Auvergne is a region in France. Its most well-known form of folk music is that played on the cabrette (little goat in Auvergnat), a bagpipe made of goatskin. This is used to play swift, 3/8 dance music, slow airs (regrets) and other styles. The traditional master Joseph Rouls taught many modern players, including Dominique Paris , Jean Bona and Michel Esbelin . Other styles of music include the shepherd's calls known as ballero .

Joseph Canteloube was a well-known composer from Auvergne in the early 20th century, and produced a famous collection of folk music called Songs of the Auvergne.

The hurdy gurdy became the basis for bal-musette music, which arrived in Paris by 1880 as a result of Auvergnat migration. The influence of Antoine Bouscatel led to bal-musette incorporating the Italian accordion, which soon came to dominate the music. This is the period that produced internationally known masters like Léon Chanal , Emile Vacher and Martin Cayla . Vacher's light style, rhythmic nature and distinctive tremolo defined the genre for many audiences in France and beyond. During World War 1, elements of American jazz became a part of bal-musette. The style also became the basis for a genre called valse musette .

Other Auvergnat musicians include Patrick Desaunay and Jean-Louis Murat .