio configuration, ceiling tracks, pantograph system, green screen and white cyc, acoustic treatment, lockable storage
Broadcast or piece-to-camera	$18,000 – $45,000	Ceiling tracklight system, single-switch operation, acoustic wall treatment, branded backdrop or small cyclorama

What drives the cost up

Cyclorama size and curve radius

The cyclorama is usually the largest single line item in a studio build. A 600mm radius cyclorama costs more than a 450mm equivalent — but it performs better, lasts longer, and eliminates the persistent shadow problems at the floor join. Most professional builds we complete now specify 600mm as standard.

Lighting infrastructure

Lighting system	Approximate cost installed	Best for
LightPro SlimLine ceiling tracklights	$6,000 – $18,000	Office conversions, low-ceiling studios, broadcast setups
Overhead softbox system	$12,000 – $35,000	Fashion, ecommerce, full-body video on white
Pantograph ceiling track system	$8,000 – $22,000	School studios, multi-use spaces, repositionable setups
Full DMX-controlled grid	$20,000 – $50,000+	Large commercial studios, broadcast, multi-configuration spaces

Acoustic treatment

Acoustic treatment is cheap to build in and expensive to retrofit. Budget $3,000 to $12,000 depending on room size. Studios that skip this consistently come back to us for remediation. It is not optional for any studio producing video content.

Electrical work

Studios draw significantly more power than people plan for. Budget for a dedicated circuit upgrade from the start: typically $2,000 to $8,000 depending on the building's existing supply.

Motorised background systems

A motorised multi-roll background system — like the LightPro system supporting up to 10 backgrounds with remote-controlled positioning — adds $5,000 to $15,000. For high-volume ecommerce or fashion studios this pays for itself in time saved within the first year.

Real build examples

BBC Sydney: Office conversion, low-ceiling broadcast studio. Ceiling-mounted LightPro SlimLine tracklights, single-switch operation, acoustic wall treatment, branded backdrop. Fully broadcast-ready from a standard office space.

Chasing Cars automotive studio: 10m x 8m U-shape white cyclorama, 6m x 8m overhead softbox, full lighting grid. Upper end of the vehicle studio range.

William Clarke College: Dual studio — white cyclorama and green screen, pantograph ceiling tracks, mix of continuous LED systems. Fully operational for multiple classes per day.

Forcast: In-house ecommerce fashion studio, white cyclorama, ceiling-mounted overhead lighting, motorised background system. Build paid for itself in under 18 months.

How to approach your budget

Start with your room dimensions and primary use case — not a list of equipment. Room dimensions determine cyclorama size, which drives cost more than any other variable. Dragon Studio Solutions provides custom quotes based on your actual space and brief. Contact our team in Sydney (Artarmon), Melbourne (Collingwood), or Brisbane (Bowen Hills).