Austen and Scott

At PLAYvirtuoso, we're driven by a simple belief - music has the power to transform lives for the better, and everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and experience the joy of music-making. That's why we established PLAYvirtuoso, a platform revolutionising modern music education through artist-led courses, mentoring and structured curriculums.

Our journey began with FutureDJs in 2015, founded by Austen and Scott Smart, both accomplished DJs with a passion for music education. Despite their own uninspiring experiences with music education in school, they went on to achieve success in the music industry, running their label and collaborating with renowned artists. However, they recognised a crucial gap: traditional music education wasn't keeping up with the times or engaging young learners effectively.

Austen and Scott

Future1000

FutureDJs was born out of a desire to reinvigorate music education in schools. Through innovative workshop & roadshow programs plus partnerships with industry leaders like Pioneer DJ, they began to make headway, introducing DJing into schools and capturing the imaginations of thousands of students across the country.

Future1000

Fast forward to today, and PLAYvirtuoso is at the forefront of transforming music education on a global scale. Our commitment to democratising learning led us to create the PLAYvirtuoso Stage in 2020 - the world's first virtual music classroom, providing immersive learning experiences accessible to aspiring musicians worldwide. With initiatives like Future1000, we empowered underrepresented groups to break into the music industry, partnering with icons like BBC R1's Jaguar and acclaimed artists.

Fraser T with Oli, Austen and Scott

Fraser T with Oli, Austen and Scott
Fraser T Smith

Our approach is simple yet groundbreaking: we empower artists to become educators, bridging the gap between music education and industry practice. By curating world-class learning content and through partnerships with industry leaders like Spotify, we're creating pathways for aspiring musicians to turn their passion into a profession. Our vision is ambitious: to create universal access to world-class music education.

Fraser T Smith

Company Timeline

For press inquiries, please contact [email protected].

If you are an artist and want to work with us get in touch here.