Long before the formal classification of world music took root in global cultural discourse in the late 20th century, Indonesian creative sonic practices circulated across regional and international borders, carried by trade routes, migration, and cultural exchange that introduced audiences far from the archipelago to the depth and diversity of creative work emerging from the nation’s islands. As the world music category coalesced to center creative expressions originating outside of the dominant Anglo-American commercial music industry, Indonesian works became a cornerstone of the genre’s catalog, offering a window into the hundreds of distinct cultural traditions that make up the nation’s social and creative fabric.