Created in 2014 by Brahim El Mazned and the organization for cultural engineering Anya, the festival brings together African and Middle Eastern artists from all genres of contemporary world music.

[2][3] The Moroccan daily newspaper Le Matin said in March 2022 that "This festival is today a platform that promotes opportunities for exchange and contributes to the visibility and the place they deserve to artists from Africa and the Middle East".

[5] The applications are examined by the Visa for Music jury, made up each year of 5 different cultural actors, who select around thirty artists.

)[7] In 2023, more than 1500 artists of African or Middle Eastern origin applied, 71 of them living in the Americas, 244 in Europe, 158 in Asia, 1 in Australia, and 1031 in Africa.

[12] In 2020, like the rest of the world, Visa for Music had to face the Covid-19 pandemic and was prompted to present a digital edition, placed under the sign of resilience.