[8] It flows from south-west to north-east, from the Barisan Mountains range that form the backbone of Sumatra, in Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province, to the Bangka Strait that forms an extension of the South China Sea.

The Musi is about 750 kilometers long, and drains most of South Sumatra province.

The river, dredged to a depth of about 8 meters,[5] is navigable by large ships as far as Palembang, which is the site of major port facilities used primarily for the export of petroleum, rubber and palm oil.

This river system, especially around the city of Palembang, was the heart of eponymous 7th to 13th century Srivijayan empire.

The river mouth was the site of the SilkAir Flight 185 plane crash which killed all 104 passengers and crew on board in 1997.