What does it actually take to build a career in music? Not the version you read about — the real thing. The relationships, the rooms, the conversations that don’t happen in classrooms.

That’s the question at the heart of the Sony Music Group (SMG) Global Scholars Program, and this July, 47 scholars from universities across the US, New Zealand, Mongolia, and beyond spent four days in at our 25 Madison offices in New York getting an answer.

SMG’s Global Scholars Program was created through the Global Social Justice Fund to expand access to music education and open doors for the next generation of diverse industry talent. The annual conference is where the scholarship becomes an experience — a chance for scholars to step inside the company, meet the people shaping the business, and leave with something that goes beyond coursework.

This year’s cohort got remarkable access. They heard from Sony Music Group Chairman & CEO Rob Stringer and Sony Music Publishing CEO Jon Platt. They went deep on streaming economics, rights and licensing, artist development, and the business of touring. They talked with artists and songwriters. They learned what it looks like to run a global music company — not from a textbook, but from the people doing it.

“I’m still in disbelief that someone from a small town and a first-generation college student has been given an opportunity like this,” said a Global Scholar visiting New York for the first time. “I have so many core memories through the productions of Sony Music and I can’t be more grateful for an opportunity like this.”

The conference was also designed to get scholars out of the conference room and into the actual spaces where music gets made. Across Sony Music’s 28th floor studios, scholars worked alongside producers, engineers, songwriters, and A&R professionals for hands-on sessions covering everything from the technical craft of record-making to what sustainable artist development actually looks like. Those conversations — paired with the fireside-style discussions and panels happening throughout the week — gave scholars a complete picture of the industry from multiple vantage points at once.

“I look forward to creating more of my own music, from initial songwriting ideas to final mastering. I feel more comfortable pursuing my passions outside of academia,” said a Global Scholar following their experience learning from Sony Music artists, songwriters and producers.

Scholars also connected with Sony Music’s Emerging Professionals NYC network and closed the week with a scholar-led conversation about the future of the industry — a fitting end to four days spent learning from the people currently shaping it.

“The conversations that occurred during these four days are why Sony Music established this program. When scholars engage directly with our executives, artists, songwriters, producers and employees across the business, they gain an understanding of the industry that can’t be replicated elsewhere,” said Towalame Austin, EVP, Global Philanthropy, Social Impact & Environment, Sony Music Group. “We hope they leave with not only knowledge, but the confidence to see themselves in this industry.”

This was the second year of the SMG Global Scholars Program conference, and by every measure, the program continues to grow in reach and impact. For scholars, it’s more than a week in New York — it’s a window into what a career in this industry can look like, and a community that stays with them long after the conference ends. Watch the recap video to see the week through their eyes and read more about the event from Billboard.

The post Inside the Room: The 2026 Sony Music Group Global Scholars Conference appeared first on Sony Music.