Jakarta, IO – The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Arts Music and Film Section, in collaboration with the Music Appreciation Directorate of the Film Music and Media Division under the Ministry of Education and Culture, held a discussion on “The Music Concerts Business and Profits for the Country” at the Harris Hotel, Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, on Friday, March 23, 2024.
The event was officially opened by the Chairman of PWI Central, Hendry Ch Bangun, and the Head of Music Appreciation at the Directorate of Film Music and Media Division, Directorate General of Culture, Edi Irawan. In his opening speech, Hendry Ch. Bangun commended the discussion and stated that he expects that it will revitalize the country’s music industry. Taylor Swift’s phenomenon in Singapore surprisingly attracted and brought economic benefits to that country.
“Referring to Singapore’s success in holding Taylor’s concert and benefiting the country, we are hoping to formulate the best ideas that we can share and communicate further with the government and other music promoters,” said Hendry.
Edi Irawan added that the discussion outcomes would be excellent input for their future plans.
“Following the discussions with our fellow music journalists and music industry players (promoters) certainly provides a lot of input on what we have not yet done. So, we have garnered some ideas and will formulate them together in the future. I believe this is a very good discussion,” said Edi Irawan.
CEO of Deteksi Production, Harry Koko Santoso, and Country Director of ONErpm in Indonesia, Aldo Sianturi, were appointed as the main speakers in the discussion.
According to Harry Koko, music concerts consistently attract people from different cities and even countries. This means music concerts can be performed in many different places, from cities to villages, from the sea to the mountains, and even in the air, as previously arranged by Virgin Airlines, when they launched one of their companies with an inflight concert.
“Music is the core of any concert. That is why we call music an industry. We use music in everything, from choosing a president to a village head, from selling the cheapest products to the most expensive ones. Taylor Swift’s concert in Singapore demonstrates Singaporean music promoters’ intelligence, as they believed that holding a music concert in Singapore also included security, comfort, and convenience. Music concerts in Singapore managed to attract fans from neighboring countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. That’s what happens,” explained Koko.
“The government of Singapore plays a vital role in providing access to facilities, security, and comfort for its artists and audiences. As a result, international audiences gladly visit Singapore. Singers and musicians also feel comfortable and confident that their shows will be successful,” he added.
According to Aldo Sianturi, Indonesia has the potential to outperform Singapore in hosting concerts, not by imitating it. The government needs to be present and contribute to improving the music industry’s ecosystem and performance infrastructure.
“The government must support concert events and existing music festivals in Indonesia, starting with providing easy licensing, light taxes, or even funding. The support can take the form of supporting musicians going abroad for invitations or competitions. We have many potential local musicians with strong characters. We can even export Indonesian music to other countries. As a concert like Taylor Swift’s, I believe Indonesia can do it better if the government fully supports it,” said Aldo Sianturi, one of the speakers for “Involving Traditional Music and Certified Concert Stage Stakeholders in International Concerts.”
Read: Sandykala Smara Triumphs At The Singaporean Public Relations Awards
Based on the two simultaneous discussions, the Chairman of the Music and Film Arts Section (Simufil) of PWI Central, Benny Benke, assumed that the government’s important role is significant in supporting music concerts’ sustainability within the country and in exposing Indonesian musicians at a regional and international level. The music industry undoubtedly generates income and will continue to have a significant impact on the nation’s economy.
“It is important to have the government’s cooperation and support for our domestic concerts. Inputs are well noted and hopefully, in the future, we can host even bigger world concerts within the country. Local musicians’ concerts also help boost the nation’s economy through their music performances. We can make a profit like Singapore (with Taylor Swift),” said Benny Benke. (des/ast)