Adryanto Pratono: Mastermind di Balik Juni Records

Adryanto Pratono: Mastermind Behind Juni Records

For those of you who enjoy the work of Indonesian musicians, you will often hear the name Juni Records.

Juni Records is an entertainment company founded by Adryanto Pratono and Raisa, with the aim of providing space for musicians to collaborate with other creative actors to produce works of art that have commercial value. Not only that, Juni Records is also slowly changing standards in the Indonesian music industry.

Apart from making the record company its main business, Juni Records also seeks to secure the Intellectual Property (IP) of each musician regarding every other creative product created. Are you curious about the figure behind Juni Records? Come on, let's get to know one of the founders, Adryanto Pratono!

Starting from curiosity

Since 2012, Adryanto Pratono, who is familiarly called Boim, has been planning many things. Starting from wanting to launch top musicians, to holding large concerts on an international scale. Initially, Juni Records was purely a record company. However, Boim realized that they needed a business unit. Finally, other business products were created that were still related to the work of each musician. For example, songs that are made into books or merchandise.

At the start of his career, Boim has succeeded in taking quite big steps. At that time, around 2013, Apple began expanding its business in Indonesia. As the person who manages Raisa, Boim finds out how to make Raisa's songs, which were recorded in Tanah Abang, appear on one of the iTunes digital shelves and be heard by everyone in the world. Thanks to his efforts to search for information here and there, Boim's mission was finally successful. The same steps were then carried out by other musicians.

Through friends who were studying and working in America, at that time Boim got news about streaming music services, where users could just listen to songs legally without having to buy them. Boim also then found a way to penetrate the streaming music service market as one of the pioneers, we later came to know him as Spotify. Now, Boim's friend who worked in America has moved to his homeland and serves as chief of business at Juni Records.

According to Boim, it is important to have a long plan in doing business. Just like what he did for Raisa, Boim has determined his steps for the next two years, the next five years, while trying to realize all his plans in stages. Boim also applies the same thing to June Records.

Starting by collecting savings with Raisa to create a record company, in September 2014 Boim and Raisa went to the notary to certify Juni Suara Kreasi. From there, they continue to learn; from the internet, books, to case studies. Boim said that DNA Juni Records is a curiosity that must continue to be answered. Answering this curiosity, Boim needs to continue learning. For Boim and Juni Records, learning is a process that never ends.

“DNA Juni Records is a curiosity that must continue to be answered.” - Adryanto Pratono

Adaptation is the Latest Way to Survive in the Creative Industries

One of Boim's journeys in building Juni Records was by attending conferences and music festivals abroad. Starting from Music Matters in Singapore, to South by Southwest in Texas. From there Boim learned a lot and met people who then helped him in his career. Through these meetings, Boim came to understand that Asia as a whole was two to three years behind Australia. Worse yet, Asia is five to seven years behind America. However, that didn't discourage Boim. He is actually looking for opportunities that can be done so that he doesn't miss out again.

Boim is aware that initially music in Indonesia was determined by radio. That suddenly changed after the arrival of YouTube and Digital Music Services. The story goes that there is a term New Music Friday, a day when musicians release their songs simultaneously. Unlike films whose broadcast fate is determined by the number of viewers, the songs featured on New Music Friday will automatically be replaced with other songs on the following Friday.

Seeing the intense competition, Boim knew that if he only made recordings, he would lose. Because that means musicians have to release songs more often and every time they make a song, they need a lot of funds. To survive in the music industry, Boim knew he had to create something more than a label.

Then, Boim scaled up. Boim added Human Resources (HR), which was initially only eight, to sixteen. Boim recruits people who can help him analyze the market in the music industry as well as regional musicians who have quality. Boim launched potential musicians from Malang, namely Coldiac and Tashoora from Yogyakarta, who were active in voicing women's emancipation in songs.

Apart from that, Boim also builds collaborations with creative workers who can then turn a song into a product. For example, Kunto Aji's sleeping aid, an oil that can help us sleep more soundly, is adapted from Kunto Aji's song entitled Rehat. Thanks to his hard work in increasing the scale, in 2016 Boim managed to win 9 trophies from Anugrah Music Indonesia; 7 trophies from Raisa and 2 trophies from Baradasar. This success allows Boim to increase the scale of production from the musicians who have joined Juni.

Now, several big musicians have joined Juni Records. Among them are Raisa, Dipha Barus, Gbrand, Josh Kunze, Kunto Aji, Ramengvrl, Monica Karina and Tashoora. It didn't stop there, Boim also successfully held big concerts, starting from Raisa's concert at Istora Senayan, to music concerts in Singapore. One of the top artists whose songs were released by Boim is SNSD's Tiffany. Thanks to Boim too, Raisa had the opportunity to record her song at Westlake Recording Studio, the same place where Michel Jackson recorded his song. One by one, Boim's plans that had been determined from the start came true.

Does Boim ever feel tired of constantly adapting to the changes that always occur in the music industry? Of course. After years of his career in the music industry, to this day Baim has not found an accurate pattern. There is no formula that can help it stay stable on the surface. But Boim realized that in order to survive in this industry, he had to be fluid. For Boim, adaptation is the latest way to survive in the creative music industry.

“YouTube and digital music services define music in Indonesia.”

Have no taste in music

When asked about his taste in music, Boim admitted that he had no taste in music. Every time he goes to a music concert, Boim thinks too much. Boim is busy analyzing everything. Starting from the appearance of the musicians, to the quality of the show. Because for Boim now music is a job. However, that doesn't mean that by considering music as work, Boim stops having fun.

Boim said that he feels lucky because he can do something he likes. Does Boim rely on luck in every step of his career? Not really. Still, hard work is the main capital. In this hard work, we should continue to learn new things, that's Boim's advice for friends who are also interested in choosing a career in the music industry.

In the future, Boim envisions Juni Records as a playground for anyone to explore the field of music. Boim wants young people in Indonesia to continue trying something new, but with calculation. Make reasonable targets, in the short term, while slowly pursuing long-term targets. The important thing, according to Boim, is that we shouldn't be afraid to try.

I wonder, is there still something that makes you afraid to try something? Come on, fight that fear and start pursuing the target you have set now. Find other inspiring stories only at KARENA.ID

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