Street Artists Raking in Profit Amidst Royalty Controversy

This Glenn Fredly fan shares that he often busks in the Joglo area of West Jakarta and its surroundings.

"If in Depok, I like trending songs like Stecu which is currently booming and Batas Senja," he said enthusiastically.

Kris the Violinist claims to be self-taught in playing the violin. This 23-year-old man has known and been friends with Anisa since childhood, as Anisa is the younger sister of his friend.

Since the age of 10, both of them have been accustomed to earning a living on the streets by playing various musical instruments, from kecrekan, guitar, to violin. Now they have been blessed with two children.

"I didn't go to school, didn't finish elementary school because I was born into a family that was not well-off. Since I was little, I earned money on the streets. My hobby is indeed music," he said.

Although he loves music, Kris sometimes felt bored busking and had thought about working in an office. However, his lack of a diploma and his body covered in tattoos made him pessimistic.

Kris feels that the salary he would get would not be enough because the salary offered for his level of education would be below the minimum wage, especially since he is already married.

Currently, although their income is uncertain, they can earn hundreds of thousands per day. In a month, they can even pocket millions of rupiah.

"Here we can earn a turnover of 100 thousand to 150 thousand a day, not certain, sometimes more. Well, gross, in a month we can make a profit of 3 million to 5 million, we have already gotten stuck in the comfort zone, if you say whether we feel comfortable or not, well, not really comfortable after years on the road even though we have the skill to play musical instruments, there is definitely a sense of boredom too," Kris shared.

The man who grew up in Depok admitted to idolizing David Garrett, the German violinist, as well as Indonesian violinists like Didiet Violin and Hendri Lamiri. "These two local violinists play very beautifully," he said enthusiastically.

In the midst of the conversation, Kris, as a street artist, was also interested in discussing the issue of royalty polemics in Indonesia.

"What is it for? Where is the money from the LMKN collection going? It's not guaranteed to reach the songwriters. Like for example yesterday, which was trending, the money only reached hundreds of thousands. Now if you’re at a cafe, it’s already included in the bill, with a written payment for band royalties, which some visitors object to because not everyone likes the song being played there. There are also people who come to the cafe just to drink, not wanting to listen to music, but are forced to pay royalties, so there are many pros and cons," concluded Kris Violinist.