Indonesia’s archipelagic tapestry of cultural expression forms the backbone of its global contributions to world music, with traditions spanning thousands of distinct communities that weave shared and unique heritage into every sound created across its more than 17,000 islands. From the westernmost tip of Sumatra to the eastern reaches of Papua, each region carries its own set of artistic customs that have been passed between generations for centuries, adapting to shifting social landscapes while retaining the core identities that make them meaningful to the people who create and engage with them. As a category that centers these kinds of community-rooted, culturally specific practices, world music frames works that emerge from local lived experiences, positioning them for audiences that seek to engage with creative expression far beyond the narrow scope of dominant global mainstream music.