ABOUT PAUL ASHMORE
Paul is the co-owner and lead mixing & mastering engineer at Audio Animals, with over two decades of experience working on projects for some of the world’s biggest artists and films. He has established himself as one of the industry’s go-to engineers across all genres.
The centrepiece of Paul’s mixing and mastering studio is his 9.1.4 PMC Dolby Atmos speaker system, featuring 15 speakers meticulously positioned to create an immersive audio experience. Paul operates within a fully three-dimensional mixing environment, utilising 180 channels of analogue processing to achieve a sound quality unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.
My name is Paul Ashmore, and I was born in London, UK, in 1985. I have worked in the audio industry since I was 16 years old. On October 9, 2012, I founded Audio Animals after many years of freelancing as a mixing and mastering engineer in various studios. My vision was to create a unique business that offered exceptional services to clients worldwide, regardless of their experience level.
Since launching Audio Animals, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with artists of all sizes, from Grammy-winning pop stars and major Hollywood films to emerging underground artists and producers releasing their first tracks.
While working in a studio in 2011, I noticed a decline in client attendance as more people opted to record at home. With the rise of desktop interfaces and access to quality plugins, the demand for high-end studios began to wane. Recognizing the need for change to remain relevant, I presented the idea of an online service to the studio’s owners, but they dismissed it. Shortly thereafter, I decided to pursue my vision and establish a business focused on providing online services that clients could access remotely.
In 2012, when we launched Audio Animals, we were among the first studios solely offering online mixing and mastering services. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to grow alongside the evolving industry. The first six years, from 2012 to 2018, were the most challenging of my life. I put everything on hold to establish Audio Animals as the go-to online studio. This journey demanded a work ethic that comes only from running your own business; I often slept just a few hours a night and worked tirelessly for six years. It was this dedication that has led me to the successes I enjoy today.
One of my defining moments came in 2014 when I was asked to work on the mixing and mastering for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I could hardly believe it. Following that opportunity, we landed projects for X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse, marking the beginning of a continuous stream of work on major Hollywood films. While I cherish working with artists and seeing their songs succeed in the charts, I find the film industry to be on a different level altogether.
A proud achievement for me was witnessing Beyoncé open The Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai, knowing that I mixed and mastered the audio for that show. It was a surreal experience to see such a significant event executed globally, even if I couldn’t attend due to the exorbitant ticket prices. For £1 million, I could think of many better ways to invest that money, such as building another Dolby Atmos studio.
Dolby Atmos has revolutionised the audio industry. We recognised the signs that it would become the industry standard and took a leap of faith by installing a £300,000 Dolby Atmos studio. It is my pride and joy, crafted to perfection; very few studios in the world can match its sound quality. Today, we operate two state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos studios, and every day, I walk into them, pinching myself to confirm that I’m not dreaming.
My achievements in both work and life would not have been possible without two incredible people: my business partner and cousin, Nick Burchall, and my wife, Charlotte. Nick is the yin to my yang; his expertise complements my weaknesses, and vice versa. Working together since 2012, we’ve developed a deep understanding of each other, allowing us to motivate and inspire one another effectively. Charlotte is my rock, providing support after long, stressful days. She understands my work ethic and often brings me a cup of tea when I’m frustrated with my laptop. Balancing home life and work life is essential, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have both Nick and Charlotte by my side on this journey.
I always say, you hang around with 5 millionaires you’ll become a millionaire. You hang around with 5 bums you’ll become a bum.
MASTERING TESTIMONIAL
“We were looking for an experienced mastering engineer for our debut album. Paul at Audio Animals Ltd. appeared to be the right man for the job and he did not fail us. Paul delivered an extraordinary and breathtaking master. Our Album has been lifted to the next level and we are extremely happy.” – Rob Horvarth
MIXING TESTIMONIAL
“Really happy with both the service and finished product. After one round of mixes we sent feedback to Paul, he really paid attention to our notes and the second round came back perfect. Communication throughout was excellent, and most importantly he really know what he is doing.” – Rob Knowles