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The Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele.

In 1999, The Hit Factory purchased Criteria Recording and in March 2005 moved the facility to Miami, Florida under the new name Hit Factory Criteria. It was purchased from Jerry Ragovoy by Edward Germano on March 6, 1975. From 1989 to 1993, the company also operated The Hit Factory London.

On July 24, 2002, it opened Studios 6 and 7, complete with Solid State Logic 80-input XL boards. Each Studio contains a 48-channel Pro Tools MIXPlus system, a Sony 3348 HR, two Studer A827s, and outboard racks tailored for surround mixing.

After Germano's death in 2003, the business was taken over by his wife Janice Germano.

Hit Factory was officially closed for business April 1st 2005. Speculation about the current state of the music and recording industry led many to believe that The Hit Factory closed due to a lack of business being generated. However, It was widely known within the building prior to the closing date that The Hit Factory had in fact had some of it's best months on record. The NY Daily news concluded at the end of their article entitled "The Sound of Silence at Studio" that "Big-name studios like The Hit Factory once had a lock on the recording industry, but technological advances have made it cheaper and easier for stars to build their own state-of-the-art facilities, often in their homes. In a statement, The Hit Factory acknowledged the industry is moving away from large-scale studios to "destination" locations like Miami that offer sunny weather and a hot nightlife."

Troy Germano (CEO and son of owner Edward Germano) reported to the NY Post within days of the original press release that in fact any rumors about the "digital age" or a lack of business were false rumors and that the studio had closed directly due to the actions of his mother, Janice Germano.

In December 2006 Stribling and Assocs, a New York real-estate broker, began marketing The Hit Factory as a luxury condominium. Twenty-seven loft-style apartments went on sale, including six duplexes. Prices started at about $1 million. The developers have said that there will continue to be rehearsal space for musicians on the ground floor. The Hit Factory Condo Website

After the death of John Lennon, on December 8, 1980, the legendary status of the hit-generating Hit Factory became even greater. Mourners and music fans around the world read accounts of the murder in newspapers on the days following the shooting, and the Hit Factory was mentioned in some of these publications. However, there is controversy as to whether he was recording at the Hit Factory or the nearby Record Plant the day he was murdered. Most publications cite the Record Plant as the location. Individuals present with John, including his producer Jack Douglas, cite the Record Plant as the studio where he spent his time recording and mixing tracks that evening.^[1][2]

• Tarkan
• Bad Boy
• Tony Bennett
• Toni Braxton
• Daddy Yankee
• Danity Kane
• Dream Theater
• Missy Elliott
• Eve
• Foghat
• Guster
• Michael Jackson
• Lenny Kravitz
• LL Cool J
• John Lennon
• Madonna
• Matchbox Twenty
• Paul McCartney
• Namie Amuro
• The Notorious B.I.G.
• Kenji Ozawa
• Ruslana
• Santana
• Shakira
• Bruce Springsteen
• Sting
• Clay Aiken
• Barbra Streisand
• Paul Simon
• Timbaland
• Utada Hikaru
• U2
• Luther Vandross
• Stevie Wonder
• Danja
• Kelley McRae
• Maná
• Jennifer Lopez

• The first album recorded in the facility was Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder.
• John Lennon and Yoko Ono's album Double Fantasy in 1980.
• The Rolling Stones' album Emotional Rescue.
• Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A..
• Paul Simon's album Graceland.
• The last album recorded in the facility was Octavarium, by Dream Theater.

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