Street musicians are a common sight in Indonesia, often while they are seeking tips at street food stalls, on public transportation or at busy intersections. While some seem to make more money from people who want to get them to stop playing, there are also plenty of incredibly talented buskers out there adding music to our lives for the small amounts of change people generally give them.
If you’ve ever wanted to give money to a busker but, because you’re living that cash-free e-wallet life, have no money to toss their way, local ride-hailing / e-payment tech powerhouse Go-Jek is implementing a technological solution to your problem, which they hope will help support street musicians so they can make a better living.
Last Thursday, Go-Jek announced a partnership with Indonesia’s Street Music Institute (IMJ) that will enable certain street musicians to start accepting tips using Go-Jek’s highly popular e-wallet system, Go-Pay.
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At a press conference for the announcement, Go-Pay CEO Aldi Haryopratomo said the goal of the program was to remove the friction to make it easier for people who want to support street musicians.
“If we want our music industry to move forward, we must provide a path. Technology can open the way. If street musicians can make a living from their talents, the music industry will thrive,” Aldi said at the press conference as quoted by Kompas.
Aldi explained how the system would work, Like other Go-Pay points of sale, which generate a QR code that can be scanned by a smartphone to automatically enable a payment, street musicians accepted as part of the program will be given a QR code sticker that can be scanned to allow payments directly to them.
For the first phase of the program, Go-Jek is working with 80 street musicians, including individuals and groups. The program lets the musicians analyze their earning data and encourages them to create savings accounts.
IMJ founder Andi Malewa, said that Go-Jek’s program could help eliminate the stigma against street buskers and improve their quality of life. He said that the program would also bolster IMJ’s training programs that have helped to significantly boost the income of street performers.
Not just any busker can join the program. A prerequisite is that they pass certain tests set out by IMJ to receive certification, including health, drug, and background checks.
Go-Pay is fiercely competing with Ovo, the e-wallet system adopted by Go-Jek’s regional rival Grab, for their share of the rapidly expanding and highly lucrative market (which Go-Jek’s CEO has stated is far more profitable than the ride-hailing side of its business). A recent report by management consultancy Redseer estimated that Indonesia’s e-wallet sector will grow from $1.5 billion in 2018 to $25 billion in 2023.
