The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World's five-volume work 'Locations' is the most authoritative reference work on the history and current practice of popular music ever published. The five volumes on 'Locations' that form Part 2 of this multi-volume work follow on from the two volumes of Part 1: Media, Industry and Society (Volume I) and Performance and Production (Volume II). They cover over 200 nation states and are organized according to continental regions: Volume III: Caribbean and Latin America Volume IV: North America, Volume V: Asia and Oceania, Volume VI: Africa and the Middle East, and Volume VII: Europe. Each discusses the history, development and current practice of popular music in cities, districts, cross-border regions, nation states and diasporic communities around the world. Includes coverage of:

- The historical, geographical, demographical, political, economic and cultural context
- Genres for which the location is known or which have been important to the development and current practice of its popular music
- Significant venues such as theatres, dance halls, clubs and bars
- The role of the industry: music publishers, record companies/labels, recording studios, radio and TV
- The role of the state and government regulatory bodies
- The teaching and research of popular music in educational institutions
- Songs associated with the location

Notable performers and other practitioners such as producers, engineers, technological innovators, record company heads, journalists, critics and scholars, songwriters, composers and lyricists.

250 leading popular music scholars and practitioners have contributed over 500 entries. They include Rafael José de Menezes Bastos on Brazil, Peter Manuel on India and the Caribbean Islands, John Collins on Ghana, Moya Aliya Malamusi on Malawi, Tôru Mitsui on Japan, Motti Regev on Israel, Martin Stokes on Turkey, Richard Peterson on Nashville, Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman on Hawai'I, Bruce Johnson on Australia, Paolo Prato on Italy, Svanibor Pettan on Croatia and Alf Björnberg on Sweden.