Currently 8 active audio, sound and music grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the EU. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Villa Filanda Antonini (VFA) launches its Spring Open Call to select up to 4 artists and professionals for a one-month residency in March 2027 on the theme 'Sonic Connections', focused on experimental music, sound art, and performances. Hosted at Villa Filanda Antonini, a former silk mill in Villorba, Italy, the project brings together four international artists and professionals to examine the relationship between architecture, landscape, and collective sonic experience. ADDRESSED TO: artists, performers, curators, designers, and professionals not currently residing in Italy. GRANT & BENEFITS: a fully funded residency covering mentoring, accommodation, travel costs, production costs, and a daily salary, plus a EUR 1,000 residency stipend. WHEN: 1-31 March 2027. HOW TO APPLY: complete the application form and attach a CV, portfolio, project proposal, and letter of reference. The VFA residency program has been selected under conditions by Culture Moves Europe, a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut. Deadline: 19 July 2026, 23:59 CEST.
The Digital Media and Arts Research Centre (DMARC) and CMC Ireland announce the second year of the Sonic Arts Residency Programme at the University of Limerick Electronic Music Studio for 2026/27. The residency offers Irish and international composers and sound artists an opportunity to develop their creative practice and experiment using UL's facilities. FACILITIES: the Electronic Music Studio (EMS) featuring both digital and analogue workflows, including a bespoke Buchla 200e; a 32-channel immersive sound lab (SpADE); a makerspace supporting electronics and fabrication; and a range of well-equipped recording studios with a wide selection of microphones and production hardware and software. DMARC is based in the Computer Science and Information Systems Department at UL and has a long history supporting digital arts, electronic music, and computer-aided composition (hosting the 2022 International Computer Music Conference and 2020 International Conference on Live Coding, the Diffusion Prize with RTE Lyric FM, and partnering with Light Moves Festival). PROGRAMME: each residency lasts 10 working days within one of two windows, September-December 2026 or January-March 2027. Support includes a EUR 1,000 honorarium from CMC, a travel bursary up to EUR 350, and an accommodation bursary up to EUR 1,400 (ten nights), with DMARC helping identify accommodation. There is an outreach/presentation element: a one-hour talk/performance for the DMARC community of students and researchers, and required documentation of the process (photo, video, recordings, and/or written reflections) that may be published by CMC on social media; artists may also be invited to contribute to CMC's amplify podcast series or online features at cmc.ie/features. The programme runs 2025-27 with support for six artists (4 Irish, 2 international). ASSESSMENT: candidates apply via an online form submitting a CV, work samples, an outline of the residency project (including technical requirements), how they propose to engage with the facilities, and how the residency would benefit their practice. Criteria: artistic quality of the proposal including development of work using either the SpADE system or Buchla 200e; how the opportunity supports the candidate's current career stage and artistic goals; demonstrated technical capacity to engage with the facilities; and balanced representation of genres, gender, and geographical regions. TO APPLY: complete the online application form linked from the opportunity page. Closing date: 11am (IST), 5 August 2026; late applications will not be accepted. Questions: jurgen.simpson@ul.ie or kfennell@cmc.ie. Applications are jointly assessed by DMARC and the Contemporary Music Centre.
Musikfonds Small Project Funding supports new, experimental and contemporary music projects with grants of up to EUR 3,000, prioritising projects in rural and structurally weaker regions of Germany. A minimum 10 percent co-financing is required and the artist fee must be at least EUR 350 per concert. Applicants and projects must be based in Germany. Application windows close 31 August 2026 and 30 November 2026. NOTE: research-sourced; confirm current figures and window dates on the Musikfonds site before applying.
The Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) invites applications for its 2027 Artists in Residence program, fostering artistic exchange in key areas of current research. Residencies are available in five themes: Spatial Audio; Klavierautomat (algorithmic composition); Moving Loudspeakers; Dance and Generative AI; and Object Performance. The program offers access to ICST's facilities and technical infrastructure, professional support from researchers, and per diems for meals and accommodation. Artists and musicians working with sound and sound media, whose practice reflects a strong interest in one of the listed research areas, are encouraged to apply. One selected project from the Spatial Audio Residency will be featured at the SONIC MATTER Festival 2028 as part of an ongoing partnership. PRACTICAL: residencies include use of facilities and technical infrastructure as specified in the thematic descriptions, plus technical support by ICST research staff. Participants receive a contribution toward travel to Zurich (up to CHF 300 for persons living in Europe, up to CHF 500 for persons living outside Europe) and a per diem to cover meals and accommodation in Zurich; participants organise their own travel and accommodation, with ICST assistance if required. Residency dates are defined individually. APPLICATION: submitted via the online form, uploading a concept sketch, composition idea or project draft (PDF, 2 pages, 10 MB max); a portfolio of three selected works relevant to the residency topic including links to external audio and video (PDF, 2 pages, 10 MB max); and a tabular CV covering education and career (PDF, 1 page, 10 MB max). The residencies are awarded by a jury of ICST researchers and project leaders. TIMELINE: deadline 1 September 2026 at 24:00 CET; candidates notified mid-October 2026. Selected candidates receive forms required for an invitation to Switzerland and must confirm participation and return completed forms within 10 days or the invitation may be withdrawn.
Pro Helvetia's creation and production grant for contemporary music supports the creation and production of new musical works, including commissioned compositions, music theatre, sound installations, and contemporary productions. Open to nationally established music professionals and ensembles from Switzerland working in contemporary music, music theatre, sound art, or contemporary folk music, with prior Pro Helvetia support. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. AMOUNT: maximum CHF 25,000, depending on overall project size. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
CTM Festival's Radio Lab commissions new radio-based sound works around the CTM 2027 theme In Listening, premiered at the festival in Berlin and broadcast on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. The previous cycle's commission was EUR 5,000 plus travel and lodging; the 2027 fee is not restated on the call page. Open worldwide. The same open-calls page also lists the Resynthesising the Traditional 2027 artistic lab (same 6 September 2026 deadline) and Research Networking Day 2027 (deadline 25 October 2026). Radio Lab deadline 6 September 2026.
The residencies at Q-O2 offer time and space for artistic research, reflection and creation in the field of experimental music and sound art. In 2027, Q-O2 will host 20 residencies, 10 for international artists and 10 for local artists living in Belgium, working with, on or around sound. The programme is open to artists, art workers and theorists who wish to pursue a research-oriented project; note that Q-O2 does not organise production-directed residencies and is not a rehearsal space. Duos are possible, and exceptionally small groups too. SUPPORT: a work studio and materials, a creative and communicative environment, and the possibility to present work to a public and/or propose a workshop; for international residents, accommodation in a shared apartment and a contribution to travel expenses of up to EUR 200; and a small subsistence budget reserved for artists who do not come with other funding. There is no artist fee. A final public presentation can be arranged if the artist wishes but is not expected; what Q-O2 requires are some traces of the residency in word, image and/or audio form. APPLY by 15 September 2026: email a concise project proposal of no more than one page plus a permanent link to your website or other secondary information (no temporary links) to info@q-o2.be with the subject 'Residency27 - your name'. State where you would travel from, how long you would like to stay (4 to 6 weeks), and your interest in Q-O2 as a working environment, and make sure you receive an email confirmation of receipt.
Musikfonds Large Project Funding supports new, experimental and contemporary music projects with grants of up to EUR 50,000. A minimum 10 percent co-financing is required and the artist fee must be at least EUR 300 per concert. Applicants and projects must be based in Germany; pure audio or video productions, university projects and amateur-only projects are excluded. The application window runs 1 to 30 September 2026. NOTE: research-sourced; confirm current figures and window dates on the Musikfonds site before applying.