Do you believe in the power of music to make the world a better place? Join the International Music Industry Lab and together we build healthier music ecosystems.

The International Music Industry Lab (IMI Lab) is a living lab, where students (who are addressed as young professionals), coaches, researchers, professional partners and other stakeholders collaborate and co-create. 

At IMI Lab, we believe that music is more than a commodity. Music has the power to address global issues by connecting to people on a personal level. The music industry can play a vital role in this by being a responsible actor in the music ecosystem. We believe that the music industry can be inclusive, sustainable, and an open, engaging environment for everybody.

At IMI Lab in Haarlem, you will be collaborating with students from other degree programs, harnessing the knowledge you've acquired in your previous years. You'll also work on an equal footing with music industry partners. Unlike a traditional client who just provides you with an assignment, these partners will participate with you, and will also help you grow as a team and as an individual..

Together, you will explore an issue the music industry partner(s)  are facing, challenges that they cannot easily solve on their own. We call them ‘wicked problems’, for which your project team will come up with solutions that they can implement in their daily practice.

During the semester, you will also define your own personal goals, to become a young professional in the music industry. You will meet regularly with your personal coach to talk about your goals, how you want to reach them, and the progress you have made. At the end of the semester, you hand in an individual portfolio.

Challenges within the IMI Lab (may) change from semester to semester. They depend on the partners associated with the semester. Examples of challenges and partners are:

• How to strengthen the local music ecosystem in Amsterdam Zuidoost? (With Prospect Eleven and Poort stage)
• How can the value chain from production to the sale of vinyl records be made more sustainable? (With Music Innovation hub, Haarlem Vinyl Festival and Record Industry)
• What will music copyright look like in 2050? (With Utopia Music)

We work with three overarching learning outcomes or competences. These are:

Experimenting
You design and create creative solutions for complex issues from the metropolitan agglomeration on the basis of analysis and through various iterations and development loops. You do this in collaboration with partners from the professional field and other disciplines from the creative domain.

Interdisciplinary collaboration
You bring in your own (professional) expertise and value and use the perspectives of others for jointly solving problems. You play an active role in teamwork and work together constructively and in a solutionoriented way.

Professionalization
You (proactively) direct his professional development by making substantiated choices, formulating personal learning questions and learning goals, using feedback and reflecting on your professional actions.

• You are at least a third-year bachelor student (propaedeutic year has been completed).
• You are enthusiastic, creative, innovative and can work autonomously.
• You can handle uncertainty and see this as a chance to learn.
• You are passionate to tackle complex challenges together with stakeholders and peer groups.
• Your development is self-directed supported by setting your own educational goals.
• You choose your own educational path supported by a teachers’ coaching and within the opportunities of your team.
• You are open for new and pioneering forms of education and assessments (portfolio development, feedback and reflection).

You are in the lab 4 days a week on average

Group Project and Individual Portfolio