Institut sprovodi proučavanje istorije i teorije muzike, zatim etnomuzikologije, estetike muzike; istraživanja su usmerena na srpsku muziku i njene veze sa muzičkim stvaralaštvom i kulturom u susednim i evropskim zemljama. Institut poseduje arhiv, fonoarhiv, fototeku, bogatu nototeku i biblioteku. Pored naučnoistraživačkog rada, u Institutu je uvek postojala i široka prosvetna i kulturna aktivnost, posvećena stručnjacima, ali i najširim krugovima slušalaca zainteresovanih za srpsku muzičku baštinu i njen položaj u balkanskim i evropskim okvirima
Institute of Musicology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade was founded in 1948 as the first institute of musicology in the former Yugoslavia. The Institute conducts study of history and theory of music and explorations in ethnomusicology and music aesthetics; studies have focused on the Serbian music and its links with music culture in the neighbouring and European countries. The Institute has its archive, phonoarchive, photographic collection, and a rich library. Beside scholarly research, the Institute has always been engaged in a spectrum of educational and cultural activities, targeting not only expert audience, but also a wider circle of public interested in the Serbian musical heritage and its position in the Balkan and European context.
