Ipoh is colloquially known as the Indie Rock City of Malaysia and is the birthplace of many underground and independent music acts in the country. The wealthy elites of the city demanded contemporary entertainment such as nightclubs and cabaret shows, leading to widespread exposure to various genres of Western rock music. This influenced generations of youths in the city who adapted the music and created their own unique “Ipoh sound”, particularly the “rusty, lo-fi and sloppy” and raw sound that characterises both the music and laid-back atmosphere of the city.

The music creators of Ipoh go against the mainstream by composing, performing and recording their own music independently. Ipoh is home to recording studios that have produced albums and compilations of the city’s music, which are distributed through their own independent networks.

Music supports and complements other creative fields in Ipoh. The city is the main setting of Mamat Khalid’s “Rock” trilogy and is fused with the media arts through Projek Panggung, a social media-focused initiative featuring the city’s many musical talents.

The city is host to the annual Ipoh International Art Festival and Ipoh Music Symposium, which showcases the many artistic talents of the city’s residents. These events bring together a wide range of stakeholders to learn from each other and collaborate on new projects.