The next step for Leadley was to create Sydney's first half-inch, 16-track recording studio underneath Hutchings Keyboards shop in Bondi Junction. This studio became the recording home of a significant proportion of the independent music fraternity. It also became one of the first studios in Australia to master albums using digital technology.

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Leadley then shifted his focus to film and TV audio and music. This began with a move to Camperdown, where he introduced digital technology to Australia's largest children's animation production company, Yoram Gross Films. He started with sound and soon had almost all the studio's animation and editing processes running digitally - helping increase Gross's production output fivefold. Leadley also drove the audio production for animated versions of Blinky Bill, Flipper and Skippy.

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It was 1998 when the Australian live action film industry truly recognised Leadley's extraordinary skills. He was asked to set up a music for film division at Australia's leading feature film audio production house, Soundfirm, at Sydney's Fox Studios. Over the next decade Leadley was music editor for films such as Dark City, Master & Commander, Happy Feet, The Bank Job, Australia and Moulin Rouge, for which he received a Hollywood technical Oscar (a Golden Reel - Motion Picture Sound Editing Award).

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The pinnacle for Leadley was the creation of the Trackdown Scoring Stage at Fox Studios. This room has become recognised as one of the five best orchestral recording rooms in the world. It has been a favourite home for music groups as diverse as the Sydney Symphony, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Whitlams, John Mayer and The Angels.

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Leadley was also a keen snow skier, scuba diver, ocean swimmer and bike rider, having completed many Sydney to the Gong rides, Bondi to Bronte swims as well often being spotted on the black runs on the Australian and New Zealand slopes.

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Simon Leadley died on February 24, 2010 from cancer.