ASEAN MUSIC SHOWCASE FESTIVAL 2021 ADDS VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA

The ASEAN Music Showcase Festival (AMS) is set to return for a second year with an initiative to assist regional artists in staying connected with their fanbases and introducing themselves to new audiences despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently underway in the region.

The online debut of Southeast Asia’s first collaborative intraregional music showcase festival will take place on September 11-12, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday), and will be broadcast live on YouTube. On the following day, September 13, 2021, a private event will be held to facilitate one-on-one networking opportunities between emerging regional musicians and global music industry professionals.

AMS promises to provide an alternative but viable platform that connects global music networks to Southeast Asia, specifically the seven co-organizing countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand; with Cambodia and Vietnam further expanding this year’s programming with additional participating delegators; and the United States and Canada.

In an interview with The Bangkok Post, Piyapong ‘Py’ Muenprasertdee, co-founder of the Asian Music Summit (AMS) and Director of Educational, Governmental, and Overseas Partnership at Bangkok-based music company Fungjai, explains that rather than waiting for the pandemic to end, the participating organizers of each country aim to help regional artists be proactive and put their music in front of potential talent buyers from all over the world. In response to the pandemic, many showcase festivals around the world are going online, which means artists won’t have to spend money on travel and accommodation to participate—and as a result, international music professionals and talent buyers will have to jump on this virtual online landscape as well, opening the door of opportunity to more export-worthy artists.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Py explains that they were unable to physically organize the showcase festival and were forced to do so virtually. In contrast, once the pandemic is over, we hope to physically organize it and rotate which country hosts it each year from then onwards.

In partnership with Malaysia’s Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA), Thailand’s Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and TuneCore, a leading digital music distribution, publishing, and licensing company with more than 150 premium partners around the world.

Music Copyright (Thailand) Ltd. (MCT) and festival partners Golden Melody Awards & Festival and LUCfest in Taiwan, as well as Global Toronto in Canada and Live at Heart in Sweden, are also supporting the AMS festival.

Visit the official website for more information on the second edition of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival.