MOST Music is a complex European strategy for Balkan world music, supported by Creative Europe, the European Commission’s framework programme for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors. MOST aims to improve the world music market of the Balkans by a complex strategy including audience development, professional training, export support, mobility of artists and professionals, event management, platform development and policy advocacy.

The mission of MOST Music is to boost the music market of the Balkans by connecting and supporting actors of the world music scene; artists, managers, festivals and institutions. MOST builds a bridge connecting the Balkans and the global music market, a bridge made up of personal connections, experience and exchange. This Creative Europe-supported project channels the amazing potential and exciting cultural mix of the South East European region into the larger European circulation. MOST is focused on creating buzz around the contemporary Balkan music brand, actively looking beyond the stereotypes.

Our program promotes the Balkan music sector in multiple ways. First of all, we promote the Balkan music industry’s sustainable growth through our complex strategies for artists, young professionals, events, venues, and even project through our project incubator. Secondly, we focus on long-term capacity building with training, mentoring, impact-focused investments. We believe in building bridges between the South East and West of Europe through personal connections and professional relationships.

MOST targets many groups of the music industry with different programs, called pillars. Our four pillars target 

• bands & managers
• young managers, bookers & promoters
• festival organisers and club owners
• urban creatives, local decision makers, activists, public servants, NGOs, students and researchers

– all world music professionals who are ready and keen to step onto the international scene. We also look for people with creative project ideas who want to boost the local or regional music market of the Balkans.

To best benefit the partcipants, MOST Music is run by a consortium, a network of 11 partner organisations across Europe. The project is led by the Budapest-based Hangvető. The partners cover a large geographical and cultural area: Password Production, the EXIT Foundation, the Bulgarian Music Association, the Timisoara European Capital of Culture project, and REK Remont Kapital, as well as Songlines magazine, WOMEX (Piranha Arts), Bozar and Pro Progressione as associated partner. 

Participants of MOST Music come from all walks of life and many different segments of the music industry. We encourage this diversity, and believe in the power of music to open doors and build bridges. Music, specifically world music (you may know it by different names, such as roots, global, etno, fusion, or else) is especially suitable for cultural exchange. These genres, rooted in tradition and inspired by contemporary globalist culture, are great ambassadors for  opening hearts and minds and for preserving cultural heritage – both core values of the MOST Music project.

MOST is supported by Creative Europe, the European Union’s framework programme for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.