Official ADE Lab Hackathon 2026
Dates: 21–23 October 2026
Location: Amsterdam — Venue announced soon
Part of: ADE Lab 2026
Music Hackspace is proud to bring the Official ADE Lab Hackathon to Amsterdam as part of ADE Lab 2026 — the creative education and innovation programme running alongside Amsterdam Dance Event.
ADE Lab is the place where the global electronic music and music technology community meets to share knowledge, make new things, and shape the future of music. The hackathon is an official element of the programme — alongside Writers Camps and Courses — and runs over three days in the heart of Amsterdam during ADE week.
This event brings together developers, artists, researchers, product thinkers, and sound obsessives to prototype new tools for music creation, performance, and listening. Whether you're a seasoned audio DSP engineer, a web developer, a performer, or a student just getting started in music tech, you're welcome. Participation is open to adults aged 18+ only.
Teams will have two intense days to turn ideas into working prototypes — with the backdrop of Amsterdam's world-class electronic music scene and the energy of ADE week around them. Expect rapid ideation, mentoring, deep focus time, and informal sharing with peers.
You can arrive with a project idea or form a team on site. We'll help match participants into small groups (typically 4–6 people) so that each team has a blend of skills across coding, sound, design, and user experience.
Throughout the weekend, mentors from Music Hackspace and industry partners will be available to support you on topics such as audio programming, generative AI, UX for creative tools, and taking prototypes toward real-world products.
Themes & Example Projects
Electronic Music & Club Culture
- Tools for DJs, producers, and live electronic performers
- New approaches to generative and modular composition
- Interfaces for immersive audio-visual performances
Creative Tools for Musicians
- Performance tools that extend instruments on stage
- Composition assistants and idea-generation workflows
- Experimental interfaces for live, collaborative improvisation
New Listening Experiences
- Adaptive and interactive listening formats
- Spatial and immersive audio experiments
- Playful tools for discovering music in new ways
Accessibility & Inclusion
- Interfaces for disabled musicians and new audiences
- Tools that lower the barrier to music making
- Collaborative environments for remote or hybrid teams
Sponsor challenges and additional tracks will be announced closer to the event. Teams are free to build in any direction within the broad space of music technology.
Who Should Join
The hackathon is open to the Amsterdam, European, and international music technology community. You don't need prior hackathon experience — only curiosity and a willingness to collaborate.
- Producers, performers, and composers looking to prototype new tools and workflows
- Audio and music technologists
- Students and researchers in music, CS, and related fields
- Designers, product managers, and UX researchers
- Electronic musicians and artists excited by the intersection of tech and culture
- Anyone excited about building tools for music
You don't need to code to be central to a team. We're explicitly looking for musicians and artists to act as creative leads — defining problems, curating sounds and workflows, and guiding the product vision.
We'll help you find a team that matches your interests and skills so you can focus on building something meaningful over the weekend.
Schedule at a Glance
Tuesday 20 October — Welcome Party (optional)
- Evening welcome party — venue and time to be confirmed
Day 1 – Wednesday 21 October
- Welcome, introductions and overview of the hackathon
- Team formation and idea pitches
- Hacking sessions with mentor support
- Evening check-in and informal demos
Day 2 – Thursday 22 October
- Final hacking sprint and polishing
- ~16:00 — Team presentations to the jury
- Feedback and results
Friday 23 October — ADE Lab Session
- Curated session with the jury and winning teams as part of ADE Lab
Exact times and venue details will be announced closer to the event and shared with all registered participants. All times will be in Central European Time (CET).
Prizes & Opportunities
ADE Lab Showcase
The winning team will be invited to present their work as part of the official ADE Lab programme on Friday 23 October — sharing their creation with an international audience of artists, technologists, and music industry professionals during one of the world's leading electronic music and digital creativity events.
Recognition & Opportunities
A jury of music technology practitioners and industry experts will select standout projects to highlight. Selected teams may be invited to share their work in follow-up showcases, talks, or features across ADE and Music Hackspace channels.
Pathways Beyond the Weekend
The goal is not just a weekend demo, but to help promising ideas move toward real-world impact — whether as research tools, open-source projects, or commercial products. We'll share opportunities for continuing your work with the broader Music Hackspace and ADE Lab community.
Mentoring
Teams can receive mentoring support throughout the weekend and beyond to help refine their project and plan next steps after the hackathon.
Jury
Jury details will be announced soon.
Code of Conduct
We are committed to a welcoming, inclusive, and harassment-free environment for everyone taking part in the hackathon.
Please read and follow our Hackathon Code of Conduct.
Intellectual Property (IP)
Who owns what you build
We want teams to build boldly, and we want this to be clear from day one:
- Your team keeps 100% ownership of what you create during the hackathon.
- Music Hackspace, ADE, and sponsors do not take ownership of your project IP.
- You're free to continue developing your project after the event (open-source it, commercialise it, publish it, etc.).
Using sponsor APIs, SDKs, or tools
Many teams will use sponsor-provided APIs or developer platforms. That's welcome — just keep in mind:
- You still own your project code, design, content, and ideas.
- Your use of a sponsor's API or SDK is subject to that sponsor's licence and terms of use.
- If you want to ship your project beyond the hackathon, check the relevant sponsor terms first.
Team contributions
- By joining a team, participants agree that team members can use and present the shared hackathon project or demo.
- If your team plans to continue after the event, we strongly recommend agreeing in writing on ownership splits, licensing, and future use.
Organiser
Partners
The Official ADE Lab Hackathon is an official element of the ADE Lab programme at Amsterdam Dance Event — the world's leading electronic music conference and festival. Music Hackspace owns and runs the hackathon; ADE embraces and programmes it as part of the ADE Lab.
Sponsors
Sponsor announcements coming soon.
Register Interest
Capacity is limited to approximately 100 participants across around 30 teams of 4–6 people. Applications will open once final details are confirmed — register your interest now to be notified as soon as registration launches.
You can arrive with a project idea or come solo — we'll help you find collaborators on site. Whether you're a developer, musician, designer, or researcher, there's a place for you on a team.
See a Previous Edition
Recap from a previous Music Hackspace hackathon edition.