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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Music WorX is the music-technology incubator run by Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft for early-stage teams building products at the intersection of music and technology (creation tools, interactive media, streaming and monetisation, AI for music, instruments and audio gear). Selected teams receive a EUR 3,200 development budget for support services plus a EUR 1,500 per month living allowance over the 3-month programme, mentoring from a European music-tech network, and the chance to win a EUR 1,000 audience prize and a EUR 2,500 jury prize at demo day. The incubator takes no equity. Open to European founders and founding teams (teams of at least two recommended, solo founders welcome); no formal company formation is required to apply. The programme runs roughly September to December 2026. Application deadline: 17 June 2026. Apply via the Airtable form linked from the official programme page.
ZKM | Hertzlab's Sonic Experiments artist-in-residence programme awards four scholarships to composers and sound artists specialising in electronic music: three to international artists and one to a composer with a local connection to Karlsruhe (current/former address, school, university, etc.). The 2026 edition, 'Resonating Futures', seeks artists exploring science fiction and space travel through composition and conceptual work; thematic areas may include utopian and/or dystopian approaches, the global climate crisis, decolonial perspectives, health and wellbeing, and the post-human world. The call is open to composers and sound artists of all ages and backgrounds. PROJECT AREAS: composition for live electronics; mixed music (acoustic instruments combined with electronics); experimental performance with a prominent electronic-music or sound component; live coding; and fixed media. Works may be produced in audiovisual format, and there is the opportunity to work with spatial sound (including for applicants new to it). FINANCIAL: EUR 1,500 for the entire residency (covers production, living and travel), plus free ZKM accommodation near Schlosspark for non-local grantees. TO APPLY: submit application materials to image@zkm.de by 28 June 2026, 11:59pm CEST; include the keywords 'Karlsruhe local connection' in the subject line if applying for the local scholarship. Incomplete or non-compliant applications will not be considered. Results announced July 2026.
STIP-6 is a Musikfonds scholarship programme supporting professional musicians who work on AI-based composition and who reflect critically and societally on the role of artificial intelligence in music. Ten scholarships of EUR 30,000 each are awarded for the 2027 working year. Open to Germany-based professional freelance musicians across genres; no computer-science or technical background is required. Deadline 30 June 2026, 18:00 CET. Details and application via the Musikfonds funding programmes page (apply at musikfonds-antrag.de). NOTE: this entry was sourced from research and the funder's pages may update; confirm current figures and deadline before applying.
Initiative Musik's artist funding (Kuenstler:innenfoerderung) is a career-development project grant for solo artists and bands working in popular genres such as pop, rock, jazz, indie and electronic music, helping them build their presence in Germany and internationally. Funding is up to EUR 60,000 per project per year through degressive co-financing (40 to 60 percent of costs; minimum request EUR 6,000). Applicants must be based in Germany and the application is submitted in German. The 74th round deadline is 17 July 2026 (round opens 26 June 2026); a 75th round runs 11 September to 2 October 2026. NOTE: research-sourced; confirm current figures and round dates on the funder's site before applying.
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.
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.