Singapore's music scene is in a different gear than it was even five years ago. Bedroom producers are landing on global playlists. Indie acts are selling out The Esplanade Annexe Studio. DJs from the local circuit are getting booked at international festivals. The talent has always been here. The next step is rarely about talent. It's about access.
The JBL Music Academy 2026 is exactly that. A global programme led by JBL with mentorship from Martin Garrix and Benson Boone at its core, and only 30 spots available worldwide. For emerging local producers, DJs, singer-songwriters, and indie creators, this might be the most career-shaping opportunity yet.
Just ask LIKKI. The Singaporean DJ and erhu player came through the JBL Music Academy Class of 2025, and she's on the Tomorrowland lineup this year. From Academy studios to Tomorrowland grounds is exactly the kind of jump this programme opens up.
The JBL Music Academy is a global initiative built to give the next generation of music talent real access, real music mentorship, and a stage worth showing up for. This year, we've teamed up with brand ambassadors Martin Garrix and Benson Boone to deliver a programme that does more than teach budding artists how to start producing music.
With the JBL Music Academy, we are empowering emerging artists to shape their sound, own their story, and make their voice heard on the world stage. The 2026 application window runs from 1 June to 14 August, with the in-person Academy held at STMPD Studios in Amsterdam between October and November 2026.
Most music academy programmes sell the same package: theory, a syllabus, and a certificate at the end. The JBL Music Academy is built around four pillars that work differently.
It all starts with world-class mentorship. Direct mentorship from Martin Garrix and Benson Boone, two of the most recognised names in global music, sits at the centre of the programme. Both bring real depth across production, performance, and the realities of building a career in music today.
From there, the focus shifts to workshops and creative guidance. Sessions cover everything from advanced production and recording techniques to brand strategy, social content, and the business side that most artists have figured out the hard way. The aim isn't just to learn music production at a deeper level, but to figure out what kind of artist you actually want to be when you leave.
The next layer is global networking. The cohort is made up of artists from across continents. The conversations, collaborations, and connections that come out of the programme have outlasted the experience itself for past alumni, becoming a network that compounds across a career.
Tying it all together are the immersive experiences at STMPD Studios. The workshops are held at Martin Garrix's own STMPD Studios in Amsterdam, where you'll work in the same rooms that produce some of the biggest dance music in the world today. The four days build to a final showcase, your moment to share what you've made with the cohort, the mentors, and the room that helped shape it.
The Academy isn't where the journey ends. It's where it begins. Past alumni have gone on to play Tomorrowland Festival, take the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival, perform at the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), join the JBL Snow Party, and headline Club JBL events in London and Amsterdam. Just look at LIKKI, who went from the Class of 2025 to the Tomorrowland lineup in under a year.
These are the kinds of bookings that take most independent artists years to land on their own, and many alumni are reaching them within months of finishing the programme.
The Academy works because it does what most music academy programmes promise but rarely deliver. It puts emerging artists in front of the right people, in the right rooms, at the right point in their careers.
Singapore has never been short on talent. From university music clubs to the producer collectives shaping local sound, to the DJ scene around Aliwal Arts Centre, the energy is here. What's often been missing is access to a global stage early in a career.
The JBL Music Academy is built for that exact gap. If you've been wondering how to start producing music at a level that travels beyond your home studio, this is the opportunity to find out. We see this programme as our commitment to the music community, investing in the artists who'll shape what Singapore's sound looks like over the next decade. From indie collectives to student songwriters, this is the kind of creative energy the Academy is built for.
With only 30 spots open globally, the JBL Music Academy fills fast. The application process is three steps and worth getting moving on early.
Step 1: Sign up on the JBL Music Academy page with your name and email.
Step 2: Receive your credentials and access the full application portal.
Step 3: Complete your application by submitting your artist profile, 3 tracks you've produced, and a short video explaining why you deserve a spot.
The window closes on 14 August 2026 at 23:59 CET. Selected applicants will be notified in September, with the four-day Academy itself taking place at STMPD Studios in Amsterdam in November. The Academy is open to artists aged 18 and over who aren't currently signed to a record label, and all sessions are held in English. Flights, accommodation, and meals are all covered. It's just on you to show up.
Strong applications take time, so don't leave it until the final week. Check out the full terms and conditions for more information.
If you've been building your sound from a bedroom, a shared studio, or the back room of a venue, this is your sign to send the demo you've been sitting on.
Sign up for the JBL Music Academy today, and pair the experience with the right gear from the JBL Online Store, including headphones built for long studio sessions and even longer creative ones.
