European Music Council
Professional services
UnclaimedA European regional music-sector council and advisory network affiliated with the International Music Council.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The European Music Council (EMC) is a European regional organization of the International Music Council (IMC), bringing together music councils, professional associations, educational institutions, cultural organizations, festivals, venues, networks, and other bodies active in the European music sector. It operates as a nongovernmental advisory and advocacy organization rather than as a commercial music company. Its work is directed toward strengthening cooperation across the continent, improving the position of music in cultural and public policy, supporting music education and professional development, and encouraging dialogue among organizations working in different musical traditions and parts of the sector. The EMC was established in 1972 as the European regional group of the IMC. The IMC itself was created by UNESCO in 1949 and remains a nongovernmental organization with formal relations to UNESCO. In 1992, the European regional group adopted the name European Music Council, giving the European network a more distinct institutional identity while retaining its relationship with the global music council. The EMC secretariat was located in Aarau, Switzerland, until 2000 and subsequently moved to Bonn, Germany. The organization’s membership model is deliberately broad. It has represented national music councils from European countries both inside and outside the European Union, including countries such as Azerbaijan, Israel, Russia, and Switzerland. Its wider membership has also included international music organizations, European networks, national organizations, and specialist bodies working in areas such as music education, choral singing, composition, music information, festivals, orchestras, venues, music technology, and professional representation. A membership overview reported 74 members in 28 countries in August 2021. This structure allows the EMC to act as a convening platform across institutional, geographic, artistic, and professional boundaries. The EMC’s principal public role is policy dialogue. It communicates positions on issues affecting music and cultural life, develops recommendations for European and national decision-makers, and provides opportunities for sector organizations to exchange knowledge. Its annual meeting has, since 2010, been combined with the European Forum on Music, creating a recurring setting for discussion of policy, professional practice, participation, education, inclusion, sustainability, and the future of the music sector. The European Agenda for Music, launched in 2018, sought to organize the sector’s diverse perspectives into shared priorities and continuing dialogue with policymakers. Alongside advocacy, the EMC has coordinated or supported collaborative projects. These have included EFMET, which brought together organizations involved in formal and non-formal music education; ExTra!, which explored the exchange of musical traditions and the inclusion of immigrant and minority traditions; STAMP, focused on vocational training, employability, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning for music professionals; and SHIFT, which developed shared training initiatives for cultural leaders around topics including cultural leadership, climate change, inclusion, and gender and power relations. The council has also convened discussions on music’s social role, including the 2008 Music on Troubled Soils conference in Jerusalem, which examined music and cultural work in regions affected by conflict and political tension. In 2018, the EMC supported a petition concerning Article 13 of the proposed European Union Copyright Directive. The initiative argued for stronger attribution and copyright protection for creators on online platforms. This intervention reflected the council’s broader function as a collective voice for music-sector stakeholders on legislative and policy questions. The EMC does not primarily sell recordings, instruments, or performances; its principal offerings are representation, networking, sector dialogue, information exchange, policy work, conferences, and collaborative capacity-building. Its current institutional identity is therefore best understood as a nonprofit European music-sector network and advisory body.
History
The European Music Council began in 1972 as the European regional group of the International Music Council. Its institutional lineage therefore reaches back to the IMC, founded by UNESCO in 1949 as a body intended to promote international cooperation in music. Although the IMC later operated as a nongovernmental organization, it retained formal relations with UNESCO, and the EMC became its regional platform for European music-sector cooperation. In 1992, the regional group was renamed the European Music Council. The change gave the European network a clearer public identity and reflected its role as more than a geographic committee: it developed into a membership organization connecting national music councils, international music bodies, European networks, and specialized cultural institutions. Its secretariat was based in Aarau, Switzerland, until 2000, after which it moved to Bonn, Germany, where the organization has been based. The EMC’s development has been characterized by an inclusive understanding of the music sector. Its network has included organizations representing professional musicians, composers, educators, music information centers, festivals, orchestras, venues, choral activity, amateur music, music competitions, conservatoires, and music products. National music councils from countries inside and outside the European Union have participated, allowing the organization to address European music policy in a broad geographic and institutional context. A membership description from 2021 recorded 74 members in 28 countries. The organization has used annual meetings, conferences, projects, and policy documents to turn this network into practical cooperation. From 2010, the annual meeting was linked with the European Forum on Music, which created a recurring platform for discussing the cultural, social, educational, and economic conditions of music in Europe. Earlier advocacy work included the Manifesto for Youth and Music in Europe and the Bonn Declaration, which addressed music education and related policy recommendations. The EMC also developed project-based initiatives. The European Forum for Music Education and Training, established in 2003, sought to improve cooperation between formal and non-formal music education organizations, identify trends, and formulate recommendations. ExTra! focused on exchange among musical traditions and on incorporating immigrant and minority traditions into European cultural life. In 2008, the Music on Troubled Soils conference in Jerusalem considered music’s role in regions affected by conflict and social division, with discussion involving practitioners and organizations connected to Israel, Cyprus, South Africa, and other contexts. In the 2010s, the council increasingly emphasized professional skills, shared policy priorities, and sector-wide advocacy. STAMP addressed vocational training, employability, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning for music professionals, particularly in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. The SHIFT project extended the training model to cultural leadership and global challenges, including climate change, inclusion, and gender and power relations. In March 2018, the European Agenda for Music was launched to consolidate the sector’s varied voices into a continuing European policy conversation. That same year, the EMC supported a petition related to Article 13 of the EU Copyright Directive, taking a position in favor of stronger recognition and protection for creators online. By 2021, the EMC remained a membership-based European music-sector network governed by a board elected every two years at its annual meeting. Its activities combined representation, policy development, professional exchange, education, inclusion, and international cooperation. Rather than functioning as a commercial brand, it serves as an institutional platform through which music organizations can coordinate positions and build joint initiatives.
- 2021
Membership and board overview
[1]The EMC was described as having 74 members in 28 countries, while a seven-member board was elected at its online annual meeting.
- 2019
SHIFT project period began
[1]SHIFT began a two-year program of shared training initiatives for cultural leaders, addressing leadership, climate, inclusion, and gender-related challenges.
- 2018
European Agenda for Music launched
[1]The EMC launched a shared European framework intended to align music-sector priorities and policy dialogue.
- 2010
Annual meeting linked with European Forum on Music
[1]The annual meeting was combined with a European Forum on Music to create a broader recurring policy and sector-exchange platform.
- 2008
Music on Troubled Soils conference
[1]The EMC held a Jerusalem conference examining music’s role in regions affected by conflict and social tension.
- 2003
EFMET established
[1]The European Forum for Music Education and Training was formed to connect formal and non-formal music education organizations.
- 2000
Secretariat moved to Bonn
[1]After being based in Aarau, Switzerland, the secretariat relocated to Bonn, Germany.
- 1992
Renamed European Music Council
[1]The regional organization adopted the name European Music Council.
- 1972
European regional group established
[1]The European regional group of the International Music Council was established as the predecessor of the EMC.
- 1949
International Music Council founded
[1]UNESCO established the International Music Council, the global organization with which the European Music Council is institutionally affiliated.
Products and positioning
Nonprofit European umbrella and advocacy organization for the music sector.
Conference and policy forum · 2010
European Forum on Music
The European Forum on Music is the EMC’s principal recurring public forum for discussion among music organizations, policymakers, educators, artists, and cultural professionals. Since 2010 it has been associated with the council’s annual meeting. Topics have included music policy, education, professional development, inclusion, sustainability, cultural participation, and the future operating environment of the European music sector.
Policy framework · 2018
European Agenda for Music
The European Agenda for Music is a sector-wide advocacy and policy framework launched by the EMC in 2018. It aims to bring the music sector’s varied organizations into an ongoing conversation with European policymakers and to articulate shared priorities for a musically active and sustainable Europe.
Professional training project
STAMP
STAMP, or Shared Training Activities for Music Professionals, responds to demand for vocational education and lifelong learning in the music sector. Its activities have focused on developing training models, mentor and trainer guidance, and online resources intended to improve employability and entrepreneurship, particularly in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe.
Cultural leadership training project · 2019
SHIFT
SHIFT, or Shared Initiatives for Training, is a collaborative training initiative for cultural leaders. Its documented themes include cultural leadership, climate change, inclusion, and gender and power relations. Partners produced shared learning materials, manuals, and guidelines intended to help cultural organizations respond to structural and global challenges.
Music education network · 2003
EFMET
The European Forum for Music Education and Training was created to connect organizations working in formal and non-formal music education. Its objectives included improving communication, mapping developments in music education, strengthening collaboration, and formulating recommendations for future policy and practice.
Cultural exchange project
ExTra!
ExTra!, or Exchange Traditions, promoted the exchange of musical traditions in Europe. A central concern was how immigrant and minority musical practices could be integrated into dialogue with established European traditions. The EMC coordinated the project with participating member organizations and partner institutions from several European countries.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018European Agenda for Music
Europe
The EMC brought together perspectives from music-sector stakeholders to define common priorities and establish continuing dialogue with policymakers.
Outcome. The agenda was launched on 21 March 2018 as a shared advocacy framework.
- 2018Article 13 copyright petition
European Union
The EMC joined a petition supporting Article 13 of the EU Copyright Directive proposal, seeking stronger attribution and copyright protection for creators on platforms such as YouTube.
Outcome. The action represented the council’s position in an EU legislative debate; the supplied sources do not document a separate EMC-specific outcome.
Brand decisions
2018
Supported the Article 13 copyright positionOtherBackground
The European Union was debating copyright rules affecting online platforms and the attribution of creative work.
Action taken
The EMC signed a petition supporting Article 13 and stronger creator attribution and copyright protection.
Aftermath
The action documented the EMC’s advocacy role in European digital-copyright policy.
2010
Integrated the annual meeting with the European Forum on MusicStrategyBackground
The council sought a broader platform for its annual organizational meeting and European music-sector dialogue.
Action taken
It combined the annual meeting with a new European Forum on Music.
Aftermath
The combined format became a recurring forum for policy discussion and sector networking.
2000
Relocated the secretariat to BonnStrategyBackground
The secretariat had been based in Aarau, Switzerland, since the organization’s earlier period.
Action taken
The EMC moved its secretariat to Bonn, Germany.
Aftermath
Bonn became the organization’s reported headquarters.
1992
Adopted the European Music Council nameStrategyBackground
The organization had operated since 1972 as the European regional group of the International Music Council.
Action taken
It renamed itself the European Music Council, establishing a clearer regional institutional identity.
Aftermath
The organization continued as the European regional music-sector body affiliated with the IMC.
Sources2 sources
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