Center City creative services startup REC Philly will open a second location in Miami after receiving a $2 million investment led by rapper Sean Combs, better known as Diddy.
Launched in 2015 by co-founders Dave Silver and Will Toms, REC Philly offers resources, guidance and services to cultivate the careers of Philadelphia creators in a 10,000-square-foot space located at 901 Market St.
The acronym "REC" stands for resources for every creator. It offers co-working space, design studios, editing suites, equipment for recording and podcasting, as well as rehearsal and performance spaces, plus a 250-person venue. REC Philly partners include Comcast, Live Nation, Temple University, T-Mobile and WXPN. REC Philly has amassed more than 1,000 members.
REC Miami is expected to open in 2023 in a 12,000-square-foot space in the city's Little River neighborhood. The Miami space will feature multiple recording studios, photo/video production studios, editing bays, podcast studios, dance studios, design studios, an event venue, co-working space and in-house production equipment. Combs Enterprises, a holding company that includes Sean Combs Capital, will utilize REC's spaces and plans to tap into the creative talent working from the studio.
"Our goal is to make sure that independent creators have the information, tools and resources needed to win and level the playing field," Combs said in the statement. "This partnership is about the future of the creator economy and helping REC expand to serve more creators in cities and countries around the world."
In Philadelphia, annual REC tiered membership fees range from $599 to $1,599. Along with access to equipment and space, the REC Philly app is available to members for educational programming and networking opportunities.
“We've known since the beginning that we weren't just solving a Philadelphia problem,” Toms said in a statement. “Access to resources, strategies and opportunities is a global challenge for creatives everywhere, and with Diddy's support, we're excited to bring our solution to communities beyond our hometown of Philly.”
