Via the Medellín Music Lab, HYBE Latin America is betting on Colombia as a hotspot for global music industry talent

HYBE has been making a lot of noise in Latin America since its entrance into the market via the acquisition of Exile Music in 2023.

One of the company’s most recent projects in the region is a music incubator called Medellín Music Lab, based in the city of Medellín in Colombia.

The Medellín Music Lab program seeks candidates from various fields in the music industry, including artists as well as aspiring production, composition, management, marketing, and cultural management professionals.

The Music Lab auditioned over 400 aspiring artists and professionals between September 4 to 7, and will narrow down the applicants to 160 who will advance to creative camps and the program’s music incubator.

The program forms part of HYBE’s wider Latin American expansion strategy. According to HYBE Latin America, its participation in Medellín Music Lab sees the company contribute “training and artistic development methodologies inspired by the Korean incubation model, adapted to the Latin American context”.

The company added that “this support ensures that the selected young artists have access to global professional standards and an international network of opportunities”.

“Bang Si-Hyuk’s vision has always been that music has no borders,” said Isaac Lee, Chairman & CEO of HYBE Americas. “Medellín Music Lab is a concrete example of how that idea is realized: uniting local talent with global methodologies and creating real routes to the international industry.

“For HYBE Latin America, it is a source of pride that Medellín is now the epicenter of this process.”

“Bang Si-Hyuk’s vision has always been that music has no borders. Medellín Music Lab is a concrete example of how that idea is realized.”

Isaac Lee, HYBE Americas

Elsewhere in the wider market, earlier this week, HYBE announced the launch of a new regional Mexican music-focused label called S1ENTO Records. The label’s launch and operations are being led by Emmy-nominated executive Myrna Pérez as General Manager, based in Los Angeles.

In February, HYBE launched a Latin American label called DOCEMIL Music, signing Mexican music veteran Emmanuel “Meme” del Real as its first artist.

In April of this year, HYBE Latin America announced its Pase a la Fama musical reality competition partnership with Telemundo.

Since January, Medellín Music Lab participants have attended classes, workshops, and talks, and have performed at city events such as the Flower Fair, La Solar, Tomorrowland, Viva la Salsa, Super Concert and Youth Week, and Medayoung. Medallo Festival.

According to HYBE, in its first year, the program has reached more than 6,000 young people, “directly impacting 3,000 participants with educational and artistic experiences that mobilize the city each month”.

Following the recent auditions, the shortlist of 160 applicants will now move on to pre-camp sessions beginning September 27, followed by music camps on October 11, 12, 17, and 18.

National and international producers, composers, and mentors will work with participants during the camps, culminating in a winners’ gala on October 25 that selects projects for the full incubator program.

Beginning in November, the incubator phase will provide ongoing support for 10-15 selected projects with backing from HYBE Latin America and local partners.

In addition to HYBE Latin America, the Medellín Music Lab is backed by the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Culture, and companies such as Macho Group Codiscos, Red Bull, Comfama, Warner Chappell, EPM Foundation, Downtown Records, Lumen Legal, Breakfast Live, Musical Cedar, DNA Music, and Bananas Lab, along with the contribution of J Balvin, who donated a studio in Commune 1.

HYBE’s investments in Latin America come amid the surge in consumption of Latin music. According to data from the RIAA in April, total revenues generated by Latin recorded music in the US alone reached a record $1.423 billion on a retail basis in 2024, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the third consecutive year.

IFPI revealed in its global music report in March that Mexico overtook Australia last year to become the world’s tenth-largest recorded music market.

Outside Latin America, HYBE also continues to bank on its K-pop training experience. The company, via a partnership with Universal Music Group‘s Geffen Records, is currently holding auditions for “The Final Piece” of a new girl group following the success of KATSEYE.

Over a week ago, HYBE and Geffen revealed that three contestants from their 2023 Dream Academy competition, which produced KATSEYE, will join the new girl group.

On Sunday (September 7), KATSEYE won the MTV Push Performance of the Year Award for their song Touch at the 2025 MTV VMAs. They performed their hit song Gnarly during the awards show.

Music Business Worldwide

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