The liveliness and spontaneity of the performances are a welcome change from their usual promotional cycles, giving the normally image-conscious musicians an outlet in which to get creative, let their hair down and present themselves in different ways.

“In a situation like this, the mindset, habits and ways that we usually work with and the way we contribute as musicians have to change,” says retro-pop singer Vira Talisa, who recently performed a live set in her living room for her Instagram followers.

“It used to be that we put on a concert to gather people, for them to have a good time out of the house. Now, we’re playing concerts at home, creating interesting content, and even making challenges that people can participate in – all with the aim that listeners will feel comfortable and happy staying inside,” she adds.

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Eka Annash, from garage rock band The Brandals, says that the limitations are forcing artists to “find other activity formats to stay creative”.

The chaotic unpredictability of The Brandals’ live shows is impossible to replicate online without serious equipment. Instead, the band has found new ways to communicate with their followers, with Instagram live-streams that rely more on talking than singing. Topics include the band’s music gear and influences, as well as live Q&A sessions with fans.

Some musicians have even devised fully fledged skits and programmes for lockdown viewing. Randy Danistha and Rama Dhista Akbar, from popular alternative group Nidji, regularly stream a show called “Karma” on their Instagram page. Short for karaoke malam (night karaoke), the stream features the musicians performing karaoke with drunken-like abandon. They mix cheesy pop hits of yesterday with jokes and casual chat.

“For the audience, it’s great to be entertained for nothing more than the cost of their phone bill,” Danisha says. “For us, we get emotional satisfaction.”

For a few, going online gives them a chance to explore other subjects. Fans of solo artist Neonomora (real name Ratih Suryahutamy) asked her to sing online during the lockdown. Instead, she is interviewing other female Indonesian musicians about their craft, as well as talking about sexism in the music industry.

“I wanted to do something that lasts, something that I myself can learn from in exchange, and something that isn’t solely about me and my music,” Neonomora says.

Her guests are asked to write a short song that has been inspired by the chat, and Neonomora posts them on her Instagram page.

“I have always felt that the process of these women producing a song has been [ignored]; most of the time it’s about how we look on the outside,” she says, which is why she wants to highlight their work.

The artist-to-artist process has proven enlightening and Neonomora says it has been particularly interesting to see how differently musicians act when at home.

“It’s just great to see how candid and unreserved they are … in their safe zones, and how they might be wrestling with their own emotions, having lost their jobs and the thing they love the most: performing,” she says.

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Live-streams, however, have a limited life and audience, which is why some artists are recording their performances before uploading them online, where they gain hundreds of thousands of views.

Most of these performances have been collaborations between Indonesian musicians, with each recording their part before sending it to another to complete theirs. The videos are then stitched together and presented as a conference-style video that gives the illusion of everyone performing together at the same time from their own homes.

TV presenter Vincent Rompies, who used to play bass guitar in retro-pop group Club 80s, has worked with both mainstream and lesser-known artists to produce such performances. His videos have an average of 70,000 likes each and hundreds of thousands of views.

Other artists have streamed open-ended jam sessions and invited others to play with them. Jazz musician Indra Lesmana posted a video of himself playing piano and encouraged musicians to play over it, and he has been reposting the best results on his Instagram page. It’s a move that has been well-received by both his professional peers and amateur musicians, and there have been close to a hundred video responses so far.

As at-home performances slowly become the norm, musicians and record labels are starting to wonder if this internet revolution will change the face of their industry, or if it will just help keep them afloat during the pandemic.

Alex Kusuma Praja from online music magazine Billboard Indonesia says the company has been partnering with various companies and brands to present online performances. Its most recent programme, translated as the “Singing From Home Concert” series, has featured newer acts such as Vira Talisa, as well as veterans like folk-pop legend Iwan Fals.

“We approach it not just as a source of entertainment but [as a way] to build a new ecosystem where the music can stay alive,” Praja says. “We are bringing the offline concert experience onto online platforms, which includes ticket purchases.” Funds generated by ticket sales are divided between Billboard and the musicians.

Not enough musicians are earning money from these campaigns yet, says Eric Wirjanata from music website Deathrockstar, and he advises against being too optimistic.

“It can be the new routine for musicians [to perform online] or it will peter out – one day, people may simply become bored of it.”

Online performances aren’t just about self-preservation or making money, though – some musicians are doing them for charity or other good causes.

Wendi Putranto, co-founder of the Jakarta music venue M Bloc Space, says she and her colleagues are making the best of a challenging situation by partnering with crowdfunding website KitaBisa (We Can) to put live-streamed shows on YouTube and Instagram.

Viewers are free to donate money for medical workers, as well as for those whose livelihoods are based on concerts being held, such as band crew members and live sound engineers.

“We are not doing any paid shows just yet, because for most people, their focus right now is just on their basic needs,” Putranto says. “It just felt like a charity show would make more sense now.”

Musicians are taking the pandemic in their stride. Vira Talisa says she feels as inspired now, working with others online, as she does when completely isolated.

“It feels adventurous to do things that we didn’t necessarily do before the pandemic,” she says. “Plus, there is a sense of togetherness among musicians and other arts workers, because we are all looking to fill up these gaps, remain productive and continue to work.”

The Brandals’ Annash says the online move has taken him back to being a fan.

“What’s great is that we get a closer look into everyone else’s creative process and interact with the musicians we admire directly,” he says. “There are so many bands going live that sometimes it gets confusing. Everyone is live on Instagram at the same time and it feels like we are all bursting with creativity.”