Southeast Asia (SEA) is often celebrated for its tropical landscapes, rich culinary heritage, and vibrant cultures—but rarely for its music scenes. Too often, the region is overlooked or generalized as part of “greater Asia,” despite being made up of nearly a dozen distinct countries, each with its own languages, religions, and cultural identities. Not only is Southeast Asia different from the broader Asian context—it’s remarkably diverse even within itself.

Economically, the region is united under ASEAN—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—an alliance with a combined population and GDP that ranks among the top five globally. Much like the EU, ASEAN fosters regional cooperation and integration, including in the cultural and creative sectors.

Yet, due to colonial legacies and ongoing socioeconomic disparities, Southeast Asia’s music industries have long remained fragmented and underdeveloped. The region has often felt disconnected from the modern global music business. But from where I stand—as someone working in and passionate about this space—Southeast Asia’s music cultures are anything but lacking. They are rich, vibrant, and bursting with untapped potential. With the right platforms and cross-border collaboration, Southeast Asia could become one of the most exciting voices in the global music conversation.

ASEAN Music Industry: Small but Poised to Grow

Let’s start with the numbers. As of May 2025, data from Statista’s Music, Radio & Podcasts dataset values Southeast Asia’s music industry at USD 1.39 billion—a modest 1.7% share of the global music market, which totals USD 80.83 billion.

Within Asia, Southeast Asia accounts for approximately 9.1% of the region’s total music industry. Breaking it down further: Live Music makes up 14.6% of Asia’s total, while Recorded Music contributes just 6.9%—underscoring the region’s relatively limited footprint in both segments.

But that’s not the full story.

Viewed through a broader socioeconomic lens, Southeast Asia stands tall.

ASEAN accounts for 8.5% of the world’s population and 3.7% of global GDP—yet contributes only 1.7% to the global music market.

This imbalance reveals a massive opportunity for growth. With expanding digital infrastructure, a rising middle class, and a highly creative youth demographic, the region is primed to leap forward.

Market Growth Trends

One of the most exciting signs? Growth.

ASEAN countries consistently exceed global and Asian averages in both live and recorded music market growth. The sector isn’t just expanding—it’s accelerating.

Format Breakdown: The Shift Toward Streaming

Across global, Asian, and ASEAN markets, streaming—particularly subscription-based—remains the dominant and fastest-growing driver of recorded music revenue. However, ASEAN stands out with a distinct trend: ad-supported (freemium) streaming accounts for a significantly larger share than in global or broader Asian markets.

This reflects the region’s economic context, where lower average disposable income and greater price sensitivity shape consumer behavior. Yet paradoxically, this very dynamic positions Southeast Asia as a strategic launchpad for global music discovery.

Enter the Trigger Cities theory: a concept popularized by Chaz Jenkins (partner and advisor at Chartmetric), which identifies cities outside the world’s top music markets with highly engaged fanbases. These cities, through their collective listening behavior, can set off a chain reaction—triggering algorithmic recommendations on streaming platforms and propelling a song to global virality.

According to Jenkins, the key distinction lies in how social media is used: in non-Western markets like those in Southeast Asia, users tend to be more supportive of their peers’ music tastes—fostering a more enthusiastic, viral environment. Coupled with ASEAN’s dense concentration of influential cities in a compact geographic area, this creates an ideal setting for songs to spread rapidly and gain international traction.

Sources:

  1. What ‘trigger cities’ really mean for music marketing, Musically, 31 OCT 2019
  2. Sure Shot: Music Marketing in Trigger Cities, Musically, 10 JUL 2019

Beyond the current dynamics, subscription-based streaming in ASEAN is projected to grow steadily— signaling that as economies improve and digital payment adoption widens, consumers are increasingly willing and able to pay for music.

Country-Level Insights: Comparing Music Markets in ASEAN

Thailand currently holds the largest overall music industry in the region, while Indonesia leads in recorded music revenue. But gross revenue alone doesn’t tell the full story.

To paint a clearer picture, we analyzed key verticals—Live Music, Recorded Music (split into Physical and Digital), and within Digital, both Subscription and Advertising Streaming plus Downloads.

While gross revenue provides a high-level overview of the size of each country’s music industry, it does not fully capture the market potential, consumer behavior, or economic context.

To provide a more nuanced view, the following charts break down the ASEAN music sector across key verticals:

  • Live Music

  • Recorded Music, which is further divided into:

    • Physical Recorded Music (e.g., vinyl, CDs)

    • Digital Recorded Music, including Music Streaming (Subscription and Advertising) and Music Downloads

Each chart is structured as follows:

  • X-axis: Number of users (e.g., live event attendees or digital music listeners)

  • Y-axis: Total revenue (in USD)

  • Bubble size: Average revenue per user (ARPU), used here as a proxy for consumer spending power or market monetization efficiency

This visualization allows us to assess not only the scale of each market but also the value of each user—a critical metric in identifying monetization opportunities.

Here’s how some key trends emerge from the charts:

  • Singapore and Brunei: High ARPU across paid sectors. Smaller user base but affluent consumers and strong digital infrastructure.
  • Indonesia and Vietnam: Huge user bases but small bubbles—indicating low ARPU and untapped potential.
  • Philippines: A rising digital star with impressive growth in ad-supported streaming, hinting at a potential shift toward paid models as income levels rise.
  • Thailand: A balanced market with strong showing in both live and recorded sectors.
  • Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos: Still underdeveloped markets, likely due to political, economic, and/or infrastructure-related constraints.

K-pop and 88rising paved the way—now it’s Southeast Asia’s turn

The global explosion of K-pop—with trailblazing acts like BTS, Stray Kids, BLACKPINK, and the unforgettable viral hit ‘Gangnam Style’ by PSY—has reshaped how Asian artists are perceived on the world stage. But another major catalyst deserves attention: 88rising, the American music company that has been instrumental in introducing Asian talent to Western audiences, especially through high-profile showcases like Coachella.

88rising’s growing roster now includes several Southeast Asian artists, signaling a broader shift toward the region’s creative potential. With its diverse cultures, digital-native youth, and rising global awareness, Southeast Asia is well-positioned to be the next powerhouse in the global music landscape.

And if you haven’t been living under a rock, you should have seen the viral Piki Piki dance performed by the beautiful Korean baseball cheerleaders, but you might not have known its Southeast Asian connection.

The Piki Piki dance became a viral hit in 2022 thanks to the cheerleading squad of the Kia Tigers, a KBO League baseball team based in Gwangju, South Korea. The dance routine is set to a remix by Indonesian DJ Prengky Gantay, who reimagined the 2001 K-pop track “My Lecon” by jtL, a group formed by former members of the legendary boy band H.O.T. The original song was written by Tony Ahn and had already gained a loyal following in Indonesia shortly after its release.

Gantay’s remix first went viral in Southeast Asia as the soundtrack to the Olive Beat Dance Challenge on TikTok in 2021. From there, it crossed borders and evolved into the Escalator Dance Challenge in South Korea—eventually finding new life on baseball fields as the now-iconic Piki Piki cheer routine.

Source: Pikki Pikki dance, Wikipedia (searched on 27 June 2025)

And a little bit more about DJ Prengky Gantay, he is primarily known for his high-energy EDM/dance remixes, particularly the “Full Bass” or “Jedag‑jedug” style that’s surged across TikTok and YouTube.

Several music publications may describe his music as uniquely Southeast Asian sound—often sampling dangdut rhythms and layering them with pounding bass—as jedag‑jedug, a sub‑genre of EDM characterized by bold percussion and drive.

What is Dangdut?

Dangdut is a beloved genre of Indonesian music that fuses traditional Indonesian, Malay, and Indian musical roots with modern influences such as Western rock, pop, and Arabic melodies. Known for its infectious rhythms and distinct use of drums like the gendang and tabla, dangdut has long been a staple of Indonesia’s popular culture—especially among working-class audiences—and continues to evolve in the digital age through remixes and viral dance trends.

But dangdut is just one of many local music genres across Southeast Asia that blend traditional and contemporary sounds. Other notable regional fusion genres include:

  • Vinahouse (Vietnam) – a high-energy blend of EDM and Vietnamese pop, dominant in local club scenes

  • Manyao (Singapore/Malaysia) – Mandarin-language dance remixes popular in Chinese-speaking nightlife communities

  • Budots (Philippines) – a grassroots EDM style born in Davao City, characterized by quirky beats and street-style dance

  • Luk Thung (Thailand) – Thai country-pop that mixes folk instruments with modern production, often featuring themes of rural life and romance

Below are some examples of the above genres with local EDM flare.

Vinahouse

Manyao

Budots

Luk Thung

Music Tourism: A Catalyst for Growth

According to Music Tourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Event (Concert, Festival), By Age Group (18 And Less, 18 – 34 Years, 34 – 54 Years, 55+ Years), By Booking Mode (Direct Booking, Travel Agents), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2025 – 2030 by Grand View Research, the global music tourism market size was estimated at USD 96.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 267.8 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 18.8% from 2025 to 2030.

Much of the recent music tourism surge in Southeast Asia has been driven by global superstars like Taylor Swift and Coldplay —Singapore, for instance, saw an 18% spike in bookings following Swift’s tour announcement, with cities like Jakarta and Bangkok emerging as key feeder markets for cross-border concertgoers.

However, these shifts reflect broader consumer trends—they reflect a broader shift in consumer behavior toward experiential travel, particularly among younger demographics. In 2024, 66% of inquiries for concert packages came from individuals aged 24 to 35, highlighting the age group’s growing influence in shaping global music tourism.

And according to Collinson International, owner and operator of Priority Pass, 42% of music tourists now travel internationally, with 84% exploring new cities or countries, 31% revisiting previous destinations, and 30% planning return visits. Notably, younger travelers under 24 dominate this segment, presenting strong future growth potential. Over half (56%) of them attend events more than once annually, and 22% attend three or more events yearly. Fans view music events as part of a broader travel experience, often arriving 1-3 days early (78%) and staying 1-3 days post-event (80%), creating ripple effects that benefit local hotels, restaurants, transport, and tourism operators. This evolving consumer behavior not only stimulates local economies, but also drives interest in emerging or less-traveled destinations.

So…. What is AXEAN Festival’s role in all of this?

AXEAN Festival is a play on the word ASEAN, where the “S” is replaced with an “X” to symbolize cross-border collaboration and creative exchange. But it’s more than just a music event—it’s a music conference and showcase festival with a mission to bridge Southeast Asia and the world. The goal: to spotlight the region’s most exciting emerging artists on the global stage, while also welcoming international talent to share their music and connect with Southeast Asian audiences.

Originally launched as the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival, AXEAN was co-founded in 2020 by a collective of music professionals from across Southeast Asia and beyond. The festival began with two successful virtual editions during the pandemic (2020–2021), followed by three in-person editions: the first two in Singapore, and the most recent in 2024 at the scenic Jimbaran Hub in Bali, Indonesia.

Over five editions, AXEAN Festival has:

  • Showcased 200 artists from 20 countries

  • Welcomed 240 music industry delegates from 32 countries

  • Reached over 46,000 virtual viewers

  • And drawn nearly 15,000 live attendees

We want to…

Bring the world to Southeast Asia

and bring Southeast Asian music to the world!

We aim to showcase Southeast Asia’s diverse and exceptionally talented roster of artists to the world. To achieve this, apart from promoting through social media and international platforms to a global audience, we curate “export-ready” acts and invite international talent buyers with a strong interest in Southeast Asian talent—ensuring that every interaction leads to meaningful, results-driven outcomes.

Success stories from AXEAN Festival speak for themselves: participating artists have gone on to secure international bookings for festivals and tours, receive regional and global media coverage, engage in cross-border collaborations, and land record deals or agency signings.

With a permanent home now established in Bali, Indonesia, the festival also provides a unique “home advantage” to the host country by offering more performance slots to local talent. The results have been remarkable. Standout acts such as Grrrl Gang (Yogyakarta), Batavia Collective (Jakarta), and Navicula (Bali) attracted significant interest from global delegates in the most recent edition.

Some of the notable achievements include:

  • Grrrl Gang being booked for Tong Tong Asia (Malaysia) and Big Duck Music (Singapore)

  • The Panturas (Bandung) performing at the iconic Fuji Rock Festival (Japan)

  • Milledenials (Bali) securing slots at the ASEAN-India Music Festival (India), Primavera Sound (Spain), Incheon Pentaport Festival (South Korea), and launching a multi-city European tour

AXEAN 2025 First Wave Artists

Here it is—our first lineup poster is out!

You might not recognize all the names (yet), but that’s exactly what AXEAN Festival is all about. We’re a music discovery festival, and we’re confident you’ll walk away with a new favorite artist—or several.

Join us at AXEAN Festival 2025, happening 13–14 September at the stunning Jimbaran Hub in Bali, Indonesia.

Come with curiosity, leave with a playlist full of new obsessions.

Tickets available now: loket.com/o/axeanfestival

We’ve put together a playlist featuring this year’s showcasing artists—so you can get a taste of their sound before experiencing them live at AXEAN Festival 2025!