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’s Office Hours
Last spring, Artist-in-Residence Jacob Collier joined a select group of students at the Sony Audio Institute studio at 370J Media Commons in Brooklyn for an intimate “Office Hours” masterclass. Working directly with students, Collier shared hands-on insight into his approach to composition, production, and experimentation. The session culminated in a collaborative demo between Collier and the students, turning a blank canvas into a fully realized track.
Student Testimonial:
“Jacob is a very sunny person: energetic and genuinely enthusiastic about working with new people. He managed to run a full production session while making room for multiple points of view. I had only met one of the other students beforehand, so it was impressive to watch Jacob's workflow open space for a room of people who had never written or produced together. He started by asking each of us what we could play, and from there everyone got a part on the song. We recorded vocals and instruments live in the room, so the track came together right in front of us. It was a lovely experience - each of us had a chance to share our ideas and watch them bounce off one another.
I've always loved working with new musicians and creating in groups, so this was more than a chance to collaborate with a Grammy-winning artist. It was also a way to meet students from other majors who share my interest in production. I'm so grateful for this experience. Jacob is an incredibly inspiring creative, and watching him work reminded me how joyful and open music-making can be. I'm excited to see who this semester's artist in residence will be and what other opportunities might come my way through the Sony Audio Institute.”
Sony Audio Institute Fall 2025 Grand Prize Winners Head to Tokyo
Last fall, the Sony Audio Institute launched its Fall 2025 Collaborative Project, bringing together thirteen student teams to explore a forward-looking question: What does the future of personal listening and creative empowerment look like—from a software and experience design perspective—for both artists and listeners?
Congratulations to Women in STEMS, the grand prize winners of the Sony Audio Institute Fall 2025 Project! As part of their prize, recent Music Business graduates Jasmin Power, Alanna Mahon, Aiyana Echols, and Lacey Hunter traveled to Tokyo, Japan, where they presented their vision for the future of personal listening and creative empowerment at Sony Headquarters. During their trip, the team also experienced Sony’s cutting-edge audio technologies and immersed themselves in Japanese culture.
Sony Audio Institute Sends Two Students to Jacob Collier’s HIDEAWAY
This past summer, the Sony Audio Institute sponsored Music Technology senior Saima Hasan and Songwriting and Production sophomore Sydney Piller to attend Artist-in-Residence Jacob Collier’s 2026 HIDEAWAY retreat in Il Ciocco, Tuscany. The four-day retreat brought together approximately 250 musicians and creators from around the world for masterclasses, workshops, live performances, and collaborative sessions focused on creativity, songwriting, production, and musical exploration.
The experience gave Saima and Sydney the opportunity to learn directly from Jacob Collier and other leading artists while connecting with fellow musicians and experiencing a unique creative community in the Tuscan countryside.
Sony Audio Institute Brings Immersive Audio to Students
The Sony Audio Institute continues to expand access to immersive audio technology for NYU students. To date, SAI has provided 460+ students with Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones and conducted 300+ personalized Virtual Mix Environment (VME) measurements, with this work continuing throughout the academic year. Students who complete their VME measurements also receive Sony MDR-MV1 Open-Back Headphones, giving them the tools to experience and apply personalized spatial audio in their own creative work.
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.
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.
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.
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 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