Berklee Announces BEATL, New Innovation Hub for Music Technology

Berklee Announces BEATL, New Innovation Hub for Music Technology Mark Ethier, iZotope cofounder whose software is used by millions of musicians, joins as executive director.

September 10, 2025

Mark Ethier, cofounder of iZotope, will serve as BEATLs executive director.

Image by Kelly Davidson

President Jim Lucchese has announced the launch of the Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab (BEATL), a new innovation lab focused on the convergence of music creation and creative technology, including next-generation creator tools, AI, machine learning, immersive and interactive experience design, and new interfaces for music creation. BEATL will bring together technologists, entrepreneurs, and artists to give Berklee students direct access to the evolving intersection of music and technology. Mark Ethier, cofounder of audio company iZotope, began as BEATL's executive director on September 3, 2025.

Designed as a student-centered, career-focused hub, BEATL provides students with resources to respond quickly to emerging trends in music creation, collaboration, performance, and the broader tech landscape, while assessing the impact of these trends on the creative industries. By convening industry leaders and artist-practitioners, BEATL will foster a culture of experimentation with a focus on action, positioning students for long-term career success. The lab will explore the role of machine learning and generative AI in music and creativity, serving as a collaborative catalyst across Berklee's academic programs and within the music and creative tech industries, with artist advocacy at its core.

Stay Connected

Learn more and subscribe to receive BEATL updates. BEATL continues Berklees history of technology-centric innovation, from pioneering the first college major in music synthesis (now electronic production and design), to becoming the largest provider of online music education with Berklee Online, to building blockchain-enabled tools for creators. As AI reshapes how music is created and taught, Berklee has launched an AI and Music Innovation series, hosted a recent Audio Engineering Society symposium, and formalized a human-centered, artist-first approach to machine learning. BEATL advances those efforts, adding to Berklee's reputation for innovation and excellence, reflected in an alumni network honored with more than 300 Grammy Awards.

Berklee has always been at the forefront of innovation, equipping students with the skills to excel in the industry and to lead the future of creativity, Lucchese said. That is the inspiration behind BEATL, a hub for innovation in music technology with a specific focus on empowering musicians.

Mark Ethier is the ideal leader for BEATL-one of the most respected artist-centric innovators at the intersection of music and technology, Lucchese continued. He is a steadfast advocate for artists and has helped create essential technology used by millions of music creators today. We are excited for Mark to lead Berklee's innovation efforts.

A Massachusetts native, Ethier is the cofounder and former CEO of iZotope, an audio software and hardware company, and serves on the board of directors of WBUR. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a double major in music and computer science.

I've spent my career using technology to help musicians, producers, and engineers realize their creative vision, Ethier said. As a musician and technologist who has collaborated with Berklee for nearly two decades, stepping in to lead BEATL felt natural when Jim reached out. The pace of change is unprecedented; we must prepare students and ensure artists have a voice in where technology goes. I look forward to bringing together artists, educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to explore-and shape-this future together.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Image by Maddie Ross, courtesy of Tape Op magazine

Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on any budget.

Latest

Graduate Spotlight: Tom s M rquez The educator from San Juan, Puerto Rico, shares how he went from Berklee ABLE Assembly conference attendee to graduate student, then to developing courses for the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

Miguel Zen n 98

Image courtesy of the artist

Berklee Alumni Nominated for the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 14 alumni, including Miguel Zen n, Elsa y Elmar, Lewis Pickett, and Nicole Zignago, earned nominations.

Students from Ukraine's R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music performed at Club Matisse as part of their week at Berklee Valencia.

Image by Tato Baeza

Ukrainian Students Find Creative Consonance' at Berklee Valencia Through ELIA's UAx Platform, six students from Kyiv joined Berklee Valencia for a week of music and mentorship.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/berklee-announces-beatl-new-i...
	See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines