Since 1998, Red Bull has been involved in another hight-profile initiative. The Red Bull Music Academy is a series of concerts, workshops,art installations, and other cultural events that rotate from year to year among different international cities. Red Bull Music Academy also sponsors stages at international music festivals such as Montreaux Jazz; RBMA Radio is a Web resource where listeners can access new music, live concerts, interviews, and other content. Despite the name, Red Bull plays down its participation in the Academy, according to the Web site, "The Red Bull Music Academy is not a sponsored event but a long-term music initiative, committed to fostering creative exchange amongst those who have made and continue to make a difference in the world of sound." Needless to say, the Red Bull logo is visible everywhere, and coolers filled with the drink are placed in strategic locations.
In its first two years of existence, the Academy was held in Berlin;subsequent host cities have included Dublin, Rome, London, Cape Town, and New York City. Songwriters, DJs, producers, and musicians are invited to apply to the Academy, out of thousands of applicants, 62 people are selected to participate each year. The participants attend workshops and lectures during the day; in the evenings, they break into teams to write and record music. Red Bull makes no ownership claims on any music that is produced at the Academy. As Torsten Schmidt, one of the Academy's founders, explains, "That's part of the opening speech: there is no catch. We are going to offer you nothing in the end but inspiration and this chance of being here together.