The Spark Magazine (Apr 2018)

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The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve
APR
2018
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT MAGAZINE
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Contributors
From Our Guest Editor
Segun Adekoye
Lehlé Baldé
is a writer of poems, short stories and feature stories. A digital
marketing strategist, lifestyle and technology enthusiast, trained at
the New York Film Academy, Harvard Business School and Kellogg
School of Management. His write-ups have been featured on BBC UK,
CP Africa, YNaija, 360nobs, naijaPOSE and Nairobi-based technology
journals.
Zebra Villa Works
is a creative firm dedicated to building educative and engaging
games such as board games, puzzles and teasers. Using advanced
methods and gamification strategies, they provide a better way to
educate users (learners and players).
holds a BA in communication from the University of Waterloo in
Canada and a Masters in International Marketing Strategy from
the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom. Originally
from Senegal, she is a pan African strategy and communications
professional, who has lived in over 12 countries and currently works
at Business Day as a strategy and partnerships associate. She also
interviews some of Africa’s brightest millennials through the various
Business Day platforms.
Osa Seven
is a Nigerian graffiti artist, brand developer and GFX designer. His
work ranges from portraits of iconic characters to scenic images,
brand designs, abstract art, and tribal art designs. He has since
worked with companies like MTV, Jameson, Absolut Vodka, Pernod
Ricard, HP, Africa, Guinness, Smirnoff, Heineken, The Federal
Government of Nigeria.
Plug ‘n’ Play
he grind, late nights, rehearsals, shows, events
and fans is what makes us want to do more.
TEveryone loves the latest hit song. With itchy ears and
a thirst for what’s new, the audience strap in, hit play
and enter into a world created by some of the best
talent on earth.
Behind the scenes, we compress over a thousand
hours of sweat and decibels into a few minutes of
good music just so everyone else can easily hit Play.
Damilola Oyewusi
is a Content and Digital Marketing Strategist working in the Social
Innovation sector. She uses the power of strategic content and the
dynamic nature of marketing communications to influence and
amplify life-changing innovative solutions to social problems.
Oye Akideinde
is the Regional Director, West Africa – Boomplay Music for Transsnet
Music Limited and is responsible for strategically developing and
managing key relationships in the continent to fulfill its vision of
becoming Africa’s largest sustainable music ecosystem. He is also
the co-founder of 360nobs Limited, a technology driven marketing &
entertainment services firm. With a vast experience in web strategy
& development, he has transformed 360nobs.com platform into 1
of Africa’s biggest lifestyle & entertainment websites catering to
millions of unique visitors monthly.
Ronke Bamisedun
is the founder of BWL Agency, a boutique PR agency based in Lagos,
Nigeria. A highly seasoned PR expert, Ronke has advised
multinational companies such as PANDORA, MOET HENNESSY as
well as many non-government, looking to expand their foot print
in Africa. She studied Media and Communications in Birmingham
City University where she graduated with an Upper 2:1. She holds a
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Diploma in Public Affairs
and Communications.
Kikelola Ojewale
is an Associate in the corporate and commercial department of ACAS-
Law. Her areas of interest include intellectual property, corporate
restructuring, corporate finance matters and media, sports and
entertainment. She advises clientele on diverse areas of Intellectual
Property Law and Media Entertainment Law including patents, the
exclusivity of brands and enforcement of trademarks, industrial
designs, copyright matters, brand endorsement transactions and
media matters involving television, music, sports, cinema, advertising,
theatre and film.
Bizzle Osikoya
We’ve seen the music industry crawl, stagger, walk
and run. Now, we’re set to make it fly. How? By
empowering the artistes, producers, promoters,
entrepreneurs and others in between, with a
framework they can plug into to hit the success they
desire.
This is why we joined The Spark by BusinessDay as
Guest Editor for this month with a focus on The
Business of Music. From our elite list of veterans as
contributors to our cover feature full of nothing but
sound advice for the enthusiasts in the industry, it
was all planned out to give your journey to stardom a
plug and play effect.
The Plug
Guest Editor
Asa Asika
Godwin Tom
Agwu Obinna
is the founder of The Godwin Tom Company and iManage Africa, a
talent management and events company. He focuses on developing
tailor-made strategies that suit the business needs and goals of his
clients. With almost 10 years in the industry and practical experience
at management level for Marketing, Public Relations, Image
Consulting, Branding and Publishing; Godwin brings professionalism
to the Entertainment industry with an understanding of the demands
of a business environment.
Oluyemisi Falaye
is the head of the Entertainment Law Group of the law firm of
Adepetun Caxton-Martins Agbor & Segun (ACAS-Law). She has over
the years garnered in-depth experience in providing premium legal
advice and representation to individuals and organisations in the
entertainment industries in Nigeria, which include film, music, theatre,
art, television, radio, publishing and digital media.
Asides entertainment law, ‘Yemisi also has a wide-range experience in
Intellectual Property, Immigration and Company Secretarial matters
in Nigeria. She focuses on prosecution of trademark, patent,
copyright and design on behalf of clients.
is an A&R, Talent Manager and Music Business Consultant who is
passionate about the music business and the great heights that are
attainable for the African continent. Writer of the now concluded The
Mob’s Take article and reviews series. Agwu Obinna is senior partner
at the Lagos based TwoGoodHeads Inc, which he co-runs with his
brother and partner.
Dayo Adeyelure
is a dynamic marketing professional and the CEO of Uber
Sponsorships, with significant experience in front line marketing
strategy, sponsorship leveraging and evaluation, Content acquisition
and monetization, business development and events management.
Expertise in developing effective alliances and Partnerships, crossselling
activations, mass communication deployments and event/
strategy conception, ideation and implementation processes.
Published By
Publisher
Frank Aigbogun
Head of Business Development &
Client Services
Ikenna Onuorah
Head of Marketing
Akintunde Marinho
Head of Business & Growth
Oghenevwoke Ighure
Editor
Anthony Osae-Brown
Head of Advertising & Sales
Kola Garuba
Guest Editor
The Plug (Bizzle Osikoya &
Asa Asika)
Creative Director
Segun Adekoye
Art director
Kola Oshalusi
Advertising
Linda Ochugbua
Head of Strategy & Planning
Bankole Jamgbadi
Managing Editor
Lanre Solarin
Project Manager
Lehlé Baldé
Specialist Editor
Michelle Edoreh
Associate Editors
Ayandola Ayanleke
Akpobome Otobrise
Design
Sodeinde Oladapo
In-house Photographer
James Otihi
Address:
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George V Street, Lagos Island.
BusinessDay Media Ltd: 6 Point Rd,
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Enquiries:
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Email: info@thesparkng.com
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Copyright © 2018 Ice-One. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, without prior permission of Ice-One.
Head of Operations
Fabian Akagha
We do not endorse any products or services mentioned in any of the articles and are not responsible for the outcome of using such products or services.
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3
5
Bottom Line
Content
Building A Sustainable Brand
BOTTOM LINE
Building A Sustainable Brand
WIREDIN
1. Innovation and Music
2. The Ultimate App Guide To Music
Production
Dayo Adeyelure is the MD/CEO of Uber Sponsorships – a sponsorship consultancy, brand
partnership, and talent booking agency in the entertainment industry. In this exposé, Dayo
shares key insights on how up and coming artistes, producers and entrepreneurs in the
industry can acquire funding, grow sustainable businesses and build kickass brands.
- By Dayo Adeyelure
9
FASTFORWARD
The Future of Music Distribution
10 14
PRO BONO
1. Music Publishing: The New Wave
2. Understanding Music Laws In
Nigeria
VITAL SIGNS
Growth And Music
18
FREESTYLE
Art and Music
Funding A Career In The Music Industry
The basic misconception in ‘funding’ a career is the one of
‘money’. In actual terms, funding a career is simply ACCESS.
Access can come in varying forms, the most common being
money. It is important to note that aside from money there are
several critical things needing to align for a successful career; the
singular most important being human capital and networking.
To fully understand the proper way to fund a music career,
the concept of ‘Value or Value Added’ must be appreciated.
Everything you get, earn or have access to use for economic
benefit is Funding. This can include something as intangible as
goodwill, a reference to actual tangible value of cash or use of
assets (equipment).
I tend to see issues and setbacks as obstacles to overcome to
reach your goals, and in response to the aforementioned
challenges, I’d say NETWORK. It is incomparable the amount of
goodwill, opportunities and ‘deals’ you would find if you insert
yourself in the right positions to meet people. Networking is also
not just about ‘meeting’ as it takes significant work to strategize
on who, how and when to approach an investor, partner or
company and pitch your position. So it’s not about being at all
the parties or events, its more about selecting the right places
and people to meet, and be readily armed with your pitch, a
good story to tell, and a winning smile. Networking has always
been the strongest platform in my career. I try to put myself in a
position or environment where I can meet people who I think can
be of support at some point in time.
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As a consultant, my first advice to a person looking for funding,
is to identify and quantify all the requirements they need to
achieve their objectives and identify the cash and non-cash
components. We are able to provide business advisory, core
intellectual property management and general logistic and
operational support. While you can’t deposit these offerings,
they are provided with economic capital of time, resource
allocation and most importantly intellectual investment, and YES
they have to be paid for in CASH.
START UP
Music 101
THE SPARK EFFECT
30 32 33
BRANDSPARK
CHIDI OKEKE
Into The Mind of A Music Maven
ENGAGE
NativeMag vs Culture Custodian 1. The Chef
2. Alpha-Beta
FEATURES
1. Artiste Spotlight: DNA
2. Building A Solid Music Career
WHAT NEXT?
INTUNE WITH…
Ronke Bamisedun on Music and
Tourism
Human capital remains the single most important platform for
entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the industry. Success
is normally measured by the quality of people you surround
yourself with. However, cash remains king, and is a quick and
seamless way of those key pieces of hardware and equipment,
so I guess an equal and even split of efforts in generating cash
and cultivating human capital/building a network of support
(Infrastructure or Goodwill) would be my position.
The Challenges
One major challenge is that many newbies get very desperate
and accept anything that looks like cash. They are likely to
do anything and accept any term in exchange for funding.
They practically sell themselves in exchange for cash. Due to
the nature of our industry environment of man-know-man
or “come back with experience,” it is very hard for newbies to
break through. It becomes practically impossible for a talented
yet unconnected person to make it primarily due to the lack of
opportunity, funding and infrastructure.
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The Role Of Music Labels
Wired In
There are two schools of thought; people who feel the music labels are a
waste of time and people who feel they are the foundation. Music labels
in Nigeria are not currently doing what they’re supposed to do. These
labels want to be the booking agent, the talent manager, the record label,
publisher, among others. The labels try to position themselves as all-inone
and that is one of the major challenges of operating with music labels
in Nigeria. I believe they should specialize in just producing music and
leave the rest to the specialist experts in distribution, publishing, booking,
etc. Doing the right thing will help them protect their investments. They
can have royalties and percentages across board which means higher
profits for all. It is important to re-focus the labels in the vein, as the issues
you find are primarily due to the labels being stretched thin, fingers in
every pie, and doing everything but actual music production!
Forming Strategic Partnerships For Growth
There are quite a number of partnerships across the different sectors. In
music distribution, there are those who do the distribution of hard copies
(CD and DVD) and those who do it digitally like Spotify, Cloud 9, iTunes,
etc. It is becoming a bit easier because these platforms constantly look
for content, regardless of the popularity. The world is going digital and
rightly so, artistes should ensure that they can follow the new trend of
digital distribution, from a knowledge and operational standpoint. I put
knowledge before operations, simply because of the sheer number of
failed partnerships, ventures and music deals. It’s easy to point fingers
and lay blame, but the foundation of most music partnerships are based
on shaky grounds. Take a label, working to do and become everything
from distribution to branding to road management to everything, and
justifying this with increased ‘share’. The artiste will at some point, feel
the amounts generated by his/her brand and talents, are not reaching
him/her from a personal standpoint. This is where the ‘What did you sign’
and ‘Contract review’ issues come up creating distrust, real or perceived
slights and the general breakdown in communication. There also remains
a significant responsibility for the artiste to clearly understand what sorts
of partnership terms and commitments he is willing to enter into, and
critically for how long.
There remains a need for strategic partnership, but the number one factor
should be transparency, following which knowledge gained and applied
can be used for mutually beneficial relationships. I’ve always believed in
professional advice for both artiste and label, which is one of the functions
our entity provides, from a position of strength garnered from years of
experience in both good and not so good strategic relations.
Working with Managers
The first thing you do before you hire/work a manager, is to get a Lawyer!
(Preferably one with experience in entertainment matters). Despite
the cumbersome and difficult legal process in Nigeria, the benefits
far outweigh any other issues. It is critical to define the performance
indicators of managers, and identify simple measuring tools for them.
Number of gigs, number of road shows, endorsement deals, etc. Simple
and quantifiable metrics will ensure that the review periods are seamless
and transparent. It is also important to note that the manager’s ability is
largely dependent on your talent. If you have quality content, it’s only
reasonable to expect some attention and buzz, which the manager will
harness and turn into monetization opportunities, wherein he gets paid.
I fully believe that a Manager/Artiste relationship should be a strategic
partnership, with both parties having skin in the game to ensure goal
congruence. This eliminates issues of pricing, transparency and drives
collective behaviour.
Financial Prudency Regardless Of The Glitz And Glam
There is a certain level of opulence the music industry promotes. However,
it is important to note that even Superstars live in moderation! Sure you
“
Nowadays, organisations pay for
positive social media influence.
They are moving from music
artistes to influencers. Build your
base of influence.
“
can buy expensive designer wear for the biggest red carpet, but daily, it’s
better to be in the studio in tee and jeans, trust me no one will check your
labels. Artistes who started from scratch and made a name for themselves,
are quite well off, but yet have decorum and prudence with their finances
and purchases. You will find them in some glitzy razz matazz, but it’s all for
the ‘camera’ as they say, and when they get home, it’s grinding and more
music. I have been privileged to work with a few of them, and honestly
the glitziest thing you can do is continue to make chart topping music,
everything else is for the ‘gram’ and therefore not as important. These
guys know the value of money and try not to abuse it. My advice is for new
artistes to try to align with the financial management and economic savvy
of these artistes. You can have the glitz and glam but focus on delivering
value through your content and you will be fine.
Getting Your First Endorsement Deal Through Social
influence
The idea of endorsement only started getting popular about five years
ago, and before then, artistes were making it big. You can’t have just
one or two hit songs and then feel it’s good enough to start getting
endorsement deals. Companies don’t just throw endorsements away,
there is always an objective. And if you figure out what the objectives of
the company are, you can then tailor yourself to be an ambassador for
that brand.
Nowadays, organisations pay for positive social media influence. They are
moving from music artistes to influencers. Build your base of influence,
pick two or three organisations with a problem you can solve through
your music or through your online influence and make a proposal. It all
still boils down to networking; who have you met, who do you know,
whose hands have you shook and who have you had a discussion with?
Those are the guys that will fight your battles for you.
Even if you’re not an artiste with popular music but you know how social
media works and you have millions of subscribers, you can begin to
monetise your followership. That is measurable impact for brands because
you can track response and reach to sponsored ads. If you are not selling
music, go social.
Giving Back Through Investment
Those who have succeeded reinvest in talent so they can control the
ecosystem. They look for talent that will come under them and start that
process all over again. That is the best way to reinvest, if you want to
remain in the industry. There are other ways to invest, but the best is to
groom people that you can control and then you can start a business
from there.
In Summary
Always seek professional help. Don’t assume you know everything and
don’t try to emulate everyone. Not all tactics are right. Find your own
grounds, sit with people who know the business, who understand the
business, communicate your objectives and then build a plan around it.
You can then just come over to Uber sponsorships and talk to us.
Innovation
and Music
Oye Akideinde is the co-founder of 360nobs
Limited, a technology driven marketing and
entertainment services firm. In this expose,
he talks about the innovations, trends and
future of the Nigerian music industry in this
technological driven era.
- By Oye Akideinde
The Future Of The Nigerian Music Industry
The demand for homegrown music has never been this high which has
helped to drive a creative and exploitative boom in the country’s
thriving music industry.
I believe it is headed in the right direction with production, composition,
music arrangement along with its support system (skillsets, distribution
platforms, music services, publishing, and touring), improving and getting
better structured.
Nigerian artistes are now collaborating internationally more and more.
The Big 3 (Sony, Universal and Warner) are divvying up our biggest and
most promising acts amongst each other. Our music keeps getting played
worldwide.
This growth can be tied to a number of factors working in
our favour;
• Home court advantage: Most of the songs or videos played on
radio; TV stations and public spaces are Nigerian music. Compared
to 10 years ago, the acceptance and demand for local music over the
international ones is simply amazing.
• The African diaspora: Consumers help drive popularity and virality
of music generally so by having a huge diaspora who hunger for
entertainment from home, Nigerian music has been successfully
exported in volumes to cater to the global market. Live events
like One Africa Music Fest have also turned out to become very
successful.
• The sound: Nigerian producers have been able to successfully fuse
African elements into hip-hop, reggae, soul, pop, RnB, dancehall
along with our own Nigerian and African genres.
• Size: The volume of music being churned out in Nigeria by artistes is
astounding.
Innovations to Look out For
Digitalization has affected the Nigerian music industry in a big way. As
music moves online, so does the consumer experience. Through
technology, artistes can now make music from their laptops and mobile
phones. They can also distribute to over 170 stores globally.
As we continue to see the Nigerian music industry grow, these are some of
the innovations I look forward to:
• Micropayments: Building a successful micropayment solution will act
as a driving force to grow music consumption and revenues for the
artistes. Nigeria and Africa continue to cry for that killer mobile
payment solution that works within our issues – offline, online,
banked, under-banked, and unbanked and will allow consumers the
freedom to utilize their digital wallets.
• New music services and apps: The opportunities for music related
apps in Nigeria is huge as the growth in Smartphone usage continue
to rise. As long as App developers can create killer apps that solve
problems, appeal or are very useful to Nigerians, adoption of these
apps will grow in tandem with the smartphone growth.
• Sound Engineering for Live Events: I see an opportunity to make the
sound quality at events better. Some of the events I have been to
have such terrible user experience and I know a lot of artistes who say
this is the reason why they rather mime to sound recordings than do
live performances.
• Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality & Live Streaming of Events: It
provides more access to those who can’t readily go and watch their
favourite artistes. It can also give musicians the valuable exposure
they need to be successful as it can be difficult for artistes to
physically tour and reach a wider audience, but with VR, AR, and live
streaming, they can be in more places than one. Imagine having
a sold out concert at Eko Hotel with over 10,000 attendees and a
further 100,000 experiencing it using a smartphone from the comfort
of their own homes.
Promoting Longevity In The Industry
There are a number of things that artistes and other game players in the
industry can do to ensure longevity in the music industry.
• See this as a career. Treat music like a proper job …like an 8 to 5.
• Be very hardworking, have the hunger to improve; and an insight into
the market you are releasing your records to.
• Be creative and innovative with your sound so it can appeal to
Nigerians.
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• As with any other chosen career, you will need to research the music
industry. Find out what’s popular, what’s doing well, and what’s
fading.
• Keep up with the trends …don’t be behind the times — be ahead!
• Believe you can DIY (Do It Yourself) - Connect with fans; Have a brand
identity & awareness; play to your strengths;
• Manage your finances; save for the rainy periods.
• Keep plugging away. Rejection is very common in the music industry.
No one wants to help out; competition is very fierce. Just stay
consistent. Never give up (unless you find out that you truly have no
talent). Rejections lead to success.
• Read, learn, practice. Just keep acquiring knowledge in the field and
try to be the best you can be. Also acquire knowledge on music
business and other services that support your craft.
• Remember to always stay positive and believe in yourself! Keep
working hard and stay focused.
In the end, there isn’t any right or wrong way to achieve longevity but
these tips above do help.
Leveraging Tools Available
First realize that no one is waiting for your music. If people are going to
become fans of your music, you must approach the promoting of
releases with the same planning and professionalism as the artistes
whom you admire have promoted their music. Marketing music has
changed drastically in the age of the Internet and social media. This digital
technology has the potential to take your music to the world.
Use the Internet and all its tools to your advantage. Besides having your
own domain name and website where you promote releases and shows,
you definitely need a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Try
not to over-commit your time to social media, however. It’s better to have
an execution plan and schedule for your social media rather than do a
poor or infrequent job of staying in touch with your fan-base. Make access
to your music easy through Boomplay Music, YouTube, or promotional
sites like 360nobs.com and SoundCloud.
Permission-based marketing using emails to your fanbase is a proven
winner—these are people who clicked on the subscribe link and showed
willingness to stay updated with your news and new releases! Having a
newsletter which people can join is one of the best ways to communicate
and build up relationships with fans.
Contribution of New Media to the Music Industry
New Media has helped in breaking down the walls between musicians and
fans and is responsible for possibly the biggest shift in the music industry.
In today’s digital music environment, access to content for music fans has
never been easier. Consumers now have more choice than ever to stream
songs using a range of ‘all-you-can-eat’ services such as Boomplay Music,
Spotify, Apple Music & SoundCloud.
New Media has given musicians more control over the distribution of their
music and through the use of these DIY services; many Nigerian artists
now have the option to bypass the industry conventions completely and
promote their music to a larger audience.
Social media has also played a massive role, as artistes no longer need to
appeal to millions of people to succeed and make their mark. Instead, a
group of even a few hundred loyal fans on the gram can enable Nigerian
artistes to pursue their dreams.
Furthermore, due to the rise in digital music production software such as
Fruity Loops, music creation is now more accessible than ever before.
Because of this, there are now loads of Nigerian artistes, which ultimately
leads to more variety and choice listeners.
Leverage the data provided by the social media platforms. Tapping into
the analytics can help you further your own creativity. You get to
understand how fans feel about your music and the demographics of your
fan-base. Do remember that Marketing and social media aren’t easy, but
it’s what gets your music heard.
The Ultimate App Guide To
Music Production
Music production from ideation to promotion has been made easy with mobile apps. You can
now make the music of your choice with just a click on your mobile phone.
Music is a universal language, even though it appeals to us
in different ways. It can be a way to cool off after a
stressful day, a source of entertainment, inspiration,
etc. It is no wonder that music is as old as man himself. And like
everything, it has witnessed constant change and improvement.
There was a time when music was only played with musical
instruments because studios were not a thing. Then technology
made it possible to record in a studio and fine tune the music.
Now, there are apps that can actually help make your music from
ideation to completion. If you are an independent musician who
cannot afford studio time just yet or you just want to try your
hands at music on your own, this list will help you get started
easily.
- By Ayandola Ayanleke
Song Writing
You better believe it; there apps that help you with song writing.
But no, they do not actually write the lyrics, but they provide help
that you might need in bringing the lyrics together.
• Hum: Although it is a paid app, it comes handy in helping
you write your songs. The app allows song writing and
recording simultaneously. So while playing around with the
idea of your lyrics, you can hum the words as well and it will
keep it safe for you till you can get to it.
• Songwriter’s app: The beauty of this app is that it provides
suggestions on words and phrases that rhyme as you start
writing and it saves it for you if you need to go back for
more inspiration. But it could even serve as an inspiration
giving you ideas on words or phrases to use next. As with
Hum, you can also record and even add chord notation to
your lyrics.
Mixing
You don’t have to worry so much about becoming an expert at
mixing music with these apps. They can teach and help you
practice at being your own DJ.
• Mixpad: This app is at your disposal if you want to become
an expert at mixing audio on your mobile device. Featuring
different audio and recording effects, the app offers you
the chance to mix your own music, create podcasts, mix
instrumentals, and other music mash-ups.
“
Digitalization has affected the
Nigerian music industry in a big way.
As music moves online, so does the
consumer experience.
“
• Edjing: Edjing DJ Music Mixer Studio offers you the DJ
software in a mobile phone. It can pull music from Deezer,
Soundcloud and your own folder to mix at a click with DJ
features.
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Album Cover Design
The album cover is almost as important as the music itself because the
appeal of an album cover draws the audience to the music. So you want to
take advantage of these apps to design awesome album covers.
• Album cover maker: Providing you with different photo effects as
well, you are on your way to creating your own album cover. And the
great thing is that it allows you to own your own design.
Recording
You have nothing to worry about when recording amazing music because
these apps are here for you. However, most recording apps come at a little
price but they are worth it.
• Chord: Chord is free for Android users but comes at a price for IOS.
The app allows you record songs with different accompanying
instruments at your disposal.
FastForward
The Future of
Music Distribution
Constantly updated technology assures that the future of music distribution is
something interesting to watch out for.
Segun Adekoye
• Adobe Spark: You can find Adobe Spark as a website and an app. You
might prefer going through the website to sign in. It also makes it
possible to create designs for your album cover and offers flexibility
as well.
Audio Editing
You don’t have to worry about spending a lot to get audio editing software.
These apps have got you covered.
• WavePad Audio Editor: The app allows you to record, edit and even
add special effects to your music. Reviews from users says it is easy to
use. Also, you can share to another device to continue editing.
• Mp3 Cutter: This app assists you in cutting and merging audio files.
Featuring many audio editing features, it is easy and fun to use.
Making Beat
Making great beats have been made easy with these apps.
• Korg Koassilator: With this app, you can record any type of music
because it comes with special features that will help you work on the
songs as well.
Sales
When you are done with the production of your music, the dream of every
musician is to be able to make some revenue from their work. You don’t
have to worry for long; you can use these apps to make some money from
the sales of your music.
• Ecwid: It is like an online mall where you can have your own online
store. It provides the opportunity to sell whatever, including apps and
music from other channels like Facebook and eBay. You will be able
to track your orders and inventory. You must have an Ecwid account
and paid subscription to use.
• Amazon: You can also sell your music on Amazon. All you need is an
account as well and then you can upload your music. And because
Amazon has many subscribers or shoppers, you have the opportunity
to promote your music to a larger audience.
“Music and me
Go together; perfect harmony
Soft and mellow
Or so hard it’ll make your speakers explode
Stay with me
And together we’ll live out this dream,
My music and me”
One of the most intriguing things about our world is the human nature’s deep
romance with music. While almost all other relationships fall apart and
sometimes become almost irreconcilable, it is harder to fall out-of-love with
music. From the vibrations we feel in our mothers’ wombs to the way our world is
interspersed with trebles and clefs, we become more interested in how we carry our
songs than what they convey to us.
From the era of transistor radios, which kicked off in 1954, till it morphed into
Boomboxes in the early to mid ‘70s, music distribution was still in its primordial era.
This was due to the fact that listening to your favourite songs was heavily reliant on
electronic signals from radio stations. This improved with the introduction of the
Sony Walkman in 1979 and the Discman in 1984, which rocked into the early to late
‘90s. The most impressive part is the introduction of portable music storage devices
like the MP3 players and iPods at the turn of the millennium allowing for the storage
of near-infinite number of songs with high quality audio outputs.
Now, what we have is the fusion of music storage and streaming devices with the
mobile phones. One of the prominent reasons consumers seek for phones with large
storage memory sizes is to store audios and videos. Vehicles are now branded with
Bluetooth and MP3 logos to indicate compatibilities with mobile phones for easy
music streaming. This kills the need for compact discs.
Listening to music has also evolved from using earphones with connecting jacks to
wireless earphones like the Airpods, Bose or Beats headphones. While it is easy to
buy your favourite songs from street hawkers in Lagos, or from the ‘Computer Village
boys’, it is even easier to download them to your devices from sites like NotJustOk or
apps like Apple Music and BoomPlay.
• Music Maker Jam: Having over 300 Mix Packs in its database, you
have the opportunity to own your own beat and create your own
sounds. You can also record, edit and share your music directly to
social media.
• FL Studio Mobile: FL Studio is a popular beat making software and
now, the mobile app is available. You can now make your own beats
with their different music styles and you can even upload songs you
have been working on earlier to the app to continue.
Promotion
If you are interested in promoting your music to a large audience, you can
use any of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
Youtube. Facebook and Instagram in particular, have an option for ads
that you can pay a token for.
Sharing
Sharing your music has also been made easy with apps like Shazam,
Spotify, Soundcloud. Millions of people are subscribed to these apps and
you will expose your music to that large audience. And if you are just a
lover of music, then you can play around and share your music with your
friends with these apps.
This list is by no means exhaustive. While this is not a replacement for
standard tools, you will be surprised at the number of apps you will find
that actually help in one way or the other. These apps above can however
assist you from ideation to the promotion of your music.
“
The only foreseeable technologies
that will impact on music
distribution in the future will be
wearables, cloud storage and
connected devices (IoT)
“
Musicians, more than ever, understand consumers’ need of portability and easy
access, and therefore seek possible distribution touch points to access their fan base.
Although the present is evident, there isn’t a crystal ball that perfectly gives what
distribution of music will look like in the nearest future. The only foreseeable
technologies that will impact on music distribution in the future will be wearables,
cloud storage and connected devices (IoT). With the advent of the Apple Watch’s
cellular connectivity, it is possible to listen to music remotely while your phone is
several miles away. Several other wearables will adopt this technology to make music
streaming even more portable. Internet of Things (IoT) has begun to play its role in
distribution using AI devices such as the Apple HomePod, Google Home or Amazon’s
Alexa. The future will see the introduction of other devices that fit well into the office
or home architecture to distribute music with the help of AI, while songs would be
hosted on the cloud.
These are beautiful thoughts. No matter what happens, humans would always ensure
that they take their favourite jams everywhere they go, even if it means weaving audio
files into their fabric yarns to improve portability.
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Pro Bono
- By Kikelola Ojewale
Music Publishing:
The New Wave
Kike Ojewale is an Associate at Adepetun, Caxton-Martins, Agbor & Segun (ACAS-Law), a top
Law firm in Nigeria, offering a wide range of services. In this piece, she shares some insight on
how best artistes can benefit from music publishing, but from a legal perspective.
Key Points To Look Out For In A Publishing Agreement
Again, never sign a publishing agreement without the advice of a lawyer.
On a practical scale, the best way to engage a publisher as an artiste, is to
ensure you create a good body of work that is actually attractive to the
publisher. Anything less than attractive puts more risk on the publisher.
The main points to look out for in a publishing agreement are;
1. The term of the agreement. The term of the agreement is the length
of the agreement. Most publishers would either insist on a specific
term or until a specific number of songs have been delivered.
2. The territory. Would the agreement cover Nigeria or would it be a
worldwide deal? A worldwide territory allows a publisher to maximise
its earnings as a wider territory is being covered.
3. The scope and the composition. Agreements should be specific on
the songs which form part of the publishing deal.
4. The ownership. This is one of the most important terms in a
publishing deal. In most publishing agreements, a publisher would
aim to own 100% of the copyright. However, it is important for an
artiste to insist on 100% ownership or at the very least, a 50/50 split.
5. Administration. This grants publishers the right to exploit and
control that composition. This also allows publishers to collect
monies from rights granted to third parties. Industry practice is
about 10-15% depending on the bargaining power of the artiste.
Securing Your Rights As A Music Artiste
This is mainly contractual and such rights must be negotiated based on
the advice of a lawyer. An artiste can take legal actions if there is a breach
of any of the terms of the agreement. Such options for legal action should
be defined clearly in the agreement. For example, the parties can agree
to resolve any issues within thirty days of the notice of said issue. In the
event that the matter is not resolved within the stipulated thirty days, the
agreement can be terminated or the matter may be referred to court or
other alternative dispute resolutions such as arbitration or mediation.
Terminating Contracts
This should not be overlooked in an agreement. It is advisable to ensure
that any of the parties cannot terminate the agreement without notice or
cause. In the event that the agreement does not state that reasons must
be given for termination, it should include a notice period at least. A welldrafted
agreement should have an exit clause for both parties to give the
parties an opportunity to seek other options or exit the relationship.
Handling Piracy
In an industry such as ours, we need to take more drastic measures in
tackling the issue of piracy. It would appear that the existence of online
platforms where direct downloads are restricted - sometimes for a fee
- has restricted piracy to a certain extent. If there is a restriction on the
methods in which music is distributed, this could contribute largely to the
fight against piracy.
The Future of Music Publishing in Nigeria
There has been an increase in the number of publishing companies being
established in Nigeria. It appears that these companies are educating
themselves on publishing and applying that knowledge to the industry
here in Nigeria. The recently established Music Publishers Association
of Nigeria (MPAN) is also a step in the right direction. Members or the
entertainment industry must be educated and fully informed of their
rights with respect to publishing and copyright as a whole. It appears to
be a very slow process but there is certainly hope for the future.
- By Kikelola Ojewale
The Association between Law and Music Publishing
“
The best way to
engage a
publisher as an
artiste, is to ensure
you create a good
body of work
that is actually
attractive to the
publisher.
“
Publishing is a new and developing segment of the music industry in Nigeria. It is essentially
the monetisation of your copyright. Copyright grants the creator of an original work
exclusive rights for its use and distribution. The relationship between a music publisher
and an artiste is crystallised in a publishing agreement which is executed by all parties
involved. Although we do not have specific laws that govern music publishing in Nigeria, the
fundamentals can be found within our copyright laws.
The general issue in Nigeria is the basic understanding of what music publishing entails. There
are a number of “publishers” who establish companies without the basic knowledge of
publishing or how the administrative angle of publishing works. Also, some artistes are yet to
grasp the concept of publishing and as such are not totally aware of their rights. Most times,
artistes unknowingly sign away all of their rights to the benefit of the record or publishing
companies. It is advisable to engage the services of a lawyer when negotiating a publishing
deal.
The Importance of a Lawyer When Signing a Contract
It is extremely important to engage the services of a lawyer when negotiating a publishing
deal and drafting a publishing contract. We have worked with a number of artistes who have
regrettably signed deals that have not been favourable to them. Unfortunately, some artistes
with an incredible catalogue of music, have lost potentially, millions of dollars to unclaimed
publishing rights.
Need legal advice? Send in your questions. See page 33.
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Understanding Music
Laws In Nigeria
‘Yemisi Falaye is the Head of Entertainment Law Group at Adepetun, Caxton-Martins, Agbor
and Segun (ACAS-Law), a top law firm in Nigeria. In this interview, she discusses the music laws
in Nigeria and why the game players in the music industry cannot do without them.
- By ‘Yemisi Falaye
What is music law and why is it a significant aspect of law?
Q: Q:
Music law is essentially a part of entertainment law that
A: A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
guides specific issues in the music industry such as
music publishing, music licensing, copyright ownership,
amongst others. Music law is a highly significant aspect
of law because, as I said earlier, it guides the affairs
of the stakeholders in the industry and it regulates
their conducts accordingly. Like every other aspect of
human endeavours, the entertainment/music industry
is governed by laws. Music law basically provides
protections for players in the music industry. It governs
the activities of musicians, producers, record labels
and their employees. In order to guarantee sanity in
the industry, music law is extremely significant and
important.
Artistes and Producers in the space are more concerned
about making good music. Why should they understand
the laws that govern their work?
As an artiste or a producer in the music industry, it can
never be overemphasized that understanding the laws
that govern the industry is compulsory. The truth is, the
music business is actually a complex one and so it is
important for the game players to at least understand
the basic legal aspects of the industry. A lot of artistes,
producers, record labels and other people working in
the music industry face complicated legal troubles
that on the long run, ruin their career. This can be
avoided by simply understanding the different basic
laws related to the music industry; such as copyright
ownership, performance, licensing, contracts and other
common music industry practices and regulations. Most
importantly however, it is best to hire a well-grounded
entertainment lawyer who is not only an expert in music
law, but also very conversant with the practical aspect of
the music industry.
Please share some of the most important laws that must
not be ignored, even by newbies in the industry.
Copyright Law, Merchandising Law, Trademarks Law,
Law of Tort, Contract Law, Tax Law. All these laws,
amongst others, aid the regulation of the music industry.
Therefore, every stakeholder in the industry must get
acquainted to the laws.
What common issues can be faced due to ignorance of
such laws?
The most common issue faced by artists in the music
industry is the record label and recording agreement.
Ordinarily, the main role of a record label is to
manufacture, distribute, market, promote and sell its
artiste’s songs. An agreement is usually entered between
both parties, where the duration of the agreement will
be stated; number of songs to be recorded by the artiste;
territory; ownership of copyright and catalogue; royalty
split, etc. will also be stated. A lot of times, artistes
usually sign these agreements without understanding
the nature of the same and also without consulting
an entertainment lawyer. They therefore sell off their
intellectual property rights (and more) in perpetuity in
exchange for nothing.
Another common issue in the music industry is music
sampling. This is an act of recording a part of an already
existing song with or without the permission of the
owner of the existing song. The problem usually arises
when an artiste samples a song without the permission
of the original owner. This amounts to infringement of
copyrights and may end up being a litigation issue if not
properly managed. It is therefore advisable for an artiste
to legally sample a song by seeking the permission and
approval of the owner(s) of the existing song. Permission
from copyright owners is required before sampling, no
matter how little the portion of the song is.
Music publishing is another major issue faced by artistes
due to ignorance. As far as I am concerned, music
publishing is the core of music business. I tag music
publishing as a copyright owner’s pension. It is what a
copyright owner relies on as his/her source of income
as long as he/she is entitled to the copyright of the work
(musical and/or literary). Music Publishing is simply the
business of exploiting a song and generating revenue
for such exploitation. A lot of artistes do not realize
that publishing income is not derived from copyright
ownership in sound recordings. It is actually derived
from ownership of the copyrights in the lyrics/songs.
Therefore, songs writers typically own the copyrights in
the lyrics and should earn from the use of the songs.
It is advisable for artistes to sign with a publishing
company that can assist with keeping a track of the use
of the songs and also collect the revenue generated
accordingly. There are several agreements that can be
entered into between a publishing company and an
artiste; it is therefore important to hire the service of
an entertainment lawyer to ensure proper negotiation.
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
As an artiste or producer, what basic legal documents
should they have in place when getting started? Many just
start off without having solid legal foundations.
As an artiste or a producer, once you have decided to
commence business in the music industry, the first step
to take is to hire an entertainment lawyer. The lawyer
will assist in providing the requisite agreements to
hire other experts required for the business, such as a
personal manager, business manager, booking agent
etc. It is also important for the artiste or producer to
be conversant with industry agreements such as split
sheet, producer agreement, performance agreement,
recording agreement, management agreement,
publishing agreement, amongst others. By doing this,
the artiste or producer will develop a solid foundation
and chances of making costly mistakes will be reduced,
if not totally eradicated.
The government has requirements from businesses in all
industries. Are there any ones peculiar to the music
industry?
There are no specific or peculiar government
requirements for businesses in the music industry.
Other than the usual business requirements such as
incorporating the company at the Corporate Affairs
Commission, paying taxes etc, there are no other
government regulations governing business in the
music industry.
However, I must mention that the federal government
recently granted pioneer status to companies in the
entertainment industry, specifically for music production,
publishing and distribution etc. Pioneer Status is granted
by the government to exempt beneficiaries from paying
corporate income tax and withholding tax from pioneer
profits for an initial period of three years, which may be
extended for another year or two.
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
“
The most
common issue
faced by artists
in the music
industry is the
record label
and recording
agreement.
“
How are businesses in the industry (such as labels,
Producers) taxed?
Music industry businesses are subject to several taxes
like other types of business in Nigeria. All businesses are
required to pay income tax on the profit of the business;
value added tax on consumer of goods and services;
employment tax for employees; personal income tax for
individuals etc.
What legal advice(s) do you have for up and coming
musicians?
Be patient. Never be too much in a hurry to sign deals or
agree to any.
Get a lawyer. This is extremely important; a lawyer will
help ensure that you build the right foundation.
Be original. You may have mentors/idols but never
aspire to be anyone else; carve a niche for yourself, build
your own brand and be committed to it. It will pay off
eventually.
Build a formidable team. Hire a good entertainment
lawyer, business development manager, personal
manager, accountant etc.
Seek advice. Always check with your lawyer, fellow
artistes and other industry stakeholders if you are in
doubt of anything.
Learn to be professional and hardworking. Good
etiquettes will give an artiste a higher advantage over
the one without the same.
Need legal advice? Send in your questions. See page 33.
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Vital Signs
Growth And Music
conversation and using technology this could be a hugely profitable,
structured venture that could change the way revenue from Nigerian
music downloads is made/distributed.
• Stock market. Why are music labels not listed on the Nigerian Stock
exchange? This again goes to show that more work needs to be
done to create synergy between stakeholders, to truly bring out the
potential of the music industry as a truly viable and profitable one for
the Nigerian economy
My conversation with Altims left me with a lot of questions and opened
me up to a world that I was ignorant about. This is why conversations are
important. It is vital to engage in conversations about the challenges and
opportunities in various industries to continuously improve and innovate.
Music is the universal language that unites people regardless of race, tribe,
religion or ethnicity. It is vital to recognize the value that the music industry
brings to Nigeria, and find ways to unite relevant and important bodies to
make the industry truly viable and profitable for all parties involved.
The opportunities in the music industry abound. While the industry puts money into the
pockets of talent, it can also aid the health of the nation through economic growth. But only
if the opportunities are leveraged by stakeholders in the music industry, the government
and corporate bodies.
Nigeria has a very popular and vibrant music scene that
reflects the country’s cultural richness, and over the years
this has translated into international recognition for
many. With a huge population of over 150 million, the country
offers a domestic market large enough to sustain and ensure
the commercial success of most artistic endeavours, so much
so that unlike other African artists who maintain success locally,
many Nigerian artists have found success beyond Nigeria’s
borders into continental Africa and overseas. Artists like Wiz
Kid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Tekno, Mayorkun, Korede Bello and
many others have conquered their locality and have been able
to maintain an equilibrium of carrying the pride and success of
a ‘local champion’, while still keeping international appeal and
marketability.
Whether you are in Cape Town, London Accra or Toronto, it is
very likely that you will hear a Nigerian song as you go about
your day, on the radio, at restaurants, in the club or at the gym.
Nigerian music is penetrating the world’s eardrums and the
world is more than happy to listen.
The Nigerian music industry is arguably the most popular music
genre/industry on the African continent. If one were to critically
take a look at the Nigerian music in its entirety, the relevance
and importance of Nigerian music on the continent and beyond
is evident and cannot be ignored.
Music is the core of many aspects of society. Walk by any street
anywhere in Lagos and you are guaranteed to hear the
electrifying beats that will get you in a good mood. Be it at the
local Suya spot down your street, high society weddings like the
one of Halima Dangote where Davido and Wiz Kid performed,
corporate end of year parties, you name it, almost every aspect
of Nigerian society benefits from the wonderful and creative
sounds that come out of the Nigerian music industry. Not only
does Nigerian music make billions of people feel good, but it is
also a highly profitable industry.
According to a report by Pricewater Cooper, the Nigerian music
industry was worth $40 million in 2011 and $47 million in 2015.
By 2020 this figure is expected to double to $86 million which is
approximately 30 Billion Naira.
Given the huge profits brought in by the industry, which has a
direct correlation on the Nigerian economy, including benefits
like job creation and cultural exportation, one would think that
there would already be structures in place between government/
- By Lehlé Baldé
corporates to enter into mutually beneficial collaborations
that will enhance the viability of the music industry as well
as encourage musically inclined youth to follow their music
paths, but in doing research and having conversations with
stakeholders on this topic, it is evident to see that there is little
to no ongoing collaborations.
I had a conversation with Altims aka Aluku Timothy, one of Mavin
Music’s top producers, about potential ideas that could enhance
and improve the structure and industrialization of the Nigerian
music industry. Here is a recap of our conversation…
• Change of mindset is vital. Given the sometimes, negative
image that the music industry has, many corporate and
government bodies do not get involved with musicians
further than their end of year parties and endorsement
deals… this is a good start but it shows that there are steps
that need to be taken to bridge that gap.
• Endorsements/Collaborations with popular brands are
great for musicians, but it is important to recognize that
those in the music industry can do more than endorse an
alcoholic drink or a soft drink. The reach that the music
industry has is limitless. For example, many in the music
industry do not have health insurance, which is why we
see a lot of artists on platforms like Go fund me, looking
for funds for life-threatening illnesses. If health insurance
companies did brand ambassadorships with musician and
those in the music industry, can you imagine how many
more youth would be encouraged to follow their music
dreams? This would alleviate a lot of the uncertainty that
those entering the music industry face. Furthermore…
imagine if banks gave out loans to video producers, stylists
etc to get started in their career. Those in the music industry
create music that unites people, therefore they should be
given varied opportunities.
• Music conferences that bring together stakeholders in the
music industry (artist, producers, DJ’s, video producers etc.)
and relevant corporate and government entities to see how
synergies can be created to work hand in hand to support
those in the music industry. Vice President Osinbajo, just
did a tech tour around Lagos visiting hubs that represent
the future or tech in Nigeria. It would be encouraging to see
a tour like that for Nigerian music.
• African streaming mediums. Why is it that we have to go
Apple music or Spotify to buy Nigerian music? With further
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Music Industry
The Nigerian music industry was worth
$40 million in 2011 and $47 million in
2015. By 2020 this figure is expected
to double to $86 million which is
approximately 30 Billion Naira.
Report by Pricewater Cooper
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FUNBI, DJ SOSE. DEMILADE UTI NDU SCOTT, BIG TAK
RIC HASSANI LIZ, SHAY, IDIA, MIMI FOLU, EHIS
ESE
DJ ANONYMOUS
LYNXXX
DJ SENSEI
SOUND SULTAN
SENSEI
LANRE, AJEBUTTER
BIZZLE & FRIENDS KORAL BD & WOFAI SEYITAN DJ OLUWABRUCE URANTA, BOLLY, WOFAI, & UTI SERIOUS BANTA CREW
TOSIN & FRIENDS DJ NANA BIZZLE & OLAMIDE BOBBY URANTA & NIKKY KUNLE & NEDU BRAZIL SEYI SHAY
DJ RUUD
www.hotfm.ng
KACH SOLIDSTAR PRAIZE TOYOSI & CHUICHU MARINE & SOUND SULTAN

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Freestyle
Art and Music
Osa Seven is a Graffiti Artist, Graphics
Designer and Brand Developer.
The artist, whose full name is Osa
Okunkpolor, was compared to Banksy –
the renowned anonymous British graffiti
artist regarded as one of the world’s
greatest street artists – by CNN Africa. In
this interview, he spoke about his art and
it’s association to music.
- By Osa Seven
To me, art means freedom. It is an expression of my thoughts,
desires, and emotions. I started Graffiti, despite its
unpopularity, because I had an urge to be different, and also
to impact and inspire people.
The journey has not been without a few challenges. The acceptance
of graffiti as a form of expression and art and also availability of
art supplies have been the major challenges that I have been faced
with.
I’ve done more than street art, as I created the album art for
WizKid’s award-winning Superstar album as well as the set design
for the 2010 video by Sound Sultan ft. MI Abaga. This was possible
because I believe art and music are both forms of self-expression,
just in different mediums; Visuals and Sound. I think they’re both
very similar, as they produce and promote messages that tell a
story and resonate with people.
In the music industry, there are actually a lot of opportunities for
artists. An artist can serve in set design, merchandising, make up
for videos, visual branding among many others. Being an artist is
more than the technical hard skill, it is more in the mind before
the skill. The creativity of an artist can be used to accomplish
innovation in the music industry.
To get started, know your strength in the area you want to go into.
Learn and improve daily. Beyond the art, there is a place for
understanding the brand and business side, or getting someone
who can manage those aspects for you. It is not enough to
just be interested in the industry. To succeed in any industry,
including music, talent is not enough. You need focus, passion and
persistence.
The future is here already! I have had live performances with
several artistes. While they were singing, rapping or playing an
instrument, I was on stage creating live art. As the industry grows,
the opportunity for merchandising and experiential engagements
will be there to explore further.
There is so much more to look forward to.
One of the first steps to take is getting a product. So, you
need to find a way to make the music. You could either
build a relationship with a studio/producer that believes
in you and is ready to work with you or source for funding from
family and friends to get the product out. Become adept at
marketing your music on social media. The most important thing
is to START. If you’re having a hard time getting a deal, your other
option is to go on your own and build.
Understand that growing a fan base is germane to your success.
No fan base/following, no money. Period. While it is important to
have mentors to guide and fast track your success, mentorship
is still overrated. Always remember that the fan is king, so taking
them for granted is not an option.
Covers are a great way to start your music journey and build
some following because you have to break through the melee
and be heard, which is a massive challenge (unless you have a lot
of money). They also help you hone your music skills, so if you
like a song, COVER IT! Then, get a manager who believes your
music is the best thing since DMs.
But if you’re more interested in starting up your own label,
instead of creating music, it’s important you build a team of
people which will include: A&R, Lawyer, Social Media Manager,
Graphics Guy and Accountant. The good thing is these guys do
not have to work for the company full time, because one of the
challenges you can face when starting out is funding. You also
need adequate knowledge of how labels work. While there are
no certifications required in order to have a record label or be
in the music business, you need to have a heart for the music
and study about the business and industry extensively to have a
successful label.
However, being a music artiste is not the only way to earn in this
industry. You could be a Songwriter, publisher, music pluggers
for radio and TV, music journalist, professional studio manager,
venue manager, business manager or accountant, booking agent,
tour manager, vocal coach, publicist, social media manager, etc.
Regardless of what line you choose, family is the first line of
support, both financial and moral, for any budding entrepreneur
and it’s no different for an artiste. However, you must resist the
urge to bring in family members to play critical roles on your
team. Your career will rise and fall on the calibre of talent on your
team. You should only hire family or friends if they are the most
qualified people that you know for the job. Nine times out of
ten, they are not. They may sometimes tell you what you want to
hear, so flee from yes men and sycophants; make it easy for the
people around you to be brutally honest with you. Be wise; don’t
abort your career before it’s even birthed.
START UP
Music 101
If you could receive a 5 minute quickie on how best to start in the music industry, what
would it be? Well, here’s an example. Obinna Agwu shares some insight on how best new
game players (artistes, producers, entrepreneurs, etc.) can get started in the industry.
- By Obinna Agwu
“
Covers are a great way to start
your music journey and build
some following because you
have to break through the
melee and be heard.
Music 101
“
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Chidi
Okeke
Into The Mind of
A Music Maven
By Lanre Solarin
With several meetings back to back, after only returning from a business
trip the day before, Chidi Okeke, a veteran entrepreneur in the music
and entertainment industry, greeted me warmly as I was ushered
into his stylish office. Chidi is the founder of Mcomm Solutions and Services, a
technology driven company offering a wide range of content, mobile technology
and music based solutions and services across the African continent.
Chidi, a graduate of Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Federal
University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), specialized in Communications and
thus setting the trajectory for who he has become today. Fresh out of school,
he worked at MTech, a company owned by his childhood friend, Chika Nwobi.
MTech provided services to GSM companies when mobile phones initially
stormed the Nigerian market.
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Early Years
“I started in the industry about 16 years ago. When MTech started, I was
brought in to join the networking department, but I moved from that to
business development unit and took an interest in music which became
my focus”.
Chidi’s career advanced within the company leading to high profile
assignments such as the setup of the Abuja office to expand local
operations. He then grew to assume international responsibilities in Cote
d’Ivoire and Ghana. Within 8 months in Ghana, MTech became the number
1 VAAS provider in Ghana. After his stint in Ghana, he came back to
Nigeria to lead the MTech Group as Group CEO after Chika Nwobi stepped
down. During his time as Group CEO, Chidi successfully implemented
turnkey solutions that enabled MTech halt and reverse its negative growth
by focusing on the music industry.
“After a few years as Group CEO, I left Mtech to start Mcomm. I wanted to
focus more on the music industry; specifically, how to successfully leverage
mobile technologies to deliver value in the industry. Since 2011, when
we commenced operations, we’ve masterminded several digital content
releases, some of which were revolutionary at the time – such as use of
MTN’s mobile radio platform to launch new and exclusive music content.”
“We’ve built relationships with different artistes and have been behind
endorsement deals of some of the biggest artistes in the country, including
artistes like Davido, Wizkid, D’Banj, Mo’ Hits and so many more”. Mcomm,
has successfully and notably carved a niche for itself at the intersection
of music and technology and demonstrated, as evidenced by the various
industry awards on display in Chidi’s office.
“My background is in technology, and consequently, this plays a substantial
role in the solutions and services that we develop. For instance, our current
project, which is still in beta testing, leverages advancements in technology
– IoT, data analytics – in music distribution. I may be in the entertainment
business, but our work is facilitated by technology.”
Setbacks In The Industry
Chidi is an entrepreneur with significant experience across multiple
regions, this enables him to give insights into the challenges in the
industry. One of which, is poor access to talent development opportunities
in the industry. “In South Africa for example, if you’re talented, you have
access to the infrastructure you need to develop and harness your talent.
Young, school age children who realize they can sing, can access classes
designed and available to help children develop their talent. This is not an
opportunity readily available in Nigerian schools.”
in Nigeria to invest in the industry. “This is a long-term investment with
long term pay-offs,” he stated. “Building a state-of-the-art recording /
mixing and mastering studio will cost nothing less than 1.5m dollars for
equipment alone. It’s an expensive, but worthwhile venture. We need more
studios, purposely built concert venues and music streaming platforms
tailored for the local market.”
One of the reasons why some of our accomplished artistes travel to create
music is due to the availability of infrastructure abroad. He further stated
that international artistes are interested in creating music with us. “They
have said to us several times that if we had proper studios here, they’ll fly
to Nigeria to record with our artistes.”
Unfortunately, the music industry has not acquired the level credibility in
the eyes of investors as for instance, the oil and gas sector or agriculture.
It is still perceived by most as an industry of misfits. This is debatable,
however, misfits or not, the music industry has substantial influence with
commercial value domestically and internationally.
Leveraging Positivity In The Industry
“Our Nigerian artistes are doing well. In Africa, Nigeria arguably produces
the best music content. Our artistes are popular across the continent,”
Chidi stated. “We’re getting the attention required. The next frontier
necessitates that we develop capabilities to improve the quality of the
music (sound) to meet international standards. Our music has good
melody, but for some of our songs, foreign engineers usually have to
re-mix because they’re not mixed and mastered properly, so they don’t
sound right there. This also limits the growth of the industry. However,
access to the right infrastructure is not the only challenge. There is also
a paucity of the skill and “know-how” required to operate the types of
equipment I have been describing.”
Having said this, despite the challenges, African music still has something
unique to offer the world. “You may recall that D’Banj at a point was
signed to Kanye West’s label. What you may not know is how that came
about. D’banj and I met Kanye at the Dubai International airport and
D’Banj gave him tracks to listen to. He listened to five different tracks
and was immediately impressed with what he heard,” Chidi stated. To
him, international artistes have covered a lot of ground and are looking
for something new. We have Afrobeat, which is what they’re looking for.
Artistes need to stay true to their local sound.
In summary I see three key things that need to be addressed; access to
state-of-the art recording and sound equipment, purpose-built venues for
shows/concerts, etc. and digital music streaming platforms.
Every big player in the industry needs to be structured well enough so that
artistes can focus on their talent and how to make their music better. A
professional who is trustworthy can handle the business side and other
parts. It’s never possible to effectively do all because eventually, one part
will suffer.
The Role of Passion When Challenges Hit
I firmly believe that passion should be at the fore of whatever you do in
life. Not every venture will be profitable, with some projects, you’ll only
manage to recover your cost and some projects will just consume all of
your investment. However, if you are driven by passion, the experience will
be worthwhile and if you’re fortunate, prove a useful learning experience.
“Mcomm has executed projects that did not generate as much profitability
as we had planned at the onset, however, I believe that we have grown and
improved as an organisation through those experiences.”
In our environment, it is possible to be swayed by necessities rather than
passion. That’s why you hear statements like, “I just want to make money
so I can eat”. This kind of thinking does not engender the staying power
required to be successful in the long-term. New artistes may succeed in
creating one good hit, but if the passion for music isn’t present, sustaining
the career will be impossible because of the challenges that’ll come.
According to Chidi, when he talks to new Artistes who want to be bigger
than our established artistes, he looks out for the story behind what they
want to do. That’s how he judges their motives. “You can be 17 years of
age, but have a story that spans 7 years in music.”
A Future For New Artistes
Streaming would power the music industry’s growth in Africa. As smart
phone penetrations continue to rise and cost of data continues to dip,
an artiste can create music content, upload on the available streaming
platforms in the territory and if the audience likes it, he or she can
generate significant revenues. So now the onus lies on the said artiste to
create good content.
“There are numerous streaming platforms available in this territory,
Boomplay, Music plus, Cloud9, iTunes, Spotify and even YouTube. I would
always advise an upcoming artiste to endeavour to get their music
uploaded on all unless they are getting a special deal from one.”
“In other developed countries, artistes generate revenues when their
songs are played on the radios, shopping Malls, clubs, etc. Anytime a
song is played someone is making money. But in this part of the world we
are still catching up but clearly there are changes in the right direction.”
According to Chidi, the first thing is to discover yourself and package that
talent in a way you can show someone ready to help. Spend your time
developing your talent and always show that through the content you
create. You need to have a story because there are no overnight successes.
As the revenues generated in the Music Industry continues to rise, more
investors would be attracted to the sector. The industry would only get
bigger.
Free Recording Deal for One Talent
“To me, youth empowerment is basically the process of providing an
enabling environment or providing ways the youth can be encouraged to
take a hold on their lives better by using either their talents or resources.
But to make this easy, the infrastructure has to be in place and the
talented person has to be educated enough about what he or she wants
to do,” Chidi advised. At this point, he requested for one of his books to
be brought to his office.
“I’m looking out for raw talent,” Chidi stated. He is looking to help one
young music artiste reach greatness.
In the industry, you have to do the work. People will only support you as
an artiste when they see what you have created. “If you come to me as
an artiste and say you have talent, I’ll ask you to play me what you have.
This could be your unreleased tracks,” Chidi stated. “If I’m able to see that
there’s talent, then I can support.”
Unfortunately, to get to that point where the artiste has material, he must
have had some money to go to a recording studio, sit down, and pay for
studio time. “In Nigeria, it’s hard to get anyone to support you without
hearing anything. You need to put one leg forward first. And I know
getting this money can be difficult for many.”
The Importance of Structure
The reason why artistes love working with Mcomm is because of the
structure provided. A lot of artistes want to simultaneously be the
performing musician and manage their careers single-handedly, but it is
impossible to execute both roles simultaneously.
“One of the reasons why D’banj flourished and was so successful is because
he always had a solid team of professionals supporting him and whom he
allowed to manage the ‘business’.” Mcomm was part of this team and was
responsible for delivering business development objectives.
Again, because we have a limited number of studios here in Nigeria, a new
artiste can decide to record with his devices in his room, which only leads
to poor quality of work. “When such aspirants make such presentations, it
takes a real expert to spot the talent hidden behind poor quality technical
sound. We don’t have the tools, software and infrastructure. But despite
this, this industry has still flourished and produced great artists. Now
imagine what would be if the infrastructure were in place. The lack of
infrastructure also has an impact on established artists, specifically quality
of the sound reproduced on stage also affects the audience’s experience.
Chidi believes that this is an opportunity for foreign production companies
Similar to any successful business, music is no exception, a multi-functional
team is a prerequisite for success. Finance, legal, management are
essential to ensuring that there are enough unencumbered resources to
operate – in this case make music. “A friend of mine used to say, ‘ensure
you surround yourself with people smarter than you’. It’s wrong for me to
be the smartest guy in my company. If I am, then I’ll be in trouble. I may
be good at some things like sales, but I need someone who is the best
in technology, Finance etc. I cannot know everything, and this goes for
everyone else.”
Would you be the one? See page 33 for how to apply now.
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6. Who/What/Where do you guys draw your inspiration from?
We draw a lot of inspiration, first from ourselves because we have a lot of
drive. However sometimes when one of us is slacking behind, the other
tries to lift the spirit and ensure that the drive is there.
Musically, we have lots of artists that we listen to and a lot of people that
we study. In Nigeria we draw inspiration from our boss “Don Jazzy”,
because he is a very intelligent, spiritual and calculated person and he
has taught us a lot during our journey so far. We also learn a lot from
production and making music.
Then mostly we draw inspiration from God, the vibes around us and the
people around us as well in a positive way because we are very allergic
to negative vibes and negative people. At the end of the day positivity
drives us.
the Government might start taking it seriously but we think they should
start from now because at the end of the day when they start taking it
seriously, every youth is going to benefit from it.
10. How can readers connect with you guys online and/or offline?
You can hit us up on our social media platforms:
Instagram/Twitter: itz_dna
Facebook: DNA Twins @DNAOFFICIAL
You can reach us personally through our management contact on our
social media pages.
7. Tell us about one of the projects you guys worked on or activities you
engaged in that really made you guys believe in yourselves...no matter
how small.
Features
Artiste Spotlight: DNA
The music industry is arguably the largest on the continent with most
of the best musical talents across the continent coming out from
the country, talking about the likes of Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Davido,
D’banj, Don Jazzy, Olamide and so much more. However whilst we
celebrate the already established musicians, we also would like to
shine the light on the talented and hardworking upcoming musicians
who are fast growing to become the next musical Gold in the
continent. It is in this light that we met up with the DNA Twins whom
we highly consider to be arguably the best young musical sensations
in the country. They sing, they dance, they act, and we believe this
exclusive interview will help you understand the intricacies of being a
young, upcoming talent in the entertainment industry.
- By Akpobome Otobrise
We would say the GLO X-Factor back in 2013. The plan wasn’t actually to
go for it but we just decided to take the risk and when we did, we saw the
love and support we got from it. We actually knew before then that we
wanted to do music but that just stamped it for us. Another one would
be way back in high school when we represented our school in music
amongst numerous schools from around the country and then we went
on to win the competition even though students from other schools were
pretty good. These two incidents were key moments for us that made us
confirm that we actually needed to do music full time.
8. What opportunities are you guys looking for or open to taking
advantage of?
Business opportunities, music business opportunities like huge
endorsement deals, good musical collaborations, massive shows. Talking
about collaborations, we just dropped a song with Mayorkun. The visual
for the song is out and we think you would love it if you already haven’t
seen or listened to it yet. So go check it out.
9. What do you guys think about youth empowerment? How can the
Nigerian youth be empowered?
This is a wide topic though but empowerment is basically from the mind,
so the youth need to be empowered to have a very positive mind-set
towards working hard and to go for whatever they want, because in the
end you can have great thoughts but if you don’t make a move towards
them, then they just remain thoughts.
Some Nigerian youths just always want to blame the government for “this
and that” but truth is, it all starts with us. What change do you want to
see in your life? What move do you feel you can make to change your
situation? Instead of just sitting down waiting for the government to do
what you’re supposed to do for yourself, why not try to help yourself first
because opportunities mostly come to those that are prepared for it.
1. What are your full names?
Blair Roberts and Clinton Roberts
2. Do you have an alias (that is, an a.k.a.)? If yes what is it?
DNA
3. In one sentence, tell us about your music.
DNA signifies the musical connection between us. Our music is basically
happy music, chilled music and sometimes conscious music.
4. How did you guys get started in music?
We have been singing for a long time now. We started out in high school
singing in the church choir and then we went for the GLO X-Factor reality
TV show which brought us to the limelight and praise be to God, now
we’re here.
5. We all face challenges. What challenges have you guys faced so far as
music artists?
One of the challenges we have experienced so far is the fact that there are
a lot of artists in the world and in the country, so trying to make sure
that we differentiate our sound and music from every other artiste is a
challenge. However it’s a good challenge because it makes us want to
work harder to understand our craft better.
Then another challenge is the fact that people have a whole lot of
expectations from us and sometimes even ten times more than what
we have within ourselves but in the end it helps make us work harder
to want to meet up to these expectations. We can’t always meet those
expectations, so in the end we just go at the pace we know best and just
leave the rest to God.
However, there are a whole lot that the government can do to empower
youths, like in music, lots of money is being made and lots of youths can be
empowered through entertainment. For example, when producing a song,
the producer is most likely going to be a youth, when shooting the video,
almost everyone on set are young people that are hungry for success as
there are young people in every sector of music from set designers to the
make-up artists and more. So the government can actually invest into
entertainment and take it a little bit more serious than they currently are
because it is actually one of Nigeria’s goldmines. We don’t know if they
have noticed it yet but the entertainment industry is actually very big and
few years from now, people are going to see how massive the Nigerian
music and entertainment industry is going to become. Maybe at that time
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Building A Solid
Music Career
Godwin Tom is the founder of Godwin Tom Company and iManage Africa,
a talent management and events company. In this interview, Godwin
shares a career roadmap every game player in the industry can follow.
- By Godwin Tom
“
When I started in the industry as a
manager in 2008, I would have
achieved more in less time if I
had people telling me about their
challenges and mistakes.
“
1. Prepare For the Industry Through Learning
The first thing to do is learn. Learn about the business and the
industry. Understand the peculiarity of the Nigerian and African
market and then the global market. Then practice. You will make
mistakes. That is inevitable but make sure you are taking notes and
learning from them. For a newbie, this should be the focus. By doing
these things well, networking will happen and people will notice you
for the work you do not just for randomly being at every event.
2. Tap Into Overlooked Jobs/Opportunities
I cannot mention everything here; there are a lot of overlooked jobs.
Apart from being the artist, there is the A&R, the manager, the label
executive, the promoter, the PR person or publicist, the music plugger,
the content aggregator and distributor and many others. Then there
is the opportunity for entertainment lawyers, accountants, auditors,
event organisers among others. The music industry can be one of the
biggest employers of labour if or when run properly.
3. Build The Right Structure
It really depends on the direction and start up budget of the label. An
ideal situation is to get lawyers, accountants, PR, A&R and Artist
development, marketing and brand management team. If you do not
have distribution solution, a label will struggle as the entire purpose
of setting up a label and signing artist is to distribute and sell.
4. Acquire Needed Professional Knowledge
You don’t necessarily need a professional certification to run a music
label. However, an understanding of Business Management would
help. Business is Business. Application may vary but the principles
apply across industries. Running a label is like running any business.
There are several moving parts and it is important that the people
running the business are prepared mentally to the task. An education
will help but most people end up learning on the job, especially in a
peculiar market like Nigeria’s. However, no matter how unstructured
the industry is, one must know how business works as the goal is to
be global and it would be a shame if you get to the point where your
growth is dependent on an understanding of business management
principles and leadership has no clue what to do.
5. Get A Mentor
Having a mentor is imperative. It would help you make fewer mistakes.
When I started in the industry as a manager in 2008, I would have
achieved more in less time if I had people telling me about their
challenges and mistakes. That is why I do workshops, training
programs and internships. Intern with such a mentor or work with
a company you see doing what you are trying to do. I am currently
writing a book called “10 Years a Learner” and producing a podcast
series. The industry will grow faster when we empower the people
coming after us. The true test of power is in its distribution.
6. Stay Grounded
Improve yourself and stay consistent. Travel and learn cultures and
other ways of life; it expands your view of life and humbles you. Take
artist development seriously and understand that you are a business
and most importantly, if you do not take yourself seriously, no one
will.
7. Let Your Audience Validate You
There is no one way to do it. What is important is to understand
where you are in the artiste life cycle. Validation is important. Just
because you get feedback from family members and friends does
not make you “a star with the next big hit”. Validation is when people
you do not know confirm that you can sing. This happens when the
artist takes time to perform at locations to develop him/her self.
While labels can provide funding, most artistes forget it is a loan. The
internet has provided all the tools to create and distribute content.
So, if you do not find a label willing to take a gamble on you, take
that gamble on yourself. Either way, it is in the artiste’s hands really.
A fan base will help you make money. Do not put the cart in front of
the horse. Build an audience and a following and you will have an
audience to sell music to.
8. Prepare For Challenges Ahead
Like every start up business, there are the following stages; Start up,
Struggle, Success and Growth. The excitement of starting something
new is usually quickly destroyed by the reality of the cost of running
a business with the bills, competition and change in policies that
were not considered during the set up stage. You quickly learn that
the audience is not as predictable and people do not really have a
buying culture. The industry and lifestyle is expensive and because
the market is very visual and bases most of its assumptions on
perception, the artiste who does not show the lifestyle are seen as
broke or lacking money.
You will also learn that success can also drown you. The more
successful you get, the harder it is to do things you sometimes enjoy
doing like going to the movies, etc. While you can do it once in a
while, it would have to be properly planned.
Another issue is that there is too much dependence on show money
because people are yet to understand the importance of publishing
revenue among other things. There are broke producers in the
country that do not realise that they have a lot of money scattered
across the globe.
You would also have to prove yourself so it is okay if people do not
respond to you when you start. People only want to associate with
success. Stay consistent and create good quality content.
9. Tread Carefully with Family and Friends
Family should support. However, unless a family member has the
needed skills for the role the artiste wants them to do; it is advisable
not to involve family in the business. While it is understandable that
some artistes may not have help when they start, so a family member
fills the void of a manager or PR consultant, it is important for the
artist to be honest with self and identify when growth has occurred
and when the family may not be able to operate in the scale that is
now required. There are a few instances where family members have
done great work, but I would advise that if family members working
with the artistes do not deliver on KPIs, the talent or artiste should
let them go and get professionals.
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Intune With...
Ronke Bamisedun
on Music and
Tourism
As founder of a boutique PR agency in Lagos – BWL
Agency – Ronke Bamisedun takes the stage here and
reveals the intersection between music and tourism and
how best artistes and other game players in the industry
can leverage tourism for massive promotion.
- By Ronke Bamisedun
the sponsor pays for will determine the venue. It doesn’t mean the artiste
can fill up the venue but for the sponsors, they just put down the money, it
doesn’t matter. There is really not much technique to it though, it is simply
business sense. An up and coming artiste would, for instance, not be put
on a large stage. And many of the current successful artistes have gone
through that phase of performing on smaller stages when they were just
starting out. Picking locations is simply based on numbers.
“
What you need to ask yourself as an
artiste in Nigeria is how you can
promote Nigeria internationally.
Earning Big with Tourism
“
Tourism is not all about getting endorsements and brand sponsorships.
What Nigerian artistes need to ask themselves is how they can promote
Nigeria out there. For instance, they can leverage the culture and tourism
industry to support their travels outside the shores, if they can drive their
case on how their music or performance will promote Nigeria and its
culture. The point is for them to show value.
Getting Started with Tours
It is impossible to effectively organise tours if management is poor. We
come from a culture where many musicians have family or friends as
members of their team; maybe people that supported them when they
started. And these people often times are neither experienced nor do they
have the qualifications to be managers. Looking at the music industry, you
see that it is hardly structured as a business.
In the West, there are organisations and other professionals in charge of
putting together tours on behalf of the artistes or the record labels. It is
not a one-man manager or record label show. There is a lot of work that
goes into it and a team of one and even five cannot put it together. But we
don’t have that here in Nigeria.
Before I can give advice to an artiste who seeks for affordable ways to go
on tour, I will ask certain questions like; what kind of artiste are you and
why are you going on tour? Who is going to come to it? Is it going to be
a free gig? There has to be an amount of revenue brought in before you
think of music tours. Exceptions could be University tours or open mic
sessions to promote and build your fan base.
The most affordable way is to look for opportunities where you don’t have
to pay for your cost; transport, logistics, a location you can get to without
having to spend the night, friends you can spend the night with, etc.
Secondly, find out the existing platforms that you can key into. You can
also be an opening act for another more successful artiste. That way, you
can tap into their fan base and use their instruments. But, they might not
pay you except you are lucky enough to find one who does.
Thirdly, be conscious of the nuances of that environment. Nigeria is very
different; different cultures abound. For instance, if you are going to a
dominantly Muslim environment, will you drink freely or stay modest?
Stay away from anything that can tarnish your brand. Artistes should have
people who give them media training and show them how to behave in
specific environments. Maintaining a professional front with fans is also
important. You have no business giving a fan a lift or taking him or her
to your room.
If you’re travelling with a band, it’s also not difficult. It all depends on inhouse
structure. You have to make clear arrangements before accepting
to perform. State what you require; the number of people in your
band, the instruments they are using, the type of transportation and
accommodation and talk it through. Difficulties only occur when people
are not prepared. Everything should be settled way ahead.
Go Global
The simplest and most effective way to be heard internationally is via
social media. Social media is very powerful right now. Be very active on
social media, upload your work and get your friends to share it. You never
know who might hear it. Connect with DJ’s and give them your music. The
more locations your music is played at, the more recognition you receive.
Music and football, I believe, are massive deals for Nigerian tourism. The sound on the street
globally right now is African and Nigeria is leading. We are music people; music is very
important to us culturally, that is why many companies use people from the music industry
as their brand ambassadors. Due to this, there is no better time to tap into the tourism industry.
The African sound of the street can draw people into Nigeria. For instance, people should come
to Nigeria because they want to see Fela’s shrine. We can also have a big music festival like the
Coachella festival in California that will attract people from all over the world who are fans of
Nigerian musicians.
The Role of Tourism in Promoting Artistes
Tourism helps in promoting the artistes and the artistes as well help in promoting tourism, whether
we are importing or exporting culture. For example, when international artistes come to Nigeria,
they get to interact with their fan base in Nigeria and promote their art. In the same vein, all of these
artistes have a fan base and following in their home country. When they come, their experiences in
Nigeria are amplified on social media and it looks like they are having fun. It gives someone who has
never been to Nigeria another perception of the country, thereby promoting our culture. And that
changes the narrative that they were used to.
Choosing Locations
In the UK, for example, choosing a venue is based on capacity and how much the label thinks the
artiste can generate. There are certain venues that would work for certain types of artistes and
locations can also be chosen based on fan base. The goal is to fill up the venue. It also works that
way in Nigeria but it is slightly different because the artistes work with sponsorship. The location that
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BrandSpark
NativeMag vs
Culture Custodian
The music industry is becoming more structured in Nigeria and one of the pillars that will ensure it
stands over time is how well the stories, lessons and inspiration behind the musicians and their music are
recorded. In this edition of BrandSpark, we beam the light on two curators of music news in Nigeria.
By Damilola Oyewusi
The Nigerian music industry, like most other industries in the
country suffers from a documentation deficit. The average
individual and business is eager to get things done and hit
milestones. But only a few people take notes and record the
journey to the victories or failures. Most of what each generation
learns about the past are snippets compared to the robust
stories that make up the lives of our music heroes.
The rise of digital media and the increased appetite for
information has definitely changed the narrative in many ways.
However, it is also important that the focus is not only the gossip
and soft sells from blogs and social media influencers.
This is what makes both of these brands impressive as they
intentionally celebrate the best of and curate information
about the Nigerian music industry; telling stories to influence
the trajectory of the business, inspire a generation and give a
blueprint as new dreamers begin their journey in the industry.
NativeMag
The NativeMag is your quintessential platform for music and
entertainment news. The online magazine has its special focus
on the music industry, offering their audience information on
the latest music releases, trends and happenings around the
industry. One of the key features of the Native is influencing
the popular music culture by bridging the gap between the
niche genres of underground music and the widely accepted
mainstream sound. Their interesting angles to stories, interviews
and opinions cut across different styles of music and art, giving a
new flavour to the culture of entertainment. Content is delivered
in a mix of videos, easy-to-read text, audio and inviting imagery.
While they are largely focused on the Nigerian music industry
and her musicians, the publication also travels across Africa and
the diaspora, soaking in the African culture across the continent.
In addition to music, NativeMag also curates neo-African fashion,
art and style, topping it all up with social awareness and staying
in touch with salient issues that affect the Nigerian youths.
Outside of the platform, Native has hosted two editions of its
flagship NativeLand, an event that brings musicians, curators,
cloth brands and food vendors together for an entertaining
evening.
“With more projects like
these, aspiring
musicians and talents
across the value chain
have an index point
on the map to music
business success.
“
Culture Custodian
Culture Custodian is not exclusively centred on music. The
platform is a potpourri of everything that concerns the youth,
from politics, to sports, fashion, music and more. However,
content about the music industry on the site takes a different
route from the pop rhetoric of trends and gossip. The interviews
seem mostly drawn from foreign websites but the articles are
original and insightful, with the right dose of sharp opinions.
With a piece like ‘The absence of protests in Nigerian pop
culture’, the team is not only highlighting the culture of social
consciousness in the country’s musical history. They are also
raising a necessary question about the value system of the
industry.
A key part of their strategy is giving little known brilliant
underground acts the same attention to detail as established
artistes. Bridging this gap is essential for the overall growth of
the industry.
Their podcasts are largely pop culture talk shows while the
Culture Custodian TV hosted on YouTube covers various angles
of the music business using interviews, event coverage and
showcasing numerous artistes.
Beyond the original and engaging content on both platforms, we
have to commend the sites for their simplicity and use of white
space.
In conclusion, both platforms hold great value for the everyday
youth with interest in the music industry. It would be great to
see them include in-depth analysis of different aspects of the
business and branch out into interviews and stories on the talent
managers, publishers, distributors, lyricists and more. With more
projects like these, aspiring musicians and talents across the
value chain have an index point on the map to music business
success.
What do you think? Which brand captures the heart of the
youth more?
30 31
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