Eight universities in the field of music and arts, located in North, East, South and West Europe, strive to deepen their cooperation to bring about institutional transformation and the enhancement of their quality, performance, attractiveness and international competitiveness. In line with the goals set by the European strategy for universities, underlining the important role of higher education in shaping sustainable, democratic and resilient societies, they wish to establish a European Universities Alliance entitled IN.TUNE – Innovative Universities in Music & Arts in Europe. The institutions forming IN.TUNE commit to the development of a joint long-term strategy with a strong artistic dimension for high-quality education, research, innovation and service to society, and to be a model for the wider higher education community across Europe and beyond. The design of the cooperation within IN.TUNE is based on the creation of frameworks, methodologies and policies, each containing specific activities and deliverables, and developed to support long-term sustainability. The activities are set up around four main thematic areas: Joint Education Provision & Mobility, Research & Innovation, Societal Engagement and Alliance Governance & Cooperation. These areas will be addressed in eight work packages, with each institution being a lead partner for one work package but also collaborating in all others, so that expertise, commitment and workload are shared. Main outcomes will be frameworks for seamless mobility, for cooperation in research and innovation, and joint policies for societal engagement. Involvement of various institutional stakeholders is guaranteed through a wide range of activities and a transparent governance structure involving students, academics, and management and support staff. A group of 19 associate partners will assist IN.TUNE with expertise in the area of research and societal engagement, and provide platforms for the wide dissemination of results.