The Sony Audio Institute was created by NYU Steinhardt leadership and faculty and Sony's Personal Entertainment Business, which is responsible for Sony's professional and consumer audio business and heavily focused on its engagement and support of music and creators at all levels, including producers, engineers, songwriters, recording studios and more through its hardware and innovative audio solutions.
The partnership between NYU and Sony creates a dynamic hub where students can connect classroom learning with real-world music industry experience. This collaboration will offer workshops, internships, and special events, alongside dedicated spaces for hands-on innovation, such as the Sony Audio Institute Studio at NYU’s Brooklyn campus, which is equipped with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and 360 Virtual Mixing Environment. NYU venues will also host student-led programming that blends academic study with professional practice. In addition, the Institute will provide scholarships and research fellowships, supporting and inspiring the next generation of music creators and industry leaders.
What We Offer
Research
A collaboration with NYU’s Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL), which studies the convergence of science, technology, music, and sound, collaborates within the Sony Audio Institute working with Sony researchers and engineers, will focus on music and audio technologies. Joint research will complement MARL’s existing activities, creating a space where students help to shape the future of music and technology.
Events
The partnership between NYU and Sony cultivates student engagement through workshops, internships and special events, connecting students with real-world opportunities. Events will give students exclusive access to Sony affiliate audio products, services and technologies, including 360 Reality Audio and Virtual Mixing Environment.
Scholarships
Through the Sony Audio Institute, NYU offers a scholarship program to assist undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at NYU Steinhardt in Music Business and Music Technology who demonstrate financial need and academic merit with a preference for students who have an interest in pursuing research or careers in the audio industry.
Grants
The Sony Audio Institute offers grants for students and faculty to support innovative projects in music and audio technology. Funding supports research, creative development, and emerging ideas shaping the future of sound, with opportunities for both short-term and year-long projects.
Internships
The Sony Audio Institute manages an internship program granting selected students the opportunity to gain professional experience through hands-on work. Interns will develop skills in areas such as marketing and creative development, research and content creation with the goal of providing students with valuable, career-building experience that aligns with their academic goals.
Recent Highlights
Jacob Collier as Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence
The Sony Audio Institute welcomed Jacob Collier as our Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence with a special evening at Sony Hall on February 17, where he transformed a room of students into a live choir, blending improvisation, storytelling, and performance while sharing his creative process and reflections on connection through music.
He continued the residency with an intimate “Office Hours” masterclass at the Sony Audio Institute studio at 370J Media Commons, collaborating with a select group of students to create music and offering hands-on insight into his approach to composition, production, and experimentation.
Sony Audio Institute at Strawberry Fest
The Sony Audio Institute hosted a booth at Strawberry Fest, raffling off two WH-1000XM6 headphones while engaging students with a “guess the song” game. Participants also had the chance to win a range of additional prizes, including movie tickets, NYU Sony Audio Institute–branded notebooks, IER headphones, and one-year BandLab access codes.
Inside K-pop: The Art and Business of Going Global
Inside K-pop: The Art and Business of Going Global brought together industry professionals and students for a panel exploring how one of the world’s most influential music movements is built, marketed, and scaled across borders. Featuring Meg Harkins, alum Cherriana Wang, and Olivia Jones, the discussion unpacked strategies behind artist development, global fan engagement, and international marketing in today’s K-pop landscape, followed by a Q&A session.
Sony Audio Institute Career Summit
The Sony Audio Institute Career Summit brought together nearly 50 students from both Music Technology and Music Business for a day of career-focused programming, networking, and industry insights.
This year’s theme, Creating a Space for Yourself When Opportunity Doesn’t Exist Yet, guided the day’s discussions and activities. The event included a keynote presentation with Spotify's AI DJ , alum Xavier 'DJ X" Jernigan, two panel discussions with music industry professionals.
In Conversation With Fab Dupont
In Conversation With… Fab Dupont featured Grammy Award–winning producer, mix engineer, and educator Fab Dupont in an open conversation about his career, creative process, and experiences across the music industry. The session offered attendees the opportunity to hear directly from him and engage in a Q&A discussion.
Women Behind the Sound: Industry Insights Panel
The GRAMMY U New York Chapter and the Sony Audio Institute hosted GRAMMY U Industry Insights: The Women Behind the Sound as a collaborative effort for Women’s History Month.
Speakers Gloria Kaba, Ann Mincieli, and Angie Teo shared insights into their careers and creative processes, moderated by Gabi Grella.
Sony Audio Institute Open House
The Sony Audio Institute recently held its Open House, welcoming students into a new space for collaboration, innovation, and creative exploration in music. During the event, students also learned about a collaborative project opportunity that they may have the chance to present directly to Sony in Spring 2026.
In the News
Jacob Collier brings musical storytelling to Sony Hall
On February 17, the Sony Audio Institute hosted a special evening with Jacob Collier at Sony Hall. He opened the night by transforming a room full of students into a live choir, blending improvisation, storytelling, and performance before diving into his creative process and reflections on connection through music.
Steinhardt unveils Sony Audio Institute Studio in NYU Brooklyn
Students and faculty celebrated NYU’s new Sony Audio Institute Studio at an unveiling ceremony in Brooklyn, recognizing the facility — formerly named the Audio Lab — for its state-of-the-art technology, programming and scholarship offerings.
Sony Audio Institute Launches Scholarships for Graduate Students
Established through a strategic partnership between NYU Steinhardt and Sony, the Sony Audio Institute (SAI) has a scholarship program to help support graduate students at Steinhardt who are interested in careers or research in the audio industry.
Sony Gives NYU $7.5 Million for an Audio Institute
New York University and the Sony Corporation through its Personal Entertainment Business’ U.S. operations (Sony) announce the launch of the Sony Audio Institute, an initiative designed to prepare the next generation of creators and innovators within NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, fostering innovation at the intersection of technology, music and business.
Sony Audio Institute Leadership
Larry S. Miller
Clinical Professor; Executive Director of the Sony Audio Institute
For more information, contact steinhardt.sonyinstitute@nyu.edu