The complete guide to rehearsing in Rotterdam

Rotterdam has music in its bones, and you see it in the number of places to play. According to Popunie's overview of rehearsing in Rotterdam, the city has around 35 rehearsal centres with close to 80 rooms between them. Sounds like plenty. In practice it's a fragmented landscape: prices you can barely compare, rooms booked out weeks ahead on a Friday night, and backline that's excellent at one place and rattling at the next.

This guide pulls it together. For each topic you get the short answer plus a link to the full article, so you know where you stand fast.

What does rehearsing in Rotterdam cost?

Count on €13 to €18 per hour, or €40 to €50 for a three-hour block, at most Rotterdam rehearsal rooms with backline included. A fixed room with 24/7 access sits higher, at €200 to €400 a month. The sticker price isn't always the final price, though: VAT, a mandatory three-hour block, and evening surcharges all add up.

The full breakdown, with a comparison table of Rotterdam providers and the costs they like to leave out, is in how much a rehearsal space costs.

Rent by the hour or take a fixed room?

Per hour is cheaper if you play irregularly. The moment you rehearse weekly or more, or want to play at changing times, it tips towards a fixed room or membership: you're not paying for cheaper hours, but for guaranteed and flexible access.

Which membership types exist and how to work out your own break-even point is in rehearsal space membership: when is it worth it.

What do you need in the rehearsal room?

Most band rehearsal rooms supply the backline: drum kit, bass amp, two guitar amps, and a PA with vocal mics. You bring your instrument, sticks, strings, cables, and hearing protection. Watch out, because the gear isn't included everywhere, and the quality varies a lot.

What backline is exactly and what you bring yourself is in what is backline.

Get more out of every rehearsal

A good room is half the work; the other half is how you use it. Come with a plan, learn your part at home, work to a time schedule, play at a volume where you can hear each other, and record the session. Then your time goes into playing together instead of setting up and talking.

The full approach with ten concrete tips is in band rehearsal tips.

Types of rehearsal space in Rotterdam

Not every "rehearsal space" is the same, and the type sets the price and the feel.

• Rehearsal centres and collectives. Shared buildings with several rooms, rented by the hour or block, usually with backline. Affordable, but popular and so often full.
• Recording studios with a rehearsal room. Studios that rent rehearsal time alongside recording. A bit pricier, often with better acoustics.
• Your own fixed room. A room that's only yours; you leave your gear set up. For bands that are there almost daily.
• 24/7 rooms with a smart lock. The newest form: your own code, no opening hours, no reception. You pay a premium for the flexibility.

How do you choose the right rehearsal space?

Before you book, run through these points:

• Is backline included in the price, and what exactly is there?
• Is there a minimum booking, often three hours at peak times?
• What are the opening hours, and do they fit your schedule?
• Are prices shown including or excluding VAT, and is there a deposit?
• How far do you have to travel, and can you load in and park?
• On a membership: what's the notice period, and do unused hours expire?

A room that's cheap on paper but far away, closes early, and charges for gear separately is expensive in practice.

Rehearsing is more than a room

The best rehearsals don't happen in a vacuum. An active scene, fellow musicians, and a place to be heard make you better faster than any room can. At AnyTime Music that comes with a community, with jam sessions and events. And if you just want to walk in and play, with everything ready 24/7, take a look at our studio.