Music Performance Is Not Just About Singers, This Is an Important Role Behind the Screen

JAKARTA - Watching a music show often makes the attention turn to the singer or musician who performs on stage. The audience enjoys the song, sings along, or records their favorite moments on their phones. However, there are many things that work behind the scenes to make the experience go well.

A musical performance does not only require musicians and singers. There is a team that manages the sound system, lighting, visuals, to various equipment used during the event. All of these parts work together to create an atmosphere that matches the concept of the show.

The General Chair of the Indonesian Audio Video and Music Equipment (ARAVMI) Association, Hendry Kaihatu, said the breadth of the ecosystem showed that the music industry had a greater contribution than had been seen so far.

"This music industry is actually big. The ecosystem not only talks about performances, artists, singers, musicians, and songwriters, but also includes equipment providers, local manufacturers, rentals, events, to education," said Hendry when met at the Krista Business Center Group, Gandaria City, South Jakarta on Friday, July 24, 2026.

"If the entire ecosystem can provide data together and holistically to BPS, I think the value of the recorded music industry can be much greater than the data currently available," he continued.

According to Hendry, the music industry needs to get wider attention because it has an important role and also opens up employment opportunities.

"The music industry needs to continue to be encouraged so that it gets more attention. Attention should not only be directed at the electronic, food, or beverage industries, because the music industry also has a large role and contribution," said Hendry.

From the perspective of the music equipment industry, Hendry divides the ecosystem into several interrelated parts.

"In terms of the ecosystem, the music equipment industry is divided into five major parts, namely equipment providers, performing industries, rentals, events, and education. These five parts are interrelated and an important part of supporting the development of the music industry in Indonesia," explained Hendry.

When watching a music performance, the audience's attention is usually directed at the musicians on stage. In fact, the quality of sound, lighting, and visuals also determine the experience felt.

Head of Judge Sing Out Loud, David Klein explained that audio and visual are two elements that complement each other in a performance.

"For a professional exhibition of audio, video, and lighting, we need a stage performance with good audio and visual. If the lighting and audio used are good, of course the visual experience will also be more perfect. Visuals alone are actually less interesting if they are not supported by good audio," said David.

According to David, understanding the quality of sound is also an important thing in the professional audio industry.

"Professional audio visual exhibitions have a different character from other exhibitions. One thing we want to encourage is how industry players, especially audio, can better understand the importance of sound quality," said David.

"If there is nothing to be announced, why should it be announced? When several booths turn on the audio at the same time, visitors will have difficulty listening and understanding the products being demonstrated," he added.

David hopes that the audio visual industry can continue to grow while improving its professionalism standards.

"We want to continue to upgrade and mature the audio professional industry. We hope that this exhibition can be a space to improve the quality and professionalism of industry players, so that the experience of visitors and exhibitors will be better," added David.

In addition to technology and supporting devices, talent regeneration is also an important part of the sustainability of the music industry. Competition becomes a space for young generations to hone their abilities while getting to know the professional world.

Head of Judge Drum Competition, Harry Murti said the drum competition not only aims to find winners, but also to be part of efforts to support the music ecosystem.

"The concept of the Drum Battle Competition is actually a complement to the professional audio visual exhibition. We see that this event has the potential to be international. Therefore, we are preparing it with the support of a number of parties, including the Percussive Arts Society which is one of the largest percussion associations in the world," said Harry.

This competition also provides an opportunity for participants to gain experience and support in developing their abilities.

Harry assessed that the younger generation needs a space to meet with figures who can be an inspiration as well as provide an overview of the professional world.

"The judges we have chosen are young people who are accomplished and competent in their fields. They are also industry players who can serve as a reference for the millennial and Gen Z generations. We want to give space to young people in the Indonesian music industry so that they can be inspired, motivated, and learn to build a professional attitude," said Harry.

The development of the music industry is also inseparable from the role of local products and business actors. A number of domestic producers have begun to take part in providing various needs of the music and audio visual industries.

Krista Exhibitions owner, Daud D. Salim said the presence of local products is one of the things displayed in this year's exhibition.

"This exhibition is interesting because in addition to presenting professional audio, video, and lighting products and technologies, this year there is also a drum competition and a Sing Out Loud competition. We also showcase domestic products, including products from small and medium industries, such as guitars, musical instruments, and musical instrument cases. There are also music schools and various audio and other equipment." he said.

These various developments are part of the ecosystem introduced in PRO AVL Indonesia 2026. This international exhibition for the audio, visual, lighting, and music industries is entering its fifth edition and will take place on July 28-31, 2026 at NICE PIK 2, Tangerang.

This exhibition presents around 60 international brands from 12 countries and is held in conjunction with the Music Indonesia Expo 2026. In addition to bringing together manufacturers, distributors, system integrators, professionals, and creative communities, this event also presents various entertainment and educational activities.

One of them is the Grand Final of SING OUT LOUD 2026 which brings together 49 finalists from more than 100 audition participants. This competition is divided into three categories, namely Pop (Pre-Teens & Teen/Adult), Musical, and Classical.

Visitors can also watch the Drum Battle Competition with APAVMI (Association of Indonesian Audio Video Music Entrepreneurs), the appearance of the Guitar Community, as well as a seminar on the Implementation and Supervision of Indonesian National Standards (SNI) Audio Video Mandatory which presents the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia and related associations.

For people interested in music, technology, and the creative world, this exhibition can be an opportunity to take a closer look at how a musical performance is built from various elements, from musical instruments, sound systems, visuals, and lighting to the talents who perform on stage.

Meanwhile, for professionals and industry players, this event can be a space to expand networks, get to know technological developments, and meet with various parties involved in the audio visual and music ecosystem.