At the crossroads of three continents, the Mediterranean is, through its geography, history and culture, a natural space for exchange. Artistic expression and music creation cover a wide palette of aesthetics, with a rich diversity of scenes, sounds and stars. Yet despite this abundance of talent across its shores, the Mediterranean music industry remains fragmented. The varying levels of market maturity in the region have influenced the reach of artistic breakthroughs, with certain artists propelled onto international stages in recent years while others struggle to overcome local structural challenges. This heterogeneity constitutes both the wealth and the limits for its music markets to develop.
In this context, Mediterranean music professionals initiated a series of conversations in 2024 to explore opportunities for talent discovery and trade promotion within the region and beyond its shores. Since the first roundtable at Eurosonic in January, a variety of music operators from Africa, Europe and the Middle East have been meeting at leading music forums to discuss opportunities and challenges. The goal is to lay the groundwork for a common initiative to facilitate mobility across the Mediterranean and promote discovery further. How to stimulate this collective dynamic in a region with so many assets and such a diversity of contexts? How can closer collaborations help overcome obstacles and stimulate the growth potential?
This panel at MaMA assembles music pros from across the Mediterranean to present a panorama of regional music markets, share recent success stories and discuss next steps for this exciting initiative.
