ICON Collective Shutters After 20 Years, Citing Financial Struggles

ICON Collective, a pillar of electronic music production education based in Los Angeles, has officially shut down. The school announced its permanent closure on May 29th, citing financial difficulties as the reason behind the abrupt move.

ICON had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 6th, 2024 in an effort to restructure and preserve operations before ultimately deciding to close. 

"It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that we share the news that ICON Collective will be permanently closed as of May 29," wrote co-founder David Alexander Valencia in a statement posted to the school's website. "ICON has faced financial circumstances that require a prompt closure to protect the refunds and tuition payments potentially due to students."

Although the school's website remains active, its official Instagram account has gone offline. A notice on the door of its Downtown Burbank campus now directs students to an online portal for information on academic records, tuition recovery and guidance. The stakes are especially high for international students, who have just 15 days to either transfer to a new school or leave the country.

A notice posted on the door of ICON Collective's Downtown Burbank campus.

Founded in 2005 by Christopher Wright and David Alexander Valencia, ICON was developed to offer a more artist-centric approach to music education. The school in 2017 earned accreditation before opening a facility in 2020, serving students both in-person and online. Known for its hands-on learning environment and community-oriented culture, the school became a trusted destination for aspiring DJs and electronic music producers.

Over the years, ICON helped launch the careers of many high-profile electronic artists, including NGHTMRE, SLANDER, Kayzo, Sullivan King, Kompany, Pauline Herr and the late i_o, among others. Several have taken to social media to bemoan the school's shutdown.

"Icon Collective changed EVERYTHING for us.. today is a very sad day for the music community in losing such a priceless resource," SLANDER wrote on X. "We want to thank everyone at the Collective for all the blood, sweat, and tears they put into MAKING DREAMS HAPPEN."

"RIP Icon Collective," Kompany wrote. "That school changed the course of my life and career. Forever grateful."

Former student James Choi, who performs and produces music under the alias SKYFVLL, says the school was instrumental in shaping his career.

"I was lost in my artist project before ICON," Choi tells EDM.com. "But after attending, I finally felt a sense of direction that no YouTube tutorial or Reddit thread would’ve shown. I’m still really close with my classmates, whether it’s working on collabs or going on songwriting trips, and I’m really grateful for the community that ICON gave me. It’s at ICON where I truly learned what it meant to be an artist and to be unique as one. Hands down the best decision I made in my life."

More information can be found on the ICON Collective website.