Local record label Bi-Fi Records is losing its recording studio, but it’s not the end of making music for Bi-Fi.

Created in the summer of 1999, Bi-Fi Records, under the ownership of five men, opened a commercial recording studio and began signing local bands to the label. Over the course of four years, however, Bi-Fi suffered financially and as of Nov. 1, the commercial studio, formerly located at 4911 W. Lincoln Way, no longer exists.

Aaron Hefley, co-owner of Bi-Fi Records, says even though the commercial studio has closed, the label itself is still intact.

“Besides having the same name, [the studio and label] are completely separate,” Hefley says. “We just didn’t generate enough studio business for the label.”

There is still hope for bands that want to record music, though. Patrick Fleming, co-owner along with Joe Williams and Hefley, moved all of the equipment to a room in his house in order to create a private studio.

Jim Durocher, guitarist for Senator Kelly, will soon be signing on with Bi-Fi Records and has recorded in the private studio.

“I don’t think it’s odd at all,” says Durocher, freshman in liberal arts and sciences. “Some of the studios out there are haphazard. The setup [Fleming] has in his house is pretty nice.”

Jeremy Grace and Joe Terry are currently inactive owners and will no longer be associated with Bi-Fi after the end of the year. Hefley says Grace chose to leave ownership to focus on his band, Organ Donor, which is under the Bi-Fi label. Hefley says Terry has decided to leave the label to focus on the studio.

“Joe Terry still has interest in operating the commercial studio,” Hefley says.

Grace and Terry could not be reached as of Wednesday night.

Hefley says he is glad he and the other owners are no longer running the commercial studio because money was coming out of their pockets to foot the bills of operation.

“It opens up a lot of opportunities for the label because our money won’t be tied up in studio operations,” Hefley says.

Bi-Fi Records has worked with 12 to 15 bands since 1999 and currently has five active bands on the label. They include The Envy Corps, Poison Control Center, Joe Terry, Frankenixon and Organ Donor. Hefley says the studio is a resource for bands on the label and the label supports bands financially and promotes their albums.

One of those bands, The Envy Corps, is currently working in the private studio mixing its debut album, “Humble Hero/Lurking in the Shadows.” Frontman Luke Pettipoole, loves the new location.

“It’s a great environment,” Pettipoole says. “It’s more of a family feel.”

Hefley says Bi-Fi has never accepted demo tapes because it doesn’t have the resources for it. Instead, the owners take a more unconventional route to signing bands.

“We find them, we become friends with them and it becomes this natural ‘we love their music’ type of thing,” Hefley says.

Pettipoole says his band got started when he saw a sign in the window of Bi-Fi Records and walked inside. After playing a couple of songs for Fleming on acoustic guitar, Pettipoole recruited three friends and formed The Envy Corps.

“The band started when Bi-Fi started taking interest,” Pettipoole says.

Hefley says he wants to create a national presence for Bi-Fi’s local bands and is excited about the label.

“Things are still going on with us and we have a lot of big releases coming out,” Hefley says.

Pettipoole believes the new accommodations will be better for the owners.

“With this they can focus on the bands they love and want to be behind,” Pettipoole says.