CMTRA

What CMTRA does

CMTRA (Centre des Musiques Traditionnelles Rhône-Alpes), founded in 1991 and headquartered in Villeurbanne near Lyon, is a French non-profit cultural association (association loi 1901) designated as the regional Ethnopôle for traditional and world music in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The organization functions as the central coordination hub for the regional music ecosystem, aggregating 762 artists and groups, 200+ courses and stages, and a recurring calendar of concerts, bal folk dances, and festivals (notably Soïo Mundo and Les Escales Musicales au Rize). Its core products include an online events agenda, an artist directory, a courses/stages directory, a web radio, and the Atlas Sonores heritage publication series (26+ volumes of book/CD sets documenting oral musical patrimony).

The platform is built on conventional web infrastructure rather than proprietary technology, with content distributed via the cmtra.org website, a boutique storefront, social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube), and SoundCloud. CMTRA also operates 11 affiliated project sites (Infrasons, Chorale Intergalactique, Histoires de langues, Comment sonne la ville ?, les jeudis des musiques du monde, Carnet de recherche du CMTRA, Portail Régional du Patrimoine Oral, la.BA.la.BEL, Musiques du 8, Musiques de mon quartier, Tutti Bruiti), reflecting a decentralized structure under a single association umbrella.

Revenue is generated through three streams: public cultural funding from regional councils and the French Ministry of Culture (the largest, channeled through CMTRA's role as contracting body for the Contrat de Filière Musiques Actuelles 2024-2027), membership fees (with member discounts on ticketed events such as €12 member vs €16 standard for bal folk), and ticketed event revenue processed via third-party platforms such as HelloAsso. The customer base spans four segments — musicians and groups, learners, cultural researchers and heritage organizations, and cultural associations/event organizers — with no commercial enterprise customers and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

CMTRA

Legal name

CMTRA

Website

https://cmtra.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CMTRA is a French non-profit Ethnopôle headquartered in Villeurbanne that aggregates 762 traditional and world music artists, 200+ courses, and heritage archives across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, funded by public cultural subsidies, memberships, and ticketed events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Heritage Entertainment Booking (Traditional/Folk Acts) (HSACAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Niche/Genre/Regional DSPs (MPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Traditional music heritage
• Cultural resource center
• Music education services
• Regional music network
• Ethnomusicology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Cultural Funding: As a cultural organization (Ethnopôle), CMTRA receives public funding from regional councils and the French Ministry of Culture to support its mission of preserving and promoting traditional music and dance heritage.
2. Membership Fees: CMTRA operates an 'Adhérer' (membership) system, offering member discounts on events (e.g., 12€ member rate vs 16€ regular for Bal Folk events).
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from ticketed events including concerts, bal folk dances, festivals, and cultural gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CMTRA operates as a regional Ethnopôle (center for ethnographic research on music and territories) for traditional and world music in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It functions as a community resource center aggregating artist directories (762+ artists/groups), course listings (200+ courses/stages), an events agenda, and publishes Atlas Sonores sound atlases documenting regional musical heritage. The organization coordinates cultural programming, diffusion services, research initiatives, and membership-based community engagement.

Product overview

CMTRA is a regional cultural organization and ethnopôle for traditional and current music based in Villeurbanne, France. It operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected services: an online directory of artists and music courses, a regional events agenda, and published sound atlases documenting musical heritage. The organization functions as a coordination hub for the regional music network, supporting cultural action, research, and diffusion of traditional and world music across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atlas Sonores: Sound atlases documenting traditional music and oral heritage of the Rhône-Alpes region
• Contrat de Filière Musiques Actuelles
• Ethnopôle

Products and services

• Atlas Sonores Publications Book/CD set publications documenting regional musical traditions and oral heritage, covering themes such as the Chorale Intergalactique de Belleroche, migrant music in Saint-Étienne, francoprovençal songs, oral patrimony from the Northern Alps, and neighborhood musical memories. Targeted at cultural researchers, libraries, heritage institutions, and members of the public interested in regional musical heritage.
• Web Radio Online streaming radio featuring curated selections of traditional and world music recordings from regional artists in the CMTRA network. Accessible via the cmtra.org website for listening.
• Ticketed Cultural Events Ticketed cultural events including Bal Folk dances (e.g., 16€ standard / 12€ member / 10€ reduced rate), festivals such as Soïo Mundo (held at Parc Blandan, Lyon 7) and Les Escales Musicales au Rize (Saison 2026), as well as concerts and cultural gatherings across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Targeted at the general public, cultural audiences, and traditional music enthusiasts.
• CMTRA Membership (Adhérer) Annual membership program offering member discounts on ticketed events (e.g., 12€ member rate for Bal Folk events vs. 16€ standard rate) and supporting the organization's mission of preserving and promoting traditional and world music heritage in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
• Cultural Research Services Research and documentation services on musical traditions, heritage preservation, and ethnomusicology, including the Carnet de recherche du CMTRA research blog and projects such as Super Tapages, passions musicales ordinaires. Targeted at cultural researchers, heritage organizations, and academic partners.
• Diffusion Services Concert and event organization services supporting the distribution and promotion of traditional and world music, including coordination with the SPECTACLE VIVANT PROFESSIONNEL commission for diffusers, programmers, and producers. Targeted at cultural venues, event organizers, and touring artists.
• Cultural Action Programs Cultural programming and community engagement initiatives designed to bring traditional and world music to wider audiences, including the TRANSMISSION commission for teachers, instructors, and music/dance educators (Musiques de mon quartier, Tutti Bruiti, Musiques du 8, Comment sonne la ville?, la.BA.la.BEL, Histoires de langues). Targeted at schools, community groups, and cultural associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 762 artists and groups listed in the CMTRA directory
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris: Major national music institution combining a concert venue, museum of music, and educational programs; broader in scope and scale but operates in an adjacent space (music heritage, performance, transmission) that overlaps CMTRA's mission.
• Centre national de la chanson, des variétés et du jazz (CNV): National public agency supporting chanson, contemporary music, and jazz in France; comparable as a publicly funded sector coordinator providing grants, studies, and professional services similar to CMTRA's regional coordination role.
• FAMDT (Fédération des Associations de Musiques et Danses Traditionnelles): National federation coordinating traditional music and dance associations across France; comparable as the umbrella body for the network CMTRA sits within, with overlapping mission in heritage preservation and transmission.
• Musée de la Musique (Philharmonie de Paris): Heritage music museum with significant instrument and recording collections; comparable to CMTRA's Atlas Sonores and Portail Régional du Patrimoine Oral as a heritage documentation and public access resource, but at a much larger national scale.
• Phonothèque nationale (BnF): National audiovisual heritage archive within the Bibliothèque nationale de France; comparable as a heritage audio archive preserving recorded sound, similar in concept to CMTRA's Atlas Sonores and oral patrimony work, but at a national scale.

Regional players

• Modalonga: Regional agency dedicated to traditional music in another French territory; directly comparable to CMTRA as a regional resource center that organizes festivals, professional training, and heritage projects in the traditional music field.
• Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon: Higher education institution in the same Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region delivering music and dance training; comparable to CMTRA's transmission and course directory functions, with overlap in regional music education and student pipelines.

Direct peers

• Dastum: Regional resource center and archive dedicated to traditional music of Brittany; serves the same Ethnopôle-like role for traditional music in another French region, with comparable archive, directory, and cultural action missions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmt_ra
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCa9eG53QWDe5k37kt46e-dA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CMTRA.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmtra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CMTRA