BTS Label HYBE Launches Global Search for Pop Music Producers via 2026 Next New Creator Audition

HYBE, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse behind BTS, has announced the 2026 edition of its Next New Creator global audition to discover talented pop music producers. The initiative marks a strategic shift by pooling the search across multiple labels within HYBE’s ecosystem, including Big Hit Music, BELIFT LAB, and HYBE Japan, rather than hosting it through a single label as in previous years. This talent search is a key component of the company’s broader multi-home, multi-genre strategy aimed at strengthening its internal production capabilities on a global scale.

The 2026 Next New Creator audition is open to track producers aged 19 and older, regardless of their nationality, gender, or professional experience. Applicants can enter as individuals or teams by submitting demo files that showcase their work during the application window, which runs from July 14 to August 12. Successful candidates who pass the initial internal screening by HYBE’s producers will advance to a main competition that may include a song camp. The ultimate winner will receive a creative support fund of 5 million won (approximately $3,270) and the opportunity to become an in-house producer for the company.

This edition represents a significant evolution of the project, which first launched in 2016. While previous years saw individual labels like Big Hit Music or BELIFT LAB hosting the search independently, the 2026 iteration involves a collaborative effort across Big Hit Music, BELIFT LAB, Pledis Entertainment, YX Labels, and the HYBE Japan division. This integrated approach aligns with HYBE’s reorganization into a multi-home, multi-genre strategy, which seeks to foster an independent multi-label system. This includes the Tokyo-based YX Labels, which was rebranded from HYBE Labels Japan in February 2025 and serves as the home for the group &TEAM.

The program has a proven track record of integrating talent into the K-pop industry, most notably with the 2016 recruitment of producer ADORA, who went on to work as an in-house producer at Big Hit Music on records by BTS. By offering a free-to-enter competition with a cash prize, HYBE distinguishes its talent acquisition model from rivals like SM Entertainment, which operates the fee-based SM Universe academy where a semester can cost up to 10 million won (around $6,550). Other competitors, such as KQ Entertainment, include producer tracks within their general auditions, but HYBE’s Next New Creator remains a standalone search specifically targeting producers ready to step onto the global music industry stage.