It takes less than two minutes to get started.

• Visit the account creation page
• Enter your details in each box.  If you have a referral code from another Pirate customer, please enter it at this point
• Select 'Join Pirate Studios' and we’ll send you a verification text to confirm your mobile number.  You’ll need to confirm this number before you can use your account
• All done? You’re ready to get booking. We’ll send you a quick email on making your first booking.

Welcome to Pirate!

There are several reasons why your payment might be failing. As long as you have sufficient funds in your bank account or on your credit card balance, it should all work fine. However, if you spell the address or postcode wrong, this can cause the payment to fail.

Quick fixes:

• Please ensure the name, address and postcode you enter is identical to your card details
• Your bank may have placed a block on your card for payments to us. Give them a quick call and they can lift it
• Change your payment method
• If it fails again, drop us a quick note via live chat or email the support team

When you enter your payment details, you will see a nice green tick on the Stripe screen. This tick does not mean your transaction has been authorised, but that you have entered your name and address, the 16 digit card number, expiry date and CVV correctly.

Our system then contacts your bank to process the transaction.  Your bank then releases the funds into a 'pending state', waiting for collection.

If your payment has failed due to an address error, we will not collect the funds and they will return to your account within 24 hours when your bank realises the funds will not be retrieved.

Digital verification is required for all customers who use our DJ and Production rooms, and for those who want to redeem Refer-A-Friend credit.

You only ever need to do it once, and we never pass on your details. The better the quality of your documents and selfie, the quicker the process. We advise using mobile to achieve the best picture quality for photos.

• Once you have set up or logged into your Pirate Studios account, go to 'My bookings' and click 'Verify'.
• Choose your document; a passport, driver’s licence or identity card. Make sure your document is in date/valid or this will delay the process.
• Place the document in front of the camera, so it fills the box. Our verification system will automatically detect it for you. If you are having problems, you can always upload a photo/file. We always recommend using phone cameras rather than webcams on laptops, as they give much clearer quality.
• Take a high-quality selfie. Like passport photos, make sure you’re not wearing any sunglasses, headwear and there are no other people in the frame. Keep facial expressions blank so our system can work as quickly as possible. That's it!

Sorry, we can’t accept pictures uploaded from Facebook, Snapchat or anywhere else. Please take a fresh selfie from the time of verification or the application will be refused. When documents and selfies are submitted clearly and in the best light/quality, you can be authorised in a matter of minutes. Once verified, you will be able to receive your codes for your booking.

If you have any further questions, drop us a message in live chat — we're here to help.

Slow and gentle!  Our locks can be a little sensitive so put your code in slowly and as detailed on your booking — such as * 1 2 3 4 5 6. Don't forget the star!

You might be sent a four-digit code as a replacement for the booking, such as 1 2 3 4.  As above, press slowly and in this case, with no star, *.

If you're having trouble with the lock or code, please contact us and we'll help get you in as soon as possible.

Where recording is available, you will see the OpenLIVE logo on the studio image on the booking calendar.  When you select Book room, you will be prompted to add OpenLIVE to the session. Once you click Yes, OpenLIVE will be added to the session.

Once you exit the payment process, you’ll receive emails confirming your scheduled recording from OpenLIVE. If you don’t receive your confirmation, please drop us a note via live chat or email and we'll check for you.

Once your practice is complete, you'll get a notification from OpenLIVE when the session is ready to hear on the OpenLIVE dashboard.  This may take up to an hour or more depending on the length of the recording. 

If you've not yet received your OpenLIVE log in details, please check your spam folders or email the OpenLive team.

Questions or issues with an academy booking? Contact our dedicated UK team on +44 121 679 5681 or drop us a line at academy@piratestudios.co.uk.