Music copyright in Indonesia: what brands need to know
Short answer
Indonesia protects music under UU Hak Cipta No. 28 of 2014, and brands need permission to use songs in their content just as they do in the US. The royalties businesses pay through LMKN cover playing music in public places, not putting songs into ads or brand videos. For that, brands need a license from the publisher and the label. Rights owners in Indonesia usually start with a formal demand letter, a somasi, and the law also has criminal provisions for commercial infringement.
Why this matters now
Indonesia is one of the world's biggest TikTok and TikTok Shop markets, and brands there run huge numbers of creator and affiliate videos. Music rights holders have noticed. Publishers and labels operating in Indonesia, including the local arms of the major music groups, send somasi letters to brands and agencies over songs in social content. We've been on the receiving end of one ourselves, over brand content our agency produced, which is part of why OKtoRun exists.
The legal basics
Copyright in Indonesia is governed by Law No. 28 of 2014 on Copyright (Undang-Undang Hak Cipta). It protects songs and music, including lyrics, and gives the owner economic rights over reproduction, adaptation, distribution and communication to the public. Like the US, Indonesia separates the song (owned by the songwriter and usually managed by a publisher) from the recording (owned by the producer or label), which the law protects as a related right.
Two practical points stand out for brands. First, using a song commercially without permission is an infringement whether or not you made money from that specific post. Second, the law includes criminal provisions for commercial infringement, alongside civil claims for damages. Most disputes settle long before that stage, but it explains why somasi letters are taken seriously.
LMKN, WAMI, KCI: who collects what
Government Regulation No. 56 of 2021 (PP 56/2021) set up how royalties are collected for commercial use of songs and music in public services: restaurants, cafés, hotels, shops, concerts, transport and so on. Collection runs through LMKN, the national collective management body, working with collecting societies (LMK) that represent different rights holders. WAMI and KCI, for example, represent songwriters and publishers; other societies represent performers and producers.
That system is about public performance: music played to people in a place or at an event. It's not a way to license songs for ads or social videos. A brand that pays LMKN royalties for its stores still needs separate permission to use a song in a TikTok video promoting those stores. This is the single most common misunderstanding we hear from Indonesian brand teams.
What a somasi is, and what to do with one
A somasi is a formal written warning, usually from a law firm acting for a publisher or label, saying your content infringes their rights and demanding that you stop and, typically, pay compensation or take a license within a deadline. It's normally the first step before any lawsuit or police report.
- Don't ignore it, and don't reply on your own. Pass it to your lawyer straight away; deadlines are often short.
- Save the evidence first. Screenshot and list every post named, with dates and who made it, before anything is taken down.
- Stop the exposure. Pause any ads or boosted posts using the music, after saving copies.
- Find the rest. If they found ten posts, there are usually more, on your account, creators' accounts and affiliate videos. Know the full list before you negotiate.
- Check your contracts. If an agency or creator made the content, see what their contract says about music and responsibility.
Our full guide, what to do after a music copyright letter, covers this in more detail.
A typical Indonesian scenario
A health supplement brand works with an agency that produces 40 TikTok videos a month, plus a few hundred affiliate creators through TikTok Shop. Many videos use viral Indonesian and K-pop hits because they perform. Six months later, a law firm sends a somasi on behalf of a publisher, listing a dozen videos made by the agency. The brand, the agency and the creators each assume one of the others had cleared the music. Nobody had.
Practical rules for brands in Indonesia
- Use TikTok's Commercial Music Library or a licensed library on business accounts.
- Write music rules into agency and creator contracts: who clears music, and who's responsible if they didn't.
- Brief TikTok Shop affiliates on music, especially for videos you'll boost.
- Remember that local hits and K-pop are owned and enforced just like Western songs.
- Keep LMKN royalties for your venues and content licensing for your videos as two separate items.
Where OKtoRun helps
Our song database includes regional hits from Indonesia and Southeast Asia, alongside songs named in US label lawsuits. We check brand posts, agency content, creator and affiliate videos and ads, and mark each one green, yellow or red with a fix. A reviewer confirms every flag. The first check is from $500 for up to 100 posts, free if there's nothing to fix.
General information, not legal advice. Indonesian regulations and collection practices change; check with an Indonesian IP lawyer about your situation.
Common questions
Does paying LMKN royalties let us use songs in our TikTok videos?
No. LMKN royalties cover playing music in public places like cafés, shops and events. Brand videos and ads need a license from the publisher and the label.
What is a somasi?
A formal written warning, usually from a law firm for a rights holder, demanding that you stop an infringement and often pay compensation or take a license by a deadline.
Can copyright infringement be a criminal matter in Indonesia?
Indonesia's Copyright Law includes criminal provisions for commercial infringement, alongside civil claims. Most music disputes settle, but take any letter seriously.
Are K-pop and Indonesian songs enforced in Indonesia?
Yes. They're owned by labels and publishers just like Western songs, and their local partners enforce them.
Who is responsible if our agency used the song?
The brand is usually named because it benefits, but responsibility between brand, agency and creator depends on your contracts. Put music rules in writing.
Part of: Music licensing for brands
Related guides
General information, not legal advice. Platform rules and licenses change; check the current terms or ask your lawyer about your situation. Lawsuit figures are as reported and represent claims, not findings, unless noted.