This article gives an insight into the past and current state of popular music studies and research in the Netherlands and Flanders as well as outlines some of its future challenges. Starting with a brief review of its origins and role in the establishment of IASPM International, this article continues with providing an overview of IASPM Benelux’s branch activities as well as popular music curricula and emerging research trends in the Benelux region. By focusing on three centres of popular music studies and research in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Groningen and Rotterdam), as well as Flanders in Belgium, the article provides an overview of the different study programs and methodological approaches as well as leading scholars and main trends in the field. Finally, a number of current and future challenges, including equal gender representation, austerity measures, and an increasingly hostile political climate in the Low Countries (and beyond), are outlined.