The balaban or balaman[7] (Azerbaijani: Balaban) is a double-reed pipe with cylindrical bore, about 35 centimetres (14 in) in length, with eight finger holes and one thumb hole, which is played in the eastern part of Iran's historic Azerbaijan region as well as in the Republic of Azerbaijan (where it is also called düdük, according to the Encyclopædia Iranica).

[6] The Azeri balaban, the Turkish mey, and the Armenian duduk are almost identical, except for historical and geographical differences.

The double reed is made out of a single tube of cane about six cm long and pressed flat at one end.

Consisting of a body (govda) and a large double reed, the balaban measures between 28 and 30 cm in length and 20-22 mm in diameter.

By pushing the grapple upwards or downwards on the reed, one-curtain sound change can be made and it can adapt to the instrument groups immediately.

[10] The stem of the balaban, or govda, is a 280–320 millimetres (11–13 in) cylindrical tube made primarily of apricot wood (sometimes hazel, pear, mulberry, boxwood, etc.).

Sometimes an additional hole called nizam pardasi is made on the lower end of the bottom side to ensure good timbre.

A traditional Azeri musical group consisting of two balaban-players and a percussionist is called balabanchilar dastasi.

The short selection of Azerbaijani mugham played in balaban, national wind instrument was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing world music, included among many cultural achievements of humanity.