For 25 years musicians have been seeking out a small recording studio nestled in the south Norfolk countryside, but now the final chords are about to be played.

The Mill Recording Studio, which was set up by Jonny Cole in 1997 and has helped up-and-coming local artists along with international stars produce demo and albums, is set to close its doors for good.

Mr Cole said that he is shutting the Winfarthing studio. He said he had made the decision because he wanted to sell the property and because changes in the music industry meant more people were recording in their own homes.

During the last two decades, Mr Cole has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Jamiroquai producer, Al Stone; mixer for Macy Gray and Foo Fighters, Dave Way; and drummer for Annie Lennox and Anastasia, Steve Barney.

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He has also worked with bands and artists signed with Island, EMI, DreamWorks, Rough Trade and Fierce Panda.

His work took off in April 2000 after collaborating with artist Sebastian Rogers, who got a record deal with London Records based on some demos recorded at the studio.

Mr Cole said: "As part of the deal they wanted us to continue working from The Mill and so they supplied a Pro Tools system which at the time was at the cutting edge and a massive upgrade for the studio.

"I think this helped build the reputation of the studio and I was in turn building confidence with my recording and mixing.

"These digital recording systems are now commonplace, but at the time it was remarkable what we could now achieve in the studio.

"As part of this album production we visited several major studios in the the UK and United States working with some notable producers and mixing engineers; a fantastic learning experience which I could bring back to The Mill."

His career highlight included working on the song Mr Blue by Catherine Feeny, which appeared on the Sony Pictures film Running with Scissors in 2006.

Mr Cole added: "I recorded my parents' ancient piano in their living room for the track and it's funny to think that it's now been heard by millions of people.

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"Following this there was an explosion of indie rock bands, probably following the success of the Arctic Monkeys and this saw a new generation of young guitar bands coming to the studio.

"The Kabeedies were a great example of this new energetic force and we recorded two fantastic albums together and several singles which picked up a lot of attention."

Mr Cole said that along with wanting to sell the property a reason for closing the studio is due to a change in recording habits.

"There are still loads of fantastic musicians around but I think the scene for bands and recording has changed, with many acts being able to record and mix from home," he added.

"There will always be an important place for specific studios and more importantly the knowledge of those who work there, but it is certainly a challenging business to run as a full-time operation.

"It is a big change for me but it feels like the right time and to be honest I never expected to be running the place for this long when I started out."

Over the years, musicians and artists from all genres have walked through The Mill Recording Studio doors.

Mr Cole said: "The studio has been a great and quite unique place to work from and I think the atmosphere - the studio vibe - has given it a special feel for a lot of musicians.

"I count myself fortunate to have had this time and met so many great people and made lifelong friends along the way.

"Over the years there's been thousands of sessions across so many genres; indie, rock, metal, hip-hop, rockabilly, classical, folk, singer-songwriter.

"For me the real highlight of my time at The Mill are the shared experience of making these recordings with the musicians and I hope that the tracks continue to bring enjoyment to whoever listens."