Waiting for Startup and Service in Music Segment to Continue Growing

In my opinion, the growth of music industry should be in line with the internet development. Both music and internet have been very close companies for a writer and music listener who always connected to the cyber world. So how to fulfill this two areas of enjoyment at once, especially using Indonesia’s local application and web-based service?

I see that music segment in the internet is still managed by telco – provider – label, focusing in music download and online music store (RBT – full track). On the other hand, there are also some media with music content, including the news of the musicians themselves. Some other segments are supplement for their printed version.

Other than those types may have the amount increased such as startups or another independent media. There are many media outside the mainstream that covers many sidestream music growths such as Musikator, YesNoWave, Deathrockstar, MusicBandung, GeekBible. YesNoWave has become an online music distributor or netlabel. Other examples of netlabel are Invasi Records, Reload Your Stereo, Stone Well Sound Records, Inmyroom Records, Hujan! Rekords, Mindblasting and StoneAgeRecords. This means there are enough recources for music content.

Netlabel for me is quite interesting especially in adding various musical colors. Netlabel provides media for “room” musician, home recording or sidestream musician who need free distribution channel for their music. This type of free download can be an alternative for spreading music and a solution for piracy issue. Some band may provide their music to be consumed for free through free download.

Talking about music will also speak about label and mainstream musician. If it is related with the internet, it obviously has something to do with piracy. Few weeks ago there was movement called Heal Our Music, together with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Depkominfo) in order to block the access to sites that provide pirated mp3 download. Also the government plan to block 4shared for their illegal music download activity. Even though I myself disliking it, the first plan could be a good start as far as they block the right website and no further plan (for the second plan, I totally disagree).

Mainstream industry, business, piracy, they will all connected to the music license. So how can the startups or anyone else develop the music-based service? There are some service have tried to provide this, both for mainstream and sidestream, for example there are ToneHighWay, Gamelan, NyanyiYuk and Musikkamu.com which softlaunched last month. Also there are some other service filling the music segment.

In the overseas area there are Last.fm, TheSixtyOne.com, Spotify or Turntable.com, etc. Some of these application not available in Indonesia.

Music industry needs refreshment as well as their listeners music taste. This can be an opportunity for startup or any other developers to create service, either in website or music mobile application. This off course would not be easy especially to cooperate with music label and music industry. But I see another opportunity such as a music player with sidestream band collection just like ToneHighWay, where in this case we must put more attention on the music or song collection. We can also add some social elements to connect with the other listeners so playing song can be more exciting, or some facilities such as music player for free download music since there are many musicians allow their music to be downloaded freely.

I also think that music industry – the musicians, labels, or another related party - needs some renewal for their business development strategy. Still they have to maintain their music quality and provide spaces for any kind of music.

This may end up like a classic causality dilemma between chicken and egg, who will start first? The labels, musician, developers, startups or the music lovers who want new ways in enjoying music? One thing for sure is that the opportunity in music segment is as popular as the book segment, comics, and social element.

Note: This is not a complete article with detail discussion about music and internet. There are still much additional information about some applicable service that allows combination between music and internet. You may write down your comments on the space below. This article is not about the illegal download and site-blocking. Those issues may be discussed in other articles. ;)

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