The international scientific and practical conference "Digital transformation in the sphere of culture and art" was held on January 30, 2025 in Bishkek.

Participants of the conference, organized by the Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts named after B. Beishenalieva together with the International Business Council (IBC) and the representative office of the IPCHAIN Association in Kyrgyzstan, discussed the role of digital technologies in the cultural and creative industries.

Thanks to the rapid development of digital platforms, musicians and performers are no longer limited by geography, because now they can be heard and appreciated by millions of people, regardless of where they live.

The International Business Council has been protecting business rights and promoting the country's economic development for 24 years. Along with other industries, the arts and creative economy in general, which have high potential for development, also need support, including in the area of using new digital technologies.

"In this regard, we were pleased to respond to the initiative to hold a conference designed to provide new digital tools for protecting rights, monetization and entrepreneurship in art based on advanced international practices. Representatives from about a dozen countries, including Kazakhstan, Moldova, Georgia and others, leading experts in their field, came to the conference," said the IBC head Askar Sydykov.

Participants learned about new trends in art, including the development of streaming services – online platforms that provide access to multimedia content in Kyrgyzstan.

"It is nice to see the success of our first domestic streaming service Etnomedia, which already has more than 900 thousand users worldwide on YouTube. According to the project's authors, 95 percent of the films and TV series that have been produced throughout the history of Kyrgyz cinema are posted on their platform," said Sydykov.

The upcoming launch of the music streaming service ARNA Music, created following the example of foreign analogues, was also announced.

Saodat Shakirova, director of the ARTE law firm and chair of the IBC Committee on Intellectual Property, shared the success story of the children's music and entertainment YouTube channel DBillions, thanks to which millions of children learn through songs and dances.

One of the key aspects of the transformation is the use of digital platforms to protect the rights of authors and performers.

“Such platforms not only facilitate the distribution of music, but also protect intellectual property, preventing piracy and illegal use of content,” said Yrys Tursunalieva, director of the IPChain Association representative office in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The conference participants considered local and international examples of the use of digital tools in the music industry, as well as issues of preserving the national cultural heritage and promoting the musical art of Kyrgyzstan in the international arena. They talked about the problems and prospects in musical culture and art, the importance of eliminating digital illiteracy, the influence of digital technologies on musical creativity, including performers of Kyrgyz traditional music.

“We hope that this event will create a platform for further cooperation in the field of protecting intellectual property rights and creative industries, exchanging experiences, improving regulation and using international practices in our country,” the IBC head concluded.