The RSPBA is the recognised Centre of Excellence for the promotion and development of Pipe Band Music internationally. Its services and facilities include:
- education, training and certification in Piping, Drumming, Drum Majoring and Pipe Band Adjudication;
- an annual Summer School
- a Pipe Band College;
- setting standards of Pipe Band competition performance;
- organising the World, Scottish, British, UK and European Pipe Band Championships as well as the World Solo Drumming Championships;
- publishing the official summaries of the results of the 5 Major Championships and the results of other Pipe Band competitions run under RSPBA rules
The RSPBA liaises closely with affiliated Pipe Band Associations world wide.
The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch (RSPBANI) is a governing body to oversee Pipe band competition in Northern Ireland. We represent approximately seventy pipe bands in full membership of the association in Northern Ireland and over three thousand individual members.
The RSPBANI organises and delivers all Championship Pipe Band and Drum Major Contests in Northern Ireland and the Ulster Solo Piping and Drumming Championships. We are dedicated to the promotion of the culture and advancement of Pipe and drum music and the encouragement of arts and cultural tourism across Northern Ireland. The branch provides advice, assistance and guidance to the piping community generally on organisation, governance, education and music development. We also provide a teaching facility across Northern Ireland to nationally accredited standards.