Singaporean Alan Chan had
been a stock broker for over 20 years. When he was first introduced to K Pop by
his daughter, coupled with the nudging of his Korean associates who mostly have
their own entertainment companies, he decided to invest in something entirely
different - the currently red-hot K Pop industry, and eventually became the
founder and CEO of Alpha Entertainment, which launched the five-member girl
group, SKarf.
5-member Kpop girl group, SKarf, formed and managed by Alpha Entertainment
We spoke to the entreprenuer on what it takes to
make it in the highly competitive Kpop business, and though he may be
relatively new in the industry, he knows that in order to survive in the long
haul, he cannot simply just ride on the the Kpop trend, but to see it as part
of something bigger from Asia.
Mr Alan Chan, Founder and CEO of Alpha Entertainment
“(The Kpop wave) will
always be there like the J Pop and C Pop. It will tapper off from the peak.
That is why we will never focus just on K Pop. We want to be more Asian Pop
that includes J Pop, K Pop and C Pop,” Alan explains, and this is perhaps why SKarf
now consists of 5 members of different nationalities i.e. Singaporeans, Koreans
and Japanese. The company undertakes a glocalization strategy of the band
members in order to increase the group’s ability to adapt faster and reach out
to big Kpop markets like Japan.
Describe your risk appetite. Is it more risky to
invest in the seemingly fickle entertainment industry or in stocks? How has
your investment worked for you?
I have been a stock
broker for more than 20 years and I know all about risks. To be able to enter
into K Pop by a foreigner is itself an achievement. It will take time but we
will see decent returns. Don’t forget, we have the best training director and
artistes manager in Korea working for us now. Together these two have trained
and managed artistes like TVXQ, SNSD, SHINee, SJ, SJm, F(X) and Rain.
You’ve started Alpha Entertainment since 2010. How has
been the journey like so far? What are the company’s major milestones?
It is not easy to break
into Korea whether it is the entertainment or any other industry. They are very
closely knitted. So far it has been quite smooth. Different countries have
different cultures and ways of doing things. You have to adapt. The major
milestones in Korea I would say is the first Singaporean in K Pop and also
first Singaporean to host any TV shows. Winning The Raising New Star 2012
within 3 months of launch is also a major achievement. And of course the latest
appointment of SKarf by Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) as Global
Ambassadors. All these are recognition of what we have done so far.
Recruitment, training, production, marketing/
promotion, distribution: What is Alpha Entertainment’s focus and how does it
balance all this?
We focus on casting,
training and management. All other promotions will be taken care of by CJ, they
are our Global Distributors. Experienced staff is not difficult to find in
Korea. We have just setup a training school in Singapore and it is doing well. We
will probably focus a little more time into it. Financials will always be the
biggest issues. Just to launch a mini album can cost anything from US half a
million and this is expensed off.
You have offices in Singapore, Korea and China. How
has this helped you in expanding your business in Asia?
China is a huge market
and it is near to HK, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Take for instance, the Luv Virus
MV on Youtube has about 120,000 hits whie in China’s yinyuetai has about 1.05m
hits. That is about 10 times. We are planning for a Chinese album next year.
Surprisingly, SKarf has good following in South America as well.
What does it take for a Kpop group/ band to be
successful?
It is a combination of
everything and of course luck. With SKarf, our next group will be slightly
easier. It is still a long way to where we want SKarf to be. It takes time but
will come eventually.
What are the main revenue streams for a kpop band like
SKarf?
Performances and
endorsements.
SKarf first released a single, followed by a mini
album this year. Was this intentional to minimize risk? Why not a full album?
It is not a practice in
Korea. Even those from Hong Kong now realize this. It is better to have 2 to 4
mini albums followed by a full one.
How can SKarf stand out from the cookie clutter of Kpop
bands?
It’s in their concept and
songs. It is back to the early days of K Pop. Too many female groups are going
for the “sexy and aggressive” image. SKarf has to be different to stand out.
Other than SKarf, are there any other artistes under
the group? Previously in another interview, you mentioned that there were plans
to launch a girl group and a boy band every year. How has that worked out so
far?
That was our plan and we
still hold to that except that we need to make sure SKarf is where we want it
to be, among the top. This will make the launch of other groups easier.
What do you think artistes of other genres or
backgrounds could learn from their Kpop counterparts?
Must always work extremely
hard and continue to train even after debut. Forget about sleep and freedom.
You have now become a public asset and many youths look up to you for
inspiration and belief. It is never a smooth passage, learn along the way and
always remember your roots. There is no place for Prima Donnas.
Whether is it for a new act or an
established artist, performing live these days is
an essential way to not only reach out to more fans, but also as a source of
income. Many artists or bands would love to be engaged for an overseas gig in
order to increase their exposure to a wider audience. However, touring costs
can be high, especially for overseas stints, and while there are grants available
from various organizations such as the Media Development Authority and National Arts Council to cover partial touring costs, many Singaporean artists and bands
find it a challenge to continue doing so. Nevertheless, it has not stopped
Singapore acts such as local powerpop band TypeWriter who are seasoned
performers from pushing themselves and exploring foreign territory.
As how guitarist Patrick Chng
explains, “For an indie band like us, I don't think it's sustainable to keep
touring overseas because it is expensive and the grants or funding only covers
a small percentage of the cost. We did it for the experience and to see and
meet other musicians in their own backyard. We've definitely learned a lot and
it was an amazing experience. It has brought the band closer and opened our
eyes to a lot of things. You can't put a price on that.”
Playing seven shows in 12 days in the
UK, TypeWriter became the first Singapore band to perform at one of this year’s
International Pop Overthrow Festival held in Liverpool from 14th to
21st May. In particular, TypeWriter had the opportunity to perform
at The Cavern Club, where the legendary Beatles played in the early
60s as the club’s resident band.
We caught up with the band after
their return to share more on their “English Breakfast” experience.
How
did the opportunity to play at IPO come about? Was there an intention to play
IPO all this while?
International Pop Overthrow is a
powerpop music festival that's been around for over 10 years. We love powerpop
music and I think TypeWriter's music is aligned to the sensibilities of the
genre. When we came under KAMCO Music management last year, we talked about
playing overseas and IPO was a festival we thought would be perfect for us. So
our manager Kevin Mathews wrote to them to check us out and they wrote back
with an invitation to perform at IPO Liverpool.
How
did you manage to arrange for the other gigs other than the one at IPO? Did you
work with a local agent over there?
We just wrote to a lot of people and
venues for the other gigs. It wasn't easy at all. We know a friend in Cornwall
who arranged a gig in Plymouth and Cornwall for us.
What
was the whole experience like, especially since this is the first time for
TypeWriter to perform overseas? Was there additional pressure?
We went without any expectations as
we knew that we're totally unknown in the UK. Let's be honest. I don't think
anyone in the UK will be excited to watch an unknown band from Singapore. The
pressure that we put on ourselves was to perform well at every gig.
How
did the audience take to the band's music? What was the size of the crowd like?
Did you have the opportunity to sell your music or merchandise there?
We were pleasantly surprised by the
response. Apart from Liverpool, most of the places we played at were small
venues averaging about 20 to 30 people at each gig. Yes there were
opportunities to sell our merchandise. We brought our CDs over and gave them
away free at IPO. We wanted to spread our music so we thought the best way is
to just give out our CDs to people who are interested.
What
was it like meeting other bands who were performing at the festival? Any
interaction of sorts on or off stage?
Actually I think we met more artists
at the other venues than at the IPO festival. We had dinner with Axel Loughrey
who supported us at 12 Bar Club in London. We met a really talented jazz
guitarist Cy Brandl and other singer-songwriters at The Vauxhall Quay in
Plymouth. A few of us met Pugwash and Farrah when we went to watch them at a
small venue in Brixton. We did chat with and checked out a few bands at IPO
Liverpool. It was really inspiring to watch the other performers.
How
was the tour funded? How was NAC and Gibson involved? Was getting funding
challenging? What were the sponsors' expectations? Any advice to other bands
who would like to do the same?
We got a grant from NAC which covered
almost 70% of our airfare. The rest was funded by us. Gibson supported us by
lending us guitars in London. Yes, it was challenging to get funding and we're
grateful to the NAC for their support. Bands who would like to do the same must
be prepared to fork out most of their money.
What
are TypeWriter's future plans? Will TypeWriter be actively looking at having
more overseas gigs? If yes, which ones? Will you be focusing on touring in
Asia?
We've just roped in a fifth member
Alan Bok into the band so our immediate plan is to rehearse as a quintet. We
plan to record an EP by end of the year so we're not thinking of touring
overseas at the moment. We have contacts in Beijing but the opportunity for IPO
Liverpool came up first. Maybe next time.
Photographs courtesy of TypeWriter/Lennat Mak
About
TypeWriter
Formed in 2001, the band has
journeyed through the years with various line-up changes and a vast
catalogue that has been reworked with different contributions by
its changing members, culminating in the two-CD debut album Indian Head Massage (2010).
With its current line-up of Yee Chang
Kang (vocals, guitar, harmonica and keyboards), Patrick Chng (guitar,
vocals and keyboards), Desmond Goh (bass and vocals), Redzuan Hussin (drums and percussion)
and Alan Bok (guitars, keyboards), TypeWriter will continue to pursue its
passionate dedication for song-craft and heartfelt honesty.
International Pop Overthrow (IPO) is
a pop music festival which has been held for the past fourteen years in Los
Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, San Diego, Phoenix, Detroit, Milwaukee,
Portland, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, Vancouver, and Toronto, as well as in
Liverpool (at the world famous Cavern Club), and London, UK. Each IPO features
between 25-180 of the best pop bands from around the world.
With
more than 150 songs under his belt and multiple award wins, including
the Malaysia Outstanding Artist Award at the recent Global Chinese Music Awards (全球華語歌曲排行榜)2012 held in Singapore, Wu Jiahui (伍家辉) is arguably Malaysia’s fastest-rising
singer-songwriter.
He
has written songs for some top artistes such as Jacky Cheung 張學友
(Black and White 黑白畫映), Stefanie Sun 孫燕姿
(Wish you happiness 祝你開心), Leon Lai 黎明
(Man with Love 有情郎) and Jerry Yan 言承旭
(One metre一公尺), and sang the hit song “One-Half” from movie “881”
original soundtrack that sold more than 13,000 copies in Singapore.
Jiahui
first started as a songwriter writing for other singers, but eventually became
a full-fledged recording artist and performer, singing his own material.
However, it’s still songwriting, as Jiahui admits, that gives him the kicks.
“I
definitely prefer being a songwriter, because I started out behind the scenes.
But today, being a singer and a producer allows me to exert more influence and
control over the music. Although being a singer definitely brings in more
revenue from performances as compared to the efforts put in as a producer or
songwriter, ultimately it’s still songwriting and producing that brings me the
greatest satisfaction.”
Multiple award winning Malaysian singer-songwriter, Wu Jiahui
“When
I first started, I already felt contented just merely by sharing my music
through songwriting. Later when I took part in a songwriting competition, I was
discovered by a publisher, and was later signed as an artist by renowned
Singaporean musician Eric Ng (Funkie Monkies Production). Actually, I feel that
as long as I am able to sing for one more day, I would grasp that
opportunity and continue to make the music I love and share it with
others, because music is my dream and an indelible part of my life.”
We understand that you did not renew your
contract with Funkie Monkies (FM) Productions and decided to become
independent. Could you share why you made this decision? How different is it
having your own label?
Actually,
I’m very thankful and grateful to FM Productions for grooming me all this time.
My decision to set up my own company was because both the label and I share the
same consensus that it’s time for me to step out on my own. I’ve been signed to
FM since 2006, and during all these years we’ve experienced so much together,
and have built a lot of camaraderie. Our relationship is not just simply that
of a label and its artiste, it’s more like a family, and now the parents are
very happy to see their child take flight.
The
new label starts out with signing myself. It’s called “Dreammy Studio”(吾梦工作室), which means finding one’s dreams. Currently there’s a
manager running it for the moment, but later, when the time is right, we will
slowly expand or work with other companies who are interested.
The
difference between having my own label and being signed to a bigger label is
that having my own label gives me a lot more freedom and control to exercise my
thoughts and opinions, while a bigger label would have more financial and human
resources.
What's the music industry in Malaysia like?
Are there more opportunities as compared to Singapore, Taiwan and China? Where
does the majority of your fan base come from? Is the media more supportive in
your home country?
There
are several segments in the music industry in Malaysia. There’s Malay music,
English music and Chinese music, and within the Chinese music market, it’s
split between local and overseas Chinese music. Actually I feel that the level
of opportunities is equal everywhere, it’s all a matter of how you target the
market and where you stand. Basically, my fans come from Mainland China,
Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, and I’m thankful that the media here supports
me very much.
How many performances do you do typically in a
month? Are they mostly in Malaysia or overseas? Now that you have won the Most
Outstanding Artiste Award (Malaysia) in the Global Chinese Music Awards, do you see anything changing for you?
On
average, I do about three to four performances in a month, out of which usually
one is from overseas (but it depends on the market, sometimes we could have
more requests towards the end of the year, all at the same time). I feel that
winning the award is just a form of recognition, and perhaps a platform for
more friends to know me, and maybe because of that there are more performance
requests.
Other than the Most Outstanding Artiste Award
(Malaysia), your song <我們怎麼LOVE> has also been
awarded as one of the Top 20 Songs. What do these two awards mean to you?
I’m
very happy because I never thought that <我們怎麼LOVE>
would win an award, because when I was writing it, I didn’t have too many
considerations or further thoughts, I was simply just writing what I had wanted
to express and record down my feelings at that moment. So now it’s really great
that the song had won.
What do you think of the future of the Chinese
music industry in Malaysia and in Asia would be like?
Malaysia’s
music industry has been creating waves and is now on a surge. In the Chinese
music industry in general, Malaysian artistes make up a considerable number;
and now, as long as we stay united and work hard together, we can definitely
achieve even greater success and reach higher levels. I hope that all musicians
will put in their very best and their upmost sincerity in every song and every
musical note, to move and to encourage more and more people out there.
After note
In
the midst of arranging this interview, another of Jiahui's works, 《灰》,
has won Best Television/ Movie Soundtrack at the PWH Music Awards 2012. 《灰》，together with another recent work, 《香火》,
written for a TV serial by Malaysia’s NTV7 of the same name, are nominated Best
Theme Song in the upcoming Asian Television Awards 2012.
With his 2009 major hit song “Record Breaker” sung by multi-platinum
selling Filipino artiste Sarah Geronimo, 2 award nominations "Best
Singer/Songwriter" & "Best Solo Artist" in the 2012
"All Indie Music Awards" held in Hollywood, CA, and more than 33,000
likes on his Facebook page as of writing (an impressive number for a Singaporean
artist), Eli T. is an upcoming electro-pop act certainly worth tuning into.
Born in Singapore and grown up in Canada, Eli reveals that
his East-meets-West identity as an artist poses many challenges for him.
Nevertheless, with the love and support from his fans “which mean the world to
(him)”, he continues to stick true to himself.
“It was pretty tough
for me when I first got back to Singapore. I just didn't fit in. Collectivistic
culture is an interesting thing that doesn't take well to sore thumbs. I was
told to chisel away aspects of who I am to be more accessible. I sing, write,
produce, arrange, perform and am extremely particular about the execution and
presentation of my art form. Critics have tried so many times to box and
compartmentalize what I do. Thankfully my fans see the larger picture and stick
by me because they understand that I view the entire process as part of the art
form too.”
Eli T. - Voted Female magazine's 50 Most Gorgeous people in Singapore and Cleo Magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors in Singapore
You started out as a producer behind
the scenes. What made you decide to step into the limelight and become a
performer instead? Was it something that you were always working towards? Tell
us more about this journey and what you have learnt.
Yes, I got my start professionally as a producer. Stepping
into production was a growing phase in my career. There's something special
about taking a song in for a good "buff and shine". Writing,
producing, arranging and re-mixing bring me large amounts of joy and
satisfaction.
That said, I've always been performing but it was only in
2011 that performing took precedence. I've always been an Artist (learnt that
the hard way, haha) and I needed a larger outlet for expression.
There's something cathartic about flushing your thoughts,
emotions and experiences into a song and production. Performing it just takes
it to a whole other level. There's just nothing like it.
I feel like I'm always learning, which is great, cos I never
want to be stagnant as an artist. Travelling down this road has also hardened
me a fair bit. Artists are sensitive creatures but anyone who decides to go for
a spin in the industry will have to learn that business and art are mutually
exclusive.
What made you decide to leave a bigger
label and become independent?
For me it's all about the art. I wanted to have the ability to create and
deliver my best. It was exhausting - trying to be moulded into the "next
so and so". I am much happier just being me.
For now, I want to make art on my own terms.
Could you tell us more about your
fan base and how you stay connected with them?
I love my fans. They are a huge source of strength and
encouragement. I talk to them on Facebook and
Twitter whenever
I can and it always brings me such joy to see them.
We've been touring/performing extensively and the power of
social media has allowed us to connect. Anyone who knows me will tell you that
I am a workaholic. I aim to give my fans the best.
Apart from the many social platforms that we have, there's
an app for the fans to get instant updates about shows as they get come in.
You have released your debut album
"Revolt" in March this year. How has been the response so far?
It is a really exciting time for my team and I as well. We
released the record at our show for Mosaic in March. Truth be told, I can only
say that we feel extremely blessed for everything to have come together the way
the way it has. Just this year alone, we've travelled to so many places and
played at major festivals and venues like M.E.A.N.Y Fest (New York, US), Mosaic
(SG), City Showcase (Napier, NZ), Singapore Arts Festival (SG), Music &
Mens Fashion Week (SG), Indie Week (Toronto, CA) etc.
The album is now available in multiple countries and across
all major online platforms including iTunes and Amazon. In June 2012, we signed
a distribution deal in Korea and the album is currently distributed across all
Korean online portals like Mnet and Olleh Music. We currently rank #1 in
Singapore on the Reverbnation music charts and we couldn't be happier.
Right now we're in New York getting ready to go on tour
again. This leg of the tour will see us through, New York, L.A. Toronto,
Montreal and Vancouver. There's just so much more to come. It's going to be an
amazing experience.
How do you and your management team
work things out, artistically and financially?
My team and I are really close and we function like a
family. It's all part of the art form for me and I feel deeply blessed to have
a manager that is so patient and understanding. We sit through long team
discussions to learn together and make decisions.
I am also so grateful that my team entrusts me with the
creative vision. It's not often you get a bunch of crazies working so great
together. haha
You are not only a producer, singer,
songwriter, but also a model and actor. What do you enjoy doing most?
I would say that I am a musician who can act and I was lucky
when I was younger to stumble around a little bit of modelling. Music is
definitely the heart of me. Acting comes a close second, but music is so
all-encompassing that it's a whole different world than acting for me. I would
say that they are all rewarding but the best part about all of this is that it keeps
me on my toes. I keep learning and I keep getting inspired to put new elements
into my music.
What do you think of the future of
the music industry in Singapore and in Asia? Is Asia also a place where you
will be focusing on too?
The music industry in Singapore is growing. It is my opinion
that it is not near as flourished as the Philippines, Japan or Korea at the
moment (which is surprising cos Singapore is so forward with so many things).
That said, a number of talented artists released records this year and that is
a huge sign of growth and that makes me super excited.
North America shaped a large part of who I am but it was in
Asia that I got my professional start as a musician. I also feel really close
to my asian fans and I can't wait for 2013 to come around so that I can see
them again.
We're in the 2nd leg of our North American Tour, among other
things but I try as much as possible to live in the moment.
The journey's so much more enjoyable that way.
My dream is to connect with as many people as possible
through my craft and every day I feel grateful for being able to do just that.
It all started when Danny W., back then a National University of
Singapore (NUS) undergraduate, saw an
advertisement while waiting for a shuttle bus on campus and saw the poster ad
of the NUS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practicum Grant.
Back in college, Danny had
several musician friends who aspired to become full time musicians, but they
struggled and finally decided to follow the "normal" graduate path
and find a stable job. Danny wanted to make a difference, and his vision was to
create a digital music platform that focused on local musicians as a means for
them to be more easily discovered. By coming in together as a grassroots movement
and having a concentrated platform for local musicians, he hoped that aspiring
musicians will then be able to reach out to a lot more people than just their
friends-zone.
Danny W., creator of iamLOCALIZED.sg
However, putting
ideas into action naturally required a financial investment and it had been a
tough start for him.
“I was still a
student in my final semester and without a penny in my pocket. How will I fund
this social project?” Danny asked himself.
So when the opportunity
came, he jumped on it and submitted his proposal to set up iamLOCALIZED.sg. After weeks of waiting, he was
finally notified that his business plan was selected to receive the $10,000
worth of funding.
He immediately looked for
reputable website developers to create a prototype, The Alpha version came out
for test drive in January 2012, and then on April 2012, the Beta version
finally went online.
Screen shot of the website www.iamLOCALIZED.sg
How did you think
your proposal stood out?
I believe the
reason for being selected for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practicum
Grant was because iamLOCALIZED's main element is that I identified it as an
online grassroots movement, where iamLOCALIZED will bring together local
musicians and listeners to promote local music. Online grassroots movement is
undoubtedly the most happening thing at the moment, and my idea consists of
that element. The area I chose, local music, is probably also the reason why my
proposal stood out. There have been so many efforts by the organizations and
musicians themselves to promote local music. Every time when they are asked
what is lacking in the local music scene, their answers have always been
more-less the same: "there is no platform that brings local musicians and
listeners together". Hence I came up with an idea of having an online
music platform specifically just for the local musicians.
It seems that
currently there are no revenue streams in your model. How do you plan to be
sustainable?
We do know that we
need to be able to sustain the website, and most importantly to keep on
developing the website for better user experience. Thanks to the grant, the
website will still run for the next 2 years and this gives us ample time to
experiment a few business models, may it be something that already exists or a
totally new innovation. As of now, we are trying out different revenue generation
models that would fit well with Singapore market. Music is consumed differently
in different countries, and hence we see the importance of not sticking with
just one business model. We believe there must be few trials-and-errors, and
analyze to figure out what fits well with Singapore market. One revenue stream
is through our IALiveSHOW. We have tried it, and currently we are in talks with
few prominent venues to hold future IALiveSHOWs.
How can artists be
discovered on your website?
At the moment, it's
actually just a normal simple search algorithm; no rocket science implemented.
Users search band name that they already know. Type the band name or genre, and
then it displays the results. Discovery can be done through the following
features: - Music Charts: Most Loved Chart, and Most Played Chart of the
month - New Releases: Recent uploaded songs on iamLOCALIZED
- Welcome Playlist:
Mix of random playlist upon login - Artists section: Manually look
for artists from A-Z - Search bar: Type in name of band or music genre
- IALiveSHOW: Discovery through the live show, or via recorded video of the
live show on iamLOCALIZED homepage, or YouTube - Social Media posts: daily
posts on Facebook and Twitter.
We found out from
our survey that most of the local listeners have the tendency of not looking
for new local acts themselves, but they tend to discover accidentally or they
have seen the artists performed somewhere or through recommendation. Not only
in Singapore, but this is also happening all over the world in these days.
Through the discovery features that we have, especially with the Music Charts,
New Releases, Welcome Playlist, and IALiveSHOW, we are actually recommending
local music that our local listeners would like hear. We believe in equal
promotion, so the amount of promotion each artist get on iamLOCALIZED is more
or less equally the same.
Music charts: how
does it work? One vote per person? Or multiple votes per person? Is it a weekly
or monthly chart?
The music charts is
a feature that we hope to bring the competitive spirit into the local music
scene. Users can give one vote per song. It is a monthly chart where the Most
Played Chart will reset at the end of the month. Most Loved Chart is where you
give your votes (showing some loves as we call it) to the song that you like,
and it will reset at the end of the year.
How are you working
out the licensing issues?
We are currently in
touch with COMPASS in how do we stand and go about in terms of music licensing
matter. Copyright is a big issue for us because after all, we are promoting
original local music. We are also helping aspiring musicians to know about the
importance of copyright and protecting their original music, because it is part
of the music business element that the aspiring musicians themselves need to
know about.
As a new platform,
how do you intend to get artists and publishers to join your website?
The main challenge
is to convince the musicians that putting their music on iamLOCALIZED is safe,
and is beneficial for their exposure. We have realized that, and we are able to
convince the musicians that the website is safe. As mentioned before also, we
are currently in touch with COMPASS in protecting the musicians’ music.
As for their
exposure, IALiveSHOW is definitely the main feature we have. Musicians are able
to perform live in venues where people are watching them perform. It is good
for the aspiring musicians to be exposed to such atmosphere, and for the
existing musicians, it is always good for them to have the opportunity to perform
live. From there onwards, it is the musicians’ duty to impress using their
music talent.
How is the response
so far? Any future targets?
The long term
target for iamLOCALIZED is to become the one-stop-shop music channel for local
Singapore music. Since the beta went online, we have 70 registered artists and
165 registered listeners. That sum up to a total of 235 registered users.
Through those 70 registered artists, there are a total of 101 songs, made in
Singapore. By the end of the year, we are targeting to round up the number to
300 registered users. Not so ambitious as one might see, but starting next year
we will be going "full force" in promoting the artists and their
music through innovative collaborations with various parties.
Music
sales/distribution definitely plays a big role as an indicator for the
musicians’ existence in the music industry. But for iamLOCALIZED, discovery is
the most important factor at the moment. If we are able to engage high numbers
of audience to play songs on iamLOCALIZED, we can promote the musicians further
and enable them to generate income from music sales/distribution, playing
live/tour, royalties, etc. This would empower the musicians to keep doing
music, and aspiring musicians to follow the footstep of those successful ones.
From here, we can eventually start to have a healthy music scene where you will
be able to see local musicians can live from doing music. For iamLOCALIZED,
this would be our tipping point where iamLOCALIZED will be able to generate
income along with the musicians.
Since your site
only focuses on local music, do you think the market supply and demand is big
enough for your model to be sustainable?
I believe that the
local market supply and demand is not enough for iamLOCALIZED to be
sustainable. Other than being able to sustain itself, iamLOCALIZED also needs
to grow. Hence we believe there is a need to venture out of Singapore as well.
What we are trying to do is to grow along with the musicians. We are also
working toward getting collaboration and partnership outside of Singapore. This
would open the door for the musicians to showcase themselves outside of
Singapore and empower them in bringing good music representing Singapore.
To sustain the
interests of listeners, the golden rule for all musicians is to keep
challenging themselves to create new music. The same goes to our local
musicians. It is not about quantity, but quality, and as a matter of fact
considering the population we have, we actually do have quality materials to
sustain the interest of users. For musicians, it is a matter of keeping the
standard high and create even more quality material.
What is your view
on shifting the role of taste making from mainstream media to the average
listener?
With the power of social media, the
opinion leaders are none other than ourselves. All of us now are giving
comments or opinions to almost everything that we're being exposed to on social
media platforms.
From what I discovered through
research is that what shifted the decision-making in this case is the medium
that the consumers use. Consumers have moved from listening to radios, to
watching music videos on TV, and they now are able to consume both via the Internet,
and more specifically via social media platforms. Consumers are however mostly
still influenced by what others recommend. If they used to get recommendations
from the DJs on the radio, or the music channels on TV, now most music
consumers get recommendations from their Facebook newsfeed, or Tweets, or
YouTube recommendation list. Your friends on Facebook are mostly friends you
have similar interests. The same goes for the Twitter accounts that you follow.
Hence you would likely to get hooked with what your peers are
listening/watching. To figure out whether you would like it or now, it is now
just a click away.
IALiveShow: how do
you intend to bring audiences to the shows? Any plans to monetize this area?
We started IALiveSHOW as part of the discovery
feature, and as mentioned before, we are currently in talks with few prominent
venues to collaborate with us. We definitely have plans to monetize in this
area that would benefit the musicians, venue, and iamLOCALIZED. As this is a
grassroots movement, one strategy is revenue sharing with the venue, depending
on how many people actually come to the venue to attend IALiveSHOW and watch
the artist perform. We have seen this done before in Singapore, and we are
definitely going into this direction for IALiveSHOW.
