Volume 54 marks an important juncture in the history of the Yearbook for Traditional Music and the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM). Before I started in my role as the General Editor in 2018, discussions about becoming a two-volume journal were already ongoing. I had the opportunity to produce the 2018 volume through our in-house publication, printing, and packaging process before the journal moved to being published by the Cambridge University Press (CUP). Under the leadership of Salwa El-Shawan Castello-Branco as the ICTM President, the planning of a two-volume journal became part of this move to CUP.

A two-volume Yearbook enables the possibility of publishing more research by our students and colleagues, and the sharing of more reviews of current multimedia works, audio recordings, videos and films, and books. It also gives our team of editors more creative space in shaping the respective sections of the journal across the calendar year, allowing more flexibility for authors to produce and revise their writings in a closer and more extended form of collaboration with our editors. As issue 1 (July 2022) of volume 54 is being finalised, much of the planning for issue 2 (December 2022) has already taken place. Such overlapping and layering in the planning of the Yearbook through the year, and across the next year, will gradually strengthen the quality, integrity, and the synergy of the journal’s submission, peer review, editorial, and production processes.

One of my goals in editing the Yearbook has been to broaden opportunities for junior and developing scholars across the globe, and for colleagues whose scholarship are not as easily accessible in European-American-based periodicals to share their outstanding research as widely as possible. Volume 54 issue 1 is a case in point.

ICTM’s move to a two-volume journal was enthusiastically supported by the current editorial team, all of whom have been steadfast in their commitment to constantly enhance the journal’s standards through their editorship. Tasaw, Ai Mei, Lonán, and Giorgio—thank you very much!