Over the past two months I was invited to attend three events focused on music market development in Taiwan and South Korea: the Golden Melody Festival & Awards in Taipei, and MU:CON and Zandari Festa in Seoul. While each had its own unique strengths and specific targets, all three share roughly the same mission: introducing local music to the outside world.
MU:CON invited 195 delegates in 2017 from across the globe. The Golden Melody Festival in 2016 generated transactions for Taiwanese music totaling NTD $5.8 billion. I feel honored to have been the only Indonesian invited to all three in the same year.
1. A Platform to Meet Anyone
These events are designed to bring together all the key stakeholders in the music industry. One central activity is “Business Matching” — delegates register in advance, browse who they want to meet, and reserve time slots. Meeting durations vary: 15 minutes at MU:CON, 30 minutes at Golden Melody Festival. All three achieve the same goal: a space where everyone can meet, share information, and open up possibilities for collaboration.
2. Music That Isn’t Siloed
To have broad impact, music can’t be siloed — it has to be integrated into the wider cultural ecosystem. At Zandari Festa, the festival spread across 10 live houses in the Hongdae area of Seoul. Audiences moved between closely packed venues watching over 200 bands from around the world. Music that isn’t siloed can drive economic growth that benefits not just music people, but all cultural actors and society.
3. Women’s Participation
Women are a critical part of the music ecosystem. In Taiwan, from the president on down to government officials and industry figures, most were women. This may well be one of the reasons why Taiwanese pop music is considered superior in the Chinese-speaking music market.
4. Audience Development
Music cannot grow without programs to develop the audience. At MBC in Seoul, visitors aged 5 and up can enjoy cultural offerings including music. An all-ages environment is critically important — cultural education can begin early. At Zandari Festa showcases, audiences were visibly and genuinely engaged — singing along, dancing, raising a hand.
5. Creativity Is Global
In a forum attended by people from all over the world, you simply can’t be satisfied with being an imitator. The demand to be original is non-negotiable. The UK, European, and American markets are looking for something unique and different from what they’re traditionally used to. The keyword, according to speakers at MU:CON, is “being yourself.”
6. Infrastructure and Historical Narrative
Music cannot grow without a historical narrative as its foundation. Seoul’s live houses collect history through performance posters, stickers, and artifacts. Every musician who plays at Zandari Festa becomes part of an ongoing historical continuum. Without spaces like these, it’s nearly impossible to create a musical narrative for a place.
7. The Identity of “Asian Music”
At a Zandari Festa forum, the question arose: “What does Asian Music actually look like?” Identity is becoming increasingly important in a globally connected music ecosystem. Presenting an Asian identity reads as more credible and more readily understood when engaging with people from other continents — creating far more opportunities for Asian music communities to be heard elsewhere.
8. A Safe Nightlife
Seoul and Taipei are both global, modern, and open Asian cities that operate 24 hours. Music becomes a central part of the picture — generating activity that drives much of the economic output from nightlife. The 9-to-5 framework applies twice. The economic and social output generated can multiply accordingly.
Lessons
It’s no accident that Korean and Taiwanese music products are superior compared to the rest of Asia. What can Indonesia do to close the gap?
- Build a platform that connects Indonesian music to the outside world.
- Design music development programs accessible to the general public and broader cultural ecosystem.
- Involve women in the workforce to optimize all available talent.
- Design audience and music appreciation development programs at various levels.
- Encourage creative production by opening up relationships with the international world.
- Push government to create policies supporting areas where young cultural creators can operate.
- Build a cultural identity that is both original and contemporary.
- Start real conversations about the nighttime economy and its opportunities.
Thank You, Rolling Stone Indonesia
I originally wrote this article for Rolling Stone Indonesia, their second-to-last issue, as the cover story. Thank you to Adib Hidayat, Editor in Chief, who consistently trusted me and gave me so many opportunities to contribute to one of the coolest music magazines in Indonesia.