Homonym, the French Embassy, and CITEM bring together artists, experts, and regional leaders to explore what it takes to bring OPM to the world.
MANILA, July 02, 2025 – The idea of Filipino music going global isn’t new. But in today’s music industry, shaped by streaming, short-form content, and rapid shifts in technology, the conversations have shifted from if to how.
That question took center stage at this year’s SONIK Sessions, powered by CreatePhilippines, which brought together Asian creatives, French cultural delegates, and Filipino artists at The Astbury in Makati to dive into the future of Filipino music on global stages, creative policies, and music export. As part of Fête de la Musique’s 31st anniversary, this year’s theme, “Un Monde” or “One World,” reflects not just a celebration of music across borders, but also a collective push to elevate Filipino sound on the global stage.
Small Room, Big Conversations
While the rest of Makati came alive with Fête performances, SONIK offered a more intimate space to talk and reflect. For Mike Constantino, founder of Homonym and co-founder of SONIK Philippines, the shift is already underway. Mike said, “Since starting this Music Export journey formally via Sonik Philippines in 2019, we have seen a huge growth in this community and the desire of our artists to share their talents abroad or collaborate with other musicians from all continents.”
Speaking on the turnout for the panel, he added, “As you can see here in Sonik Sessions: Un Monde, we are over capacity, and the talks went well over time due to the many burning questions by various players from the Philippine music ecosystem, which we have brought together under one roof. [We’re] happy to see showcases, conferences, and festivals pushing exportable Filipino music and, most especially, our countrymen soaring high wherever in the world they perform. See you soon for an even bigger Sonik experience!”
The day opened with a keynote, with segments from Sabrina Durand, Regional Music Attaché of the French Embassy in Singapore. The presentation touched on key challenges: protecting original work in a streaming-first world, keeping up with evolving tech, and why global touring remains out of reach for many Filipino acts. Sabrina agreed that these discussions and exchanges help bridge understanding among music industries all over the world, stating, “Sonik Sessions 2025 has elevated the exchanges about music industry support strategy both on the Philippine, Regional, and global level.”
From touring and tech to trade, panelists dug into three key areas shaping the future of Filipino music: breaking into international markets, growing the creative economy, and leveraging digital platforms to go further and faster. Across the sessions, one message stood out: The Philippine market still has a lot of catching up to do. Panelists pointed to the former copyright systems, limited funding, and the absence of long-term strategies as major barriers to global growth.
The day’s conversations called for more support for local talent, and that talent was on full display. Filipino acts Tarsius and Indistinct Chatter took the stage between sessions, while the night wrapped up with a relaxed mixer featuring up-and-coming DJ, Escu, a rising name in Manila’s underground music scene.
Spearheaded in part by Homonym, the office aims to support local talent through licensing, global showcases, and international representation. As the producers of SONIK, Homonym continues to work closely with cultural agencies and partners to help Filipino artists connect with new audiences worldwide. SONIK was also supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the French Institute, as part of the strategy for the international export of cultural creative industries, funded by Alliance Francaise Manila, supported by IPOPHIL, and with special participation from liquor partner, Charles & James.
For more information, visit https://www.sonikphilippines.com/ or follow its official Facebook and Instagram pages.
