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Listen up: Music for the internet age

Those of a certain age might remember the days of making mixtapes or burning CDs to share music, back when playing them meant lugging around a clunky boombox or player.

Josa Lukman (The Jakarta Post)

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Jakarta

Wed, December 23, 2020 Published on Dec. 22, 2020 Published on 2020-12-22T19:23:10+07:00

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Real time: With just an internet connection, fans can stream songs by their favorite artists from the second they are released.

This year around, with the pandemic in full swing, music offers comfort.

In the age of Spotify, SoundCloud and smartphones, music is readily available online.

With just an internet connection, people can stream songs by their favorite artists from the second they are released, while at the same time just about everyone can upload their own music, whether it is original content, covers or remixes.

Clearly there has been a shift in the ecosystem, where the availability of free music coexists with a more conventional storefront, both digital and physical.

Others have taken a different approach, such as Yogyakarta-based label Yes No Wave Music.

Founded in 2007 by interdisciplinary artist Wok The Rock, Yes No Wave is described as a non-profit music label that distributes musical works to the public as a “gift-economy” act – an experiment in free legal music to support an open-sharing culture movement.

In an online discussion hosted by Nusasonic, Wok The Rock – the stage name of Woto Wibowo – said that while he was open to a wide range of genres, ultimately it came down to whether the artists were willing to have their works distributed for free.