The article attempts to characterize the trends in the development of general music education in educational institutions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In accordance with the curriculum to determine the content and organization of the educational process, the lessons and extracurricular activities in the artistic and aesthetic education of children and youth. The educational system of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Netherlands) is characterized by democracy, openness, accessibility and innovation. According to the quality of life index, Amsterdam ranks tenth in the world. Decades earlier than most European countries, this country began to introduce the latest approaches to the organization of the educational system, in particular with regard to the artistic and aesthetic education of young people. The system of general music education in the Netherlands has a strong tradition, proven forms and methods of working to master European and world cultural values. In this situation, the justification of the process of content and organization of general music education in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the context of European and world trends is relevant and timely. Note that in the Netherlands there are schools based on religious preferences, including: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. Such schools work according to well-known methods in Europe and the world, for example, the Montessori school, the Dalton plan, etc. Methodological support is provided by the Ministry of Education. The state also determines the mandatory types of programs, the minimum and maximum number of hours for each program, the annual and weekly workload of students, subjects provided in each class, lesson duration, qualification requirements for teachers, their working conditions and payment, content and the procedure for examinations and tests. General music education in the Netherlands is seen as an important factor in the implementation of the concept of pan-European cultural and educational space – the development of students' ...