Etnoumlje Magazine / News

Play it! – Strengthening Cooperation to Make a Change in the Music Industry

Three Serbian cultural organizations – World Music Association of Serbia, Music Information Centre of Serbia, and Ring Ring – proudly announce the launch of the project “Play it!” aimed at strengthening cooperation within the music industry and fostering positive change. The project will be implemented from August 2025 to July 2026.

July 29, 2025

From: Etnoumlje Magazine

The project “Play it! – Strengthening Cooperation in the Music Industry to Make a Change” is developed in line with the principles and objectives of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Its core idea is to encourage strategic planning for the development of the music industry in Serbia by connecting its various stakeholders: musicians, sound designers, producers, record labels, distributors, concert and festival organizers, music critics and journalists, as well as decision-makers at the local, provincial, and national levels.

Emphasizing the need for an open and inclusive music industry, the project is designed to be accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, or level of experience in studio or live performance contexts.

The project comprises six types of activities: surveys, focus groups, a conference, workshops, concerts, and an online platform.

The survey titled “What Do We Need to Know About the Music Industry in Serbia?” will help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the local music sector. It will highlight opportunities and threats to the systematic development of music creation in Serbia, explore ways of establishing long-term partnerships, and determine the key information that should be made available through the “Play it!” online platform. The survey will be conducted with stakeholders from across the music industry, who will share valuable insights from their professional experience.

The survey “What Do We Need? Music!” will engage the general public in Serbia to explore their music preferences and habits. It will seek to understand what citizens feel is needed for them to participate more actively in music life, expand their cultural horizons, and deepen their interests.

Focus groups will take the form of discussions with representatives from different segments of the music industry, including young and emerging artists, musicians with disabilities, aspiring sound engineers, and others.

The conference “Strategic Directions and Priorities for the Development of the Music Industry in Serbia” will gather professionals and experts to address key issues, including: 1) What can we learn from the experiences of music professionals, and how do these correspond with audience needs?; 2) How can Serbia’s music industry become more inclusive?; 3) House and backyard concerts as an innovative approach to engaging young and underrepresented musicians, including artists with disabilities and national minorities.; 4) How to strengthen networks and strategic partnerships?

Conference ”Tradition Nowadays, in the World Music”, Todo Mundo Festival, 2023 (photo: Anđela Petrovski)

The workshops “Performing Together!” will be dedicated to young and emerging musicians and sound engineers, as will the accompanying concert performances, which will showcase collaborative efforts between these groups.

One of the project’s most transparent and sustainable outcomes is the creation of the “Play it!” online platform – a space for connection and collaboration among music industry stakeholders, supporting the development of an open and inclusive music ecosystem in Serbia. The Music Information Centre of Serbia (MICS) will be responsible for the long-term administration and technical development of this platform, which will be launched to the public on December 30, 2025.

The project is supported by the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD).

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