Photo courtesy of Kolase
Whether or not the internet has changed the creative industry for the better or worse is still an open question. And to those who don't remember a world before free downloads and streaming, it may feel completely natural to think that music is something you get for free, while buying physical releases is just a choice after the fact. But to say the drastic decline in sales of physical releases over the years represents the loss of symbiotic mutualism between music fans and music creators is a gross simplification of the ever-mutating relationship.Even though it hasn’t completely replaced the act of buying physical releases, the online crowdfunding system is increasingly popular in Indonesia. What it shows is people's willingness and to support creative projects they deem worthy like albums, films, social campaigns, showcases, and more.Kolase.com is an Indonesian crowdfunding site that was launched only a few months ago. It could have been jus another short-lived internet business started by young entrepreneurs. But the twist here is that it actually works. In the span of just a few months, it has raised over Rp 50 million ($3,595 USD) for the local singer Tulus' elephant conservation project and almost Rp 100 million ($7,190 USD) for the second album of the indie pop act Fourtwnty.I talked to Raden Maulana, the man behind of Kolase about the Indonesian music industry and how crowdfunding is a sign of a new kind of relationship between artists and fans.VICE: Why do you think fans don’t buy physical albums anymore?
Raden Maulana: We’ve probably gotten to a point where we find it boring to just support a band by buying their physical releases. These days, everything is digital and instant. So the meaning of the word “support” has changed and now liking, commenting, and following an artist’s page also counts as supporting them. The fans also prefer a two-way communication with their favorite artists. Millennials want to feel like they’re the trendsetters and have become a part of history of something they like.How is Kolase doing right now?
So far we've had eight successful campaigns, raised Rp 339 million ($24,374 USD), and 10,000 subscribers.What separates successful campaigns from unsuccessful ones?
The successful ones come from the artist’s maximum effort to campaign. If you’re idle, or too proud to promote it, then you might as well not do it.
The ones that did well were by Fourtwnty, Last Goal Party, Thirteen, Tulus, Alseace 2018, Elephant Kind, and more. They intensely promoted their campaigns on social media and set up a really creative campaigns. The unsuccessful one, for example, was the Padi Reborn concert series in three cities. It’s unfortunate that the campaigner, the promoter’s consultant responsible for the concerts didn’t promote the project at all, and even the members of the band weren't aware that there was a campaign for them on Kolase. A lot of Padi’s fans asked the band about it but the band didn’t know anything. So there was an internal miscommunication, and that caused the campaign to fail.So it’s about communicating to fans information about the production process and telling them how big their roles are?
Yes, you're showing them a new way to appreciate music. So they won't just say, "Yo, send me the download link." Everyone needs to change in order for the industry to change. Things have always been done the same way—musicians make music, and then sell it. But we need to do it like how we order food. You order, pay, then the food gets made, and you enjoy it. This way, nothing gets wasted. There will be less uncertainty and piracy. You can’t make music when you can’t feed yourself.What sort of projects get the most positive reactions?
Usually it’s a live concert, a showcase, or a high school concert (pensi), and other events. This doesn’t only happen in Indonesia, but also abroad. A live show gives you a rare experience that a YouTube video just can’t provide.How does Kolase convince people to spend significant about of money on these campaigns?
We prioritize trust, easy payments, a refund system, and a clear delivery system. We work with a local delivery company, and we also look for sponsors for the campaign. And the most important thing is doing a tight screening for these campaigns to decide which ones will get approved and published.How did you come up with the idea for Kolase?
[Laughs]. You would know since we used to be in the same band. It’s a long story, but because no one in my family plays music, I was often underestimated by them. I hate family events where this sort of things happens. My family doesn’t see anything good that comes with being a musician. I’ve been secretly playing music since I was in middle school, during the glory days of Poster, M-Club, and Marimba. Then I joined The Aftermiles, helped Sajama Cut, and temporarily played in Alexa.It all came to an end when my parents demanded I get a job and stop playing music. After a few years working as an accountant, I had the urge to prove to my parents that you can make money from music. I quit my job and started managing bands, which proved to be difficult and I failed. After a while, I finally came up with the idea for Kolase.com where I can help musicians create art, and also to change the current music industry for the better.Do you think the crowdfunding system will work in Indonesia in the long run?
The crowdfunding trend has been going on for a while now. I don’t know if I can say whether it works or not, but if we pay a close attention, people have been done crowdfunding for a long time. For example, high school kids raise funds to organize pensi—they have to sell flowers or sing on the street to make money which actually is a form of crowdfunding. It's the same thing when yourraisa—what Raisa’s fans call themselves—raised funds and told Raisa to set up a concert. BIP did this with their album as well as Efek Rumah Kaca for their side project, Pandai Besi. The only difference is that now this is being done digitally, much like how ojek apps revolutionized ojek services, and e-commerce took over retail stores.Full disclosure: Raden Maulana was a keyboardist in my band Sajama Cut from 2006 to 2008.
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Raden Maulana: We’ve probably gotten to a point where we find it boring to just support a band by buying their physical releases. These days, everything is digital and instant. So the meaning of the word “support” has changed and now liking, commenting, and following an artist’s page also counts as supporting them. The fans also prefer a two-way communication with their favorite artists. Millennials want to feel like they’re the trendsetters and have become a part of history of something they like.
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So far we've had eight successful campaigns, raised Rp 339 million ($24,374 USD), and 10,000 subscribers.What separates successful campaigns from unsuccessful ones?
The successful ones come from the artist’s maximum effort to campaign. If you’re idle, or too proud to promote it, then you might as well not do it.
Can you give examples?
The ones that did well were by Fourtwnty, Last Goal Party, Thirteen, Tulus, Alseace 2018, Elephant Kind, and more. They intensely promoted their campaigns on social media and set up a really creative campaigns. The unsuccessful one, for example, was the Padi Reborn concert series in three cities. It’s unfortunate that the campaigner, the promoter’s consultant responsible for the concerts didn’t promote the project at all, and even the members of the band weren't aware that there was a campaign for them on Kolase. A lot of Padi’s fans asked the band about it but the band didn’t know anything. So there was an internal miscommunication, and that caused the campaign to fail.So it’s about communicating to fans information about the production process and telling them how big their roles are?
Yes, you're showing them a new way to appreciate music. So they won't just say, "Yo, send me the download link." Everyone needs to change in order for the industry to change. Things have always been done the same way—musicians make music, and then sell it. But we need to do it like how we order food. You order, pay, then the food gets made, and you enjoy it. This way, nothing gets wasted. There will be less uncertainty and piracy. You can’t make music when you can’t feed yourself.
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Usually it’s a live concert, a showcase, or a high school concert (pensi), and other events. This doesn’t only happen in Indonesia, but also abroad. A live show gives you a rare experience that a YouTube video just can’t provide.How does Kolase convince people to spend significant about of money on these campaigns?
We prioritize trust, easy payments, a refund system, and a clear delivery system. We work with a local delivery company, and we also look for sponsors for the campaign. And the most important thing is doing a tight screening for these campaigns to decide which ones will get approved and published.How did you come up with the idea for Kolase?
[Laughs]. You would know since we used to be in the same band. It’s a long story, but because no one in my family plays music, I was often underestimated by them. I hate family events where this sort of things happens. My family doesn’t see anything good that comes with being a musician. I’ve been secretly playing music since I was in middle school, during the glory days of Poster, M-Club, and Marimba. Then I joined The Aftermiles, helped Sajama Cut, and temporarily played in Alexa.It all came to an end when my parents demanded I get a job and stop playing music. After a few years working as an accountant, I had the urge to prove to my parents that you can make money from music. I quit my job and started managing bands, which proved to be difficult and I failed. After a while, I finally came up with the idea for Kolase.com where I can help musicians create art, and also to change the current music industry for the better.Do you think the crowdfunding system will work in Indonesia in the long run?
The crowdfunding trend has been going on for a while now. I don’t know if I can say whether it works or not, but if we pay a close attention, people have been done crowdfunding for a long time. For example, high school kids raise funds to organize pensi—they have to sell flowers or sing on the street to make money which actually is a form of crowdfunding. It's the same thing when yourraisa—what Raisa’s fans call themselves—raised funds and told Raisa to set up a concert. BIP did this with their album as well as Efek Rumah Kaca for their side project, Pandai Besi. The only difference is that now this is being done digitally, much like how ojek apps revolutionized ojek services, and e-commerce took over retail stores.Full disclosure: Raden Maulana was a keyboardist in my band Sajama Cut from 2006 to 2008.