Yogyakarta, August 21st 2025─Amidst the bustling cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, and other venues where music is a key element of the atmosphere, a public debate has arisen regarding regulations for playing music in public spaces. This is especially true when news reports indicate that the government and music industry organizations (LMK) are reaffirming the obligation to pay royalties for playing Indonesian music in places like cafes, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls. In fact, it’s not uncommon for this issue to be turned into memes or other digital jokes on social media.
According to Dr. Wisnu Martha Adiputra, S.I.P., M.Sc., a lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, it is necessary to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial public spaces. This is because music played in commercial spaces will be bound by the consequences of applicable laws. “When a public space is used for commercial purposes, the music played there clearly falls under the copyright regime. However, if it is played solely for personal use, it is not subject to royalties,” he explained.
Wisnu noted that there is already a policy governing this, namely Copyright Law Number 28 of 2014. This law stipulates that the playback of both domestic and foreign music in public spaces, particularly in commercial spaces such as cafes, restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers, requires royalties to be paid to the creator, singer, or other party who owns the rights to the work. However, he believes that its implementation still leaves various problems, especially regarding transparency and socialization.
He believes that even though the regulations are clear, many members of the public don’t fully understand the meaning of royalties. He even believes that even the business community doesn’t fully grasp the meaning of royalties. “Not only the general public, but also the business community doesn’t understand. Previously, there were disputes between singers and composers, the recent case of Mie Gacoan (a type of noodle), and not to mention the media, which adds to the noise,” he said.
Furthermore, he noted other issues related to the transparency of royalty management by the Collective Management Institution (LMK). As a non-profit organization tasked with recording and distributing royalties, LMK is considered to lack a clear distribution mechanism for music industry players. “There’s still a lack of public awareness and transparency among LMK/LMKN regarding royalty distribution,” he said.
This controversy prompted Wisnu to consider a supportive and equitable ecosystem for musical works. He saw the need for efforts to raise awareness and knowledge about the importance of royalties. Royalties should then be viewed not merely as an additional cost, but as part of the creative ecosystem. With proper education, royalties can be viewed as a form of appreciation for artistic works. He sees this as a crucial role for media partners in building collective awareness.
He also emphasized the importance of government responsibility in this issue. He hopes the government can play a more active role in ensuring the royalty system operates transparently, including protecting independent musicians and MSMEs simultaneously. “Overseas, recording systems are digital and transparent, allowing musicians to know how much they receive. Indonesia should be able to move towards that,” Wisnu said.
Finally, he believes this controversy demonstrates that the disparity in music royalties in public spaces, particularly commercial ones, is not merely a regulatory issue, but rather a collective awareness of the need to value creativity. He is also optimistic about finding a fair compromise for all parties, including musicians and small businesses that often use music as a source of entertainment.