Lokananta is the first record company in Indonesia owned by the Indonesian government. It was established on the initiative of R. Maladi, Director of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI). The primary purpose of Lokananta’s founding was to produce vinyl records as broadcast material for 27 RRI studios across Indonesia. The idea actually emerged in the early 1950s due to the urgent need for records to support broadcasting operations. Experimental steps were eventually taken. At the time, R. Oetojo Soemodidjojo, Head of RRI Studio Surakarta, and R. Ng. Soegoto Soerjodipoero, Head of RRI Surakarta's Production Engineering, successfully realized this goal through their trials. Their success encouraged the government to officially establish a vinyl record factory.

On October 29, 1956, the record factory was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Information, Sudibjo. The new factory was named Lokananta Record Company, with the status of a Transcription Service Unit under the Surakarta branch of the Radio Republik Indonesia Office.

By 1958, Lokananta had experienced significant growth. In less than two years, it was able to produce records not only for broadcasting purposes but also for commercial use. From that point on, Lokananta played a vital role in the careers of many Indonesian singers, whose voices could now be heard by people across the country. Several local and national artists gained fame thanks to Lokananta, including keroncong singers like Gesang  and Waljinah, as well as national icons such as Bing Slamet, Toto Salmon, Lilies Suryani, and Titiek Puspa, who were especially popular during the 1960s.

Lokananta’s era as part of RRI ended in 1961, with the issuance of Government Regulation No. 215 of 1961 concerning the establishment of the State Company (PN) Lokananta. On August 28, 1961, Lokananta officially changed its status from a unit of RRI Surakarta to a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Information. This regulation transferred all rights, responsibilities, equipment, and assets of the record factory to the newly formed state company, PN Lokananta. With this new status, Lokananta became even stronger, especially as Indonesia’s music industry was expanding with various genres, increasing the demand for recording services.

As competition in the recording industry intensified and demand shifted toward cassette tapes, Lokananta began producing cassettes in 1972 to stay relevant. Since then, it stopped producing vinyl records. Entering the 1980s, the recording industry grew rapidly, marked by the emergence of video compact disc (VCD) technology, and Lokananta had to adapt to this new format.

On February 26, 1983, through Presidential Decree No. 13 concerning Video Production Oversight, Article 4 paragraph 3 stated that video duplication in Indonesia could only be conducted by PN Lokananta, the National Film Production Center, and TVRI. In 1993, to improve institutional efficiency and effectiveness, Lokananta’s status was changed to a Limited Liability Company (Persero), as it met the requirements for such transformation.

However, Lokananta's fate was affected by political changes at the end of the New Order era. In 1997, Indonesia was hit by a monetary crisis, leading to a loss of public confidence in the government. As a result, many demands were made for greater transparency in information dissemination, particularly in radio, television, film, publishing, and public communications, all of which had previously been monopolized by the Ministry of Information. In 1999, under President Abdurrahman Wahid’s administration, the Ministry of Information was dissolved due to concerns over its control of information access.

This dissolution had a significant impact on Lokananta. Eventually, on May 18, 2001, through Government Regulation No. 24, Lokananta—which had already become a Persero—was officially dissolved. Since 2004, Lokananta’s operational scope and capital have been transferred to the State Printing Corporation of the Republic of Indonesia (Perum PNRI).