Youth Music provides music-making opportunities for children and young people up to the age of 18 who mainly live in areas of social and economic need, targeting those who would otherwise not have the opportunity.

Through its Youth Music Action Zones, Open Programmes, Partnership Programmes and Special Initiatives, Youth Music aims to develop and implement a UK-wide strategy to support youth music-making that will: establish a legacy of music-making opportunities; improve the overall standards of music-making; champion the value of music-making – proving that music has a positive effect on children and young people; and establish music-making opportunities as a force for regeneration in communities

Youth Music works alongside the formal and community-based sectors and supports music-making and training delivered by not-for-profit organisations. Additionally, Youth Music's funding complements music in the national curriculum by supporting activities held mainly out of school hours.

Presently, only applications from organisations within England can be accepted, as Youth Music is funded through the Arts Council of England. Strategic alliances are currently being established with the Arts Councils of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to enable Youth Music programmes to take place in future throughout the UK. By the end of 2006 when the current funding ends, Youth Music aims to have reached more than 3 million children, young people and their wider communities.