Petaluma software developer BIAS Inc. shuts down

Berkley Integrated Audio Software, better known BIAS, a Petaluma company that developed sound editing software, has shut down.

"BIAS, Inc. has ceased operations," the company stated on its website. "We would like to thank all the BIAS customers and friends for the opportunity to have served the audio community for over 16 amazing years."

The company made Peak, audio editing software used by musicians, podcasters and sound designers; and iProRecorder, an application for smartphones, among other software.

Phones at the company were not working on Monday morning, and attempts to reach executives via email were not successful.

At its peak a few years ago, the company had 20 employees, but its workforce had slimmed to less than 10, said Jason Davies, former vice president of business development, who left BIAS in February to start his own business. The Petaluma office had closed nearly a year ago and employees were working from home, Davies said. Even so, the news of the company's closure came as a surprise.

"I do know that business could have been better," Davies said. "But when I left, there was no indication that there was an imminent closure."

Founded in 1994 in Sausalito by Steve Berkley, the company made specialized audio equipment that engineers could use as a supplement or plug-in to programs like Pro Tools, he said.

"A lot of what's happened is that market has dried up, because more and more users are doing their work inside of a product like Pro Tools, and feeling less need to go outside of that," Davies said.