Is a local music radio/TV station what we are missing?
- Thread starter ahkiatt
- Start date
Of course there is HD radio and 24k gold quality and what not. But if we are so idealistic, we will never get this off the ground! We have to make do with what we have, and blow the minds of the regular listeners with that. Think of it as an indie radio station/record label. Just that we're playing local music. I'm not talking about a full listening experience here, but rather, a chance to get people excited about the music that we create.
Dammit if only we some resources and a few ah sia kias that can start something. :???:
Winamp sounds plausible.
Dammit if only we some resources and a few ah sia kias that can start something. :???:
Winamp sounds plausible.
Damn. Is our Mediacorp so money motivated that they'd rather play music that will help their pockets/foreigners than some of our fellow Singaporeans. While it may be true that our music's not as well produced as theirs, it does not mean that we did not do everything within our power to make it the best that we can make. Last time I checked they have monopoly over Singapore's airwaves, so I really doubt that sacrificing a couple of hours a day of making money will hurt their pockets much.
To be brutally honest, while most of the music on myspace isn't properly mastered, it's not that horrible. Some of them can be played on the radio we may not be able to tell that they have not been polished. After all, how often do you listen to every detail of a song on the radio?
/rant
To be brutally honest, while most of the music on myspace isn't properly mastered, it's not that horrible. Some of them can be played on the radio we may not be able to tell that they have not been polished. After all, how often do you listen to every detail of a song on the radio?
/rant
Ance
New member
wow i must say this really makes a lot of sense. our very own local bands have songs on their myspace that are of sufficient quality, and they are truly radio-friendly too. hah, i'ld love to hear local bands on air man.
hecklerkoch
New member
Actually, there is some truth to what you've said lah, honestly.
I know an aspiring DIY singer-songwriter friend of mine whose song went on to reach No.1 at Radio Ria 89.7 for many, many weeks, despite having it recorded at Ah Boy Studio.
Radio Ria 89.7 is a popular mainstream Malay radio station, and his song is still the talk of the town after many months. Even went on to a television show interview and all that shit.
So, I believe it all boils down to whether people like your song or not.
MadWerewolfBoy
New member
Ideas like these are good, but in order to make them last, they must somehow or other, be put into a business context and be commercially self-sustaining. If not, the group sustaining the project (local radio, online radio, website, blog, etc.) will lose time and money as it goes.
Another point to note is to iron out what it is we want. Is it to make local music reach out to people outside the local music scene? Unpopular radio, soft, rampage on the airwaves and similar projects are platforms within the scene. They reach out to people who already associate themselves with the local music scene. Not a big crowd to begin with.
How about the masses? Popular radio stations, national television programmes, video hosting sites, audio hosting sites. Is there a way to exploit these platforms to, put it crudely, "ambush" unsuspecting viewers/ surfers into listening to local bands? Or to put it nicely, to subtly introduce the open minded to good local music?
Are our marketing strategy right? Should we market our music to our own selves or should we be marketing them to a larger crowd? All these investments need money to fuel 'em but from where will it come from? Bank loans or full/ part-time jobs?
Answering a few basic questions may make the picture clearer, but alas, we realise that the whole idea is actually a business of some sort because money and time is involved. If no profit or little profit is made for the good of everyone else, who then, is going to sacrifice their meals and eat instant noodles for lunch and dinner everyday to fuel the passion of others?
Maybe we should case study Finland to find out how they did it.. >.<
Another point to note is to iron out what it is we want. Is it to make local music reach out to people outside the local music scene? Unpopular radio, soft, rampage on the airwaves and similar projects are platforms within the scene. They reach out to people who already associate themselves with the local music scene. Not a big crowd to begin with.
How about the masses? Popular radio stations, national television programmes, video hosting sites, audio hosting sites. Is there a way to exploit these platforms to, put it crudely, "ambush" unsuspecting viewers/ surfers into listening to local bands? Or to put it nicely, to subtly introduce the open minded to good local music?
Are our marketing strategy right? Should we market our music to our own selves or should we be marketing them to a larger crowd? All these investments need money to fuel 'em but from where will it come from? Bank loans or full/ part-time jobs?
Answering a few basic questions may make the picture clearer, but alas, we realise that the whole idea is actually a business of some sort because money and time is involved. If no profit or little profit is made for the good of everyone else, who then, is going to sacrifice their meals and eat instant noodles for lunch and dinner everyday to fuel the passion of others?
Maybe we should case study Finland to find out how they did it.. >.<
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shinobi
New member
aiyah, at the end of the day, or should i say the bottom line is, music is an industry, a business. you want to be big and famous, you are talking about money. we can have some fantastic bands in this country but as long as musicians don't learn the business side of doing things, nobody is gonna come out and pour money and funding for 'support'. there is a difference between an amateur and professional musician.
a simple example would be a look at the amount of equipment each 'musician' here owns. musical equipment isn't cheap, but one would think that to a serious musician, it is priceless, and small change for what is supposedly one's passion.
if someone's gonna spend time and money to watch or listen to me play, i'm gonna make sure that i'm using the best damn equipment that i can buy, instead of wasting it on fashion, handphones, other luxuries and nonsense. to claim that you are serious about music, there has to be some level of sacrifice to show for it.
there are tons of kids out there who want to achieve alot of things, but where will they be 5 or 10 years down the road? i have been on these forums for more than 5 years, where are half of the young musicians who were active 5 years ago, today?
and this thread was dead wtf but at least instead of a new thread popping up every month or so, we are recycling old ones so it is a step in the right direction at least.
a simple example would be a look at the amount of equipment each 'musician' here owns. musical equipment isn't cheap, but one would think that to a serious musician, it is priceless, and small change for what is supposedly one's passion.
if someone's gonna spend time and money to watch or listen to me play, i'm gonna make sure that i'm using the best damn equipment that i can buy, instead of wasting it on fashion, handphones, other luxuries and nonsense. to claim that you are serious about music, there has to be some level of sacrifice to show for it.
there are tons of kids out there who want to achieve alot of things, but where will they be 5 or 10 years down the road? i have been on these forums for more than 5 years, where are half of the young musicians who were active 5 years ago, today?
and this thread was dead wtf but at least instead of a new thread popping up every month or so, we are recycling old ones so it is a step in the right direction at least.
jackmann
New member
Support Local Music
Yup.
We Singaporean got talent.
Can the media support the local talent and music.?
If the media do not support the local music who else.?
End up most of the local talent become bedroom musicians.
I fully support our local music and i think we should make certain association
in order to back up and support our musician.
Import music not so good to us.
So MR MEDIA please take a careful consideration please support our local musicians.it will be great and wonderful country.
I strongly support and agreed our softies opinion pertaining to the matter.
Thank you
Yup.
We Singaporean got talent.
Can the media support the local talent and music.?
If the media do not support the local music who else.?
End up most of the local talent become bedroom musicians.
I fully support our local music and i think we should make certain association
in order to back up and support our musician.
Import music not so good to us.
So MR MEDIA please take a careful consideration please support our local musicians.it will be great and wonderful country.
I strongly support and agreed our softies opinion pertaining to the matter.
Thank you
Iceruff
New member
Is it probably due to the fact that most of the citizens of singapore are very oblivious to local music. I admit, i don't know a single band 2 years ago, other than electrico, thats when stereotype happens. Once they appear mainstream, people start listening, and therefore they start liking it, requesting it. And the media just complying to business, they want more money so all these mainstream stuff are sure to bring them profits.
Therefore it would only be reasonable for them to invest in getting the copyrights of those songs instead of getting copyright of local songs that no one might have no heard of.
Therefore it would only be reasonable for them to invest in getting the copyrights of those songs instead of getting copyright of local songs that no one might have no heard of.
hecklerkoch
New member
I've been thinking about something that a friend said.
"When you think about it, music is cheap and dispensable.
Unless you create really quality, instant classic hits that will stay in the minds of people for decades or more, like Hotel California or Stairway To Heaven, to the everyday casual listener - a piece of music can be so easily forgotten. Especially a mediocre one.
It will be just another song put together by people playing musical instruments and a singer (or without).
It'll just be another statistic."
I somehow agree with her.
And most people think of popular music in a very simplistic manner IMHO.
Many people do not see the army of people involved in selling maybe just one single by a singer/band alone ie. proper, qualified songwriters, lyricists, music producer, sound engineers, trend researchers, marketing people etc.
Like many which said here before - at the end of the day, it is still a business.
"When you think about it, music is cheap and dispensable.
Unless you create really quality, instant classic hits that will stay in the minds of people for decades or more, like Hotel California or Stairway To Heaven, to the everyday casual listener - a piece of music can be so easily forgotten. Especially a mediocre one.
It will be just another song put together by people playing musical instruments and a singer (or without).
It'll just be another statistic."
I somehow agree with her.
And most people think of popular music in a very simplistic manner IMHO.
Many people do not see the army of people involved in selling maybe just one single by a singer/band alone ie. proper, qualified songwriters, lyricists, music producer, sound engineers, trend researchers, marketing people etc.
Like many which said here before - at the end of the day, it is still a business.
Kevin Mathews said before that it's not for the lack of talent, it's the guidance. I totally agree. We have good bands, but if they must know how to reach out to the media. Don't expect the media to keep looking through every nook and cranny. They have enough work to do and cannot spend hours each day just surfing to find MySpace music. If you want your music to be heard, blast it to everybody. Send MP3s to your favourite reporter or DJ and be prepared to do what it takes to make it work.
Do you know why some bands get more airtime or coverage than others, because they either (a) give better quotes, (b) know how to be pally with the interviewer, or (c) they look good. Sad but true. How else do you think so many of the Singapore Idol contestants are still in the running when let's face it, they aren't that great at all?
Yes, it is a business, but if you want to make it, you must do business to make it. Don't want to play the game? Then you won't win.
Sorry, hope I'm not coming across as too harsh.
Do you know why some bands get more airtime or coverage than others, because they either (a) give better quotes, (b) know how to be pally with the interviewer, or (c) they look good. Sad but true. How else do you think so many of the Singapore Idol contestants are still in the running when let's face it, they aren't that great at all?
Yes, it is a business, but if you want to make it, you must do business to make it. Don't want to play the game? Then you won't win.
Sorry, hope I'm not coming across as too harsh.
shinobi
New member
no need to think so hard. let me give you an analogy. a brilliant man from myanmar wants to make it big as an investment banker or some crap. is he gonna make it in myanmar? obviously not. what do they do? they come to singapore.
singapore is only developed when it comes to things like manufacturing and financial services and other nonsense. when it comes to things like arts (and maybe politics) we are still bloody backward and third world.
just look at our sports. our community leaders seem to think that we can progress by bringing the world into singapore. that's probably due to the time they spent during their schooldays in the library club instead of playing a sport or musical instrument.
but at any rate, bringing foreigners to play for singapore will probably cause the foreigners to become lousier, instead of local sports becoming better. local footballers are awaking to the fact that their skill will be rewarded with money and fame on other shores.
to me, no matter how much water, seed and fertiliser you bring to the sahara desert, you are not gonna grow any crops.
chinese musicians are far more successful than english musicians in singapore. why? because they bring their music into bigger markets like HK and TW. does the local chinese music industry benefit by having singaporeans who are superstars? obviously.
if you want to make it big in music, bring your music to somebody who is willing to listen, somebody who cares.
you think local bands really deserve the success we are dying to see? or are we just manufacturing unsung heroes or creating self-fulfilling prophecies? if you think you are worth your shit then bring your music to australian, UK or US markets.
singapore is only developed when it comes to things like manufacturing and financial services and other nonsense. when it comes to things like arts (and maybe politics) we are still bloody backward and third world.
just look at our sports. our community leaders seem to think that we can progress by bringing the world into singapore. that's probably due to the time they spent during their schooldays in the library club instead of playing a sport or musical instrument.
but at any rate, bringing foreigners to play for singapore will probably cause the foreigners to become lousier, instead of local sports becoming better. local footballers are awaking to the fact that their skill will be rewarded with money and fame on other shores.
to me, no matter how much water, seed and fertiliser you bring to the sahara desert, you are not gonna grow any crops.
chinese musicians are far more successful than english musicians in singapore. why? because they bring their music into bigger markets like HK and TW. does the local chinese music industry benefit by having singaporeans who are superstars? obviously.
if you want to make it big in music, bring your music to somebody who is willing to listen, somebody who cares.
you think local bands really deserve the success we are dying to see? or are we just manufacturing unsung heroes or creating self-fulfilling prophecies? if you think you are worth your shit then bring your music to australian, UK or US markets.
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Shinobi: Totally agree with you on the last paragraph!
Some may THINK that they can put their money where their music is, but how many bands out there can take the plunge to go touring? That alone would take a colossal amount of effort on the band's part..Furthermore, many of the established bands in Singapore are rather 'old', 22-24.. at the stage where there are more priorities in life. Ok digressing digressing..
And yes we are missing a local music radio/tv station, we dont have one do we? TS said that quantity is not a problem? Yes we do have quantity, cmon look at the oversaturation of bands in the scene, but what about quality? Are the listeners going to force themselves to listen to bands who are sub-par at best?
Some may THINK that they can put their money where their music is, but how many bands out there can take the plunge to go touring? That alone would take a colossal amount of effort on the band's part..Furthermore, many of the established bands in Singapore are rather 'old', 22-24.. at the stage where there are more priorities in life. Ok digressing digressing..
And yes we are missing a local music radio/tv station, we dont have one do we? TS said that quantity is not a problem? Yes we do have quantity, cmon look at the oversaturation of bands in the scene, but what about quality? Are the listeners going to force themselves to listen to bands who are sub-par at best?
theliverevolution
New member
Shamefully, not me.
Local radio never offered the stuff I liked, but what the masses liked. Fair enough, what I listen to differs greatly from what the average secondary school teen would listen to. And plugging into my own personal iPod gives me more flexibility and freedom of choice to what I listen to
As for television, not me again. I haven't been watching the box ever since I've stepped into army, and the shows that they churn these days all seem to be lacking in quality.
For those who remember, Channel hyped The Ultimatium quite highly, making it highly anticipated. But when it failed to give us much enjoyment. Well, there are many factors why it turned people off, which I won't say because I'll take too long. But yea. Quality wasn't there at all
Even this season's Singapore Idol stinks. I dislike the new voting system, makes it more like a popularity contest then a real singing competition
Local radio never offered the stuff I liked, but what the masses liked. Fair enough, what I listen to differs greatly from what the average secondary school teen would listen to. And plugging into my own personal iPod gives me more flexibility and freedom of choice to what I listen to
As for television, not me again. I haven't been watching the box ever since I've stepped into army, and the shows that they churn these days all seem to be lacking in quality.
For those who remember, Channel hyped The Ultimatium quite highly, making it highly anticipated. But when it failed to give us much enjoyment. Well, there are many factors why it turned people off, which I won't say because I'll take too long. But yea. Quality wasn't there at all
Even this season's Singapore Idol stinks. I dislike the new voting system, makes it more like a popularity contest then a real singing competition
Radio is a business. Given that it's public access radio, stations earn primarily from advertising. Companies pay good money to have their advertisments aired and if they have no listeners, nobody will advertise. And i can guarantee you that having a station or a segment dedicated to local music will not draw as many listeners as what we have playing now. It's not even a question of quality of music anymore. A side from the product, we're also talking about marketing it, finding investors, changing the whole stigma of local music, and not forgetting competing against international competitors who already have the industry up and therefore are more willing to pump in more effort and more money to do the same things that we have to do to raise our industry.
It's really not easy. You're talking about building an entire industry from the ground up. Seeing as to how the local music industry is almost non-existent, It's almost starting from scratch.
I think it was either Philippines or Australia... I think Philippines whose music industry was not strong at all about 50 years ago. The govt passed a law to make it compulsory for at least 40% of radio airtime to be dedicated to local music. Radio suffered for a long time before actually things started happening.
That's the kind of extent of things that need to happen that you're talking about. It takes 50 to a hundred years for a culture to change drastically. You can't blame local radio. It's not about not showing support when it's a losing situation with nothing to gain.
You can't say they "don't support their own" because thinking of Singapore as 1 body, if your left heel can tap dance and the rest of your body's muscle and co-ordination is crap, you're not going to pick up tap dancing any time soon.
It's really not easy. You're talking about building an entire industry from the ground up. Seeing as to how the local music industry is almost non-existent, It's almost starting from scratch.
I think it was either Philippines or Australia... I think Philippines whose music industry was not strong at all about 50 years ago. The govt passed a law to make it compulsory for at least 40% of radio airtime to be dedicated to local music. Radio suffered for a long time before actually things started happening.
That's the kind of extent of things that need to happen that you're talking about. It takes 50 to a hundred years for a culture to change drastically. You can't blame local radio. It's not about not showing support when it's a losing situation with nothing to gain.
You can't say they "don't support their own" because thinking of Singapore as 1 body, if your left heel can tap dance and the rest of your body's muscle and co-ordination is crap, you're not going to pick up tap dancing any time soon.
growlingsoulpup
New member
To paraphrase Visa from another discussion, i think what we need is a paradigm shift and a change in the mentality of our culture. Everything else in comparison are really just peripherals.
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