People & Lifestyle
Guest Post: How Artists Get Paid for Their Music – A Nigerian Artiste’s view
I recently read an article about how artistes make their money (the article was inspired by the recent Infographics published by The Future of Music Coalition on their website) and from the writer’s view most artistes have a general understanding of how money works when it comes to live performance and merch sales — but when it comes to getting compensated for radio play, digital sales, webcasts, and interactive streaming, the waters are a bit more murky. I can relate to this because as I have come to find out as an artist learning to be a businesswoman, many artistes do not know a single thing about the potential streams of income from their music. We are caught up with dreaming and perfecting our art to make these dreams come true. So, we hire managers who may not have a clue any better than we do, go for phony reality shows or settle for record deals that promise fame and fortune. The typical artiste does not look past the live shows, record sales and endorsements. As a matter of fact, many artistes (and producers) have no clue how much more money songwriters do make than performers in many cases.
Countries like the USA and the European continent are blessed with a structure that appears to work (at least from where we stand in Africa) and have organizations and PROs that provide reports and show they work (as we imagine) like BMI and ASCAP, Sound Exchange, Harry Fox Agency, etc.
In Africa we have radio, ‘Alaba’ (The ‘music distribution’ system we have endured for decades) and the Collecting Societies like PMAN and COSON who have not (at least to my knowledge) given a model of which artistes can measure against their expectations of the services they hope to provide. . There appears to be a lot of commotion dressed in an impression of false corporation but that is not an excuse for the artiste to complain. I see this peculiar situation as a grand opportunity to make some money in many innovative ways which base on the ideal and can be customised to suit our situation as African artistes and musicians;
One solution I’d propose is Artistes need to band together and start road tours from Nigeria to West Africa and let the trend spread to the entire continent. An industry cannot be built by the same set of people playing the same annual and monthly shows. Artistes teaming up to bring a variety of music to a starving audience provide a brilliant avenue for healthy competition to grow into a budding industry the rest of the world can respect. At tours artistes can sell their merchandise (cds, T Shirts, etc) and bond with their fans and maybe positive social change can be encouraged at some level.
Looking beyond this the African artiste who wishes to benefit from the ideal models of making money from their music has to register with one or more of the foreign PROs and organizations as earlier mentioned to earn money from broadcast radio and webcasting, digital sales, and interactive streams.
Based on the given situation of the Nigerian and African Artiste making money from music as independent players who own their sound copyrights (You own copyright to your work the minute it is put on paper or recorded in audio format) and use services (known as the aggregators) like JTV Digital, Tunecore, CDBaby, etc the system works like this-
The first step is to have your music released to the major digital stores (iTunes, Amazon, etc) via the aggregators and the monies (if any) made from the sales is sent back to the aggregators who pass the money down to you. In the case that you the artiste didn’t write the sold music, publishing royalties are also sent to the songwriters and publishing companies. Recently, aggregators have started providing publishing administrating services that can help the artiste in ensuring that these royalties are rightly administered. For streaming services like Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio etc, monies earned are collected in three parts- by the aggregators, the PROS and the Publisher or mechanical licensing agent; the PRO who disburses royalties to the songwriter and publisher, the publisher who disburses royalties to the songwriter and the aggregator who sends royalties to the artiste/band.
Aside these, take a chance at songwriting contests, apply to participate in festivals, organize hangouts, jam sessions and get your community involved in your art and business just as you prove to them that you want to be involved with them. I know this because I learn everyday how nobody wants to be a part of your business as an artiste if you do not show that you are interested in them and have a life that builds other people up in some way- a life that boasts an inspiring story.
The Nigerian society already does not regard the artiste in a serious light (The typical Nigerian artiste sometimes doesn’t help this impression). The issues that face the artiste regardless of what part of the world you are many but even more frustrating in Africa and other parts of the world that are seen as ‘developing’. Therefore, to find direction and reap its benefits, we as artistes need to start to know and pursue exactly what we want and in many cases what we will cease to tolerate. -Christine Ben-Ameh]]>
People & Lifestyle
Delta to serve Ghana with new Airbus A330-900neo
Delta Air Lines will fly its state-of-the-art Airbus A330-900neo on nonstop service from Accra to New York-JFK effective 27 October 2024. The new aircraft will add approximately 30% more capacity between Ghana and the United States.
Speaking to journalists at a media roundtable in Accra, Matteo Curcio, Delta’s Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India, said, “Delta has worked to deliver an enhanced travel experience in Ghana. We look forward to welcoming customers onboard our A330-900neo aircraft come October, offering exciting new products and services as they travel to and from the United States.”
Matteo used the opportunity to express his gratitude to Delta’s customers, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and the government of Ghana for their continued partnership.
The brand-new A330-900neo aircraft will add nearly 1,000 more seats each week between Ghana and the U.S. It offers four distinctive experiences – Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin – and more cargo capacity to cater for growing demand.
Customers can expect Delta’s best-in-class service and a uniquely premium onboard experience as they travel to and from the U.S. Each Delta One Suite features a sliding door for enhanced privacy, the luxury of a fully reclining seat, accompanied by plush bedding crafted from recycled materials. Delta One customers can also enjoy more beverage options and a seasonal chef-curated four-course meal.
Meanwhile, customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax and stretch out, with a wider seat, deeper recline, an adjustable footrest and leg rest. Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin passengers benefit from comfortable, memory-foam seats.
All travelers will enjoy ambient lighting for a restful flight, Wi-Fi for purchase, and seat-back screens featuring 1,000+ hours of Delta Studio entertainment. Delta collaborates with diverse suppliers worldwide for in-flight products such as artisan-crafted amenity kits and beverages like Thrive Farmers Tea.
Delta continues to maintain its reputation for operational excellence. The airline has consistently been recognized for excellence in passenger experience, customer service, operational performance, and workplace culture. Recent achievements include winning Cirium’s Platinum Award for operational excellence for the third consecutive year, OAG’s most on-time airline, Air Transport World’s Airline of the Year 2024, and the Wall Street Journal’s top U.S. airline.
People & Lifestyle
A Powerful and Emotional Experience – “In the Pants of a Woman” – By Beatrice Shine Ayroe
People & Lifestyle
Short films and La Cinef Jury and selections of the 77th Festival de Cannes
Flanked by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, Paolo Moretti, Claudine Nougaret and Vladimir Perišić, the Belgian actress Lubna Azabal will award the Short Film Palme d’or and the 3 La Cinef prizes, the Festival de Cannes’ selection dedicated to student films.
The Jury will discover the 11 films in the Short Film Competition and the 18 films in La Cinef selection unveiled today.
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People & Lifestyle
Atarah Praise: Prophet Joseph Atarah set to rock Adenta on May 19
Ghana’s singing Prophet, Joseph Atarah is set to rock the people of Adenta on May 19 with Atarah Praise. (more…)
People & Lifestyle
Mysstel releases video for ‘Paradise’
Budding Ghanaian musician Agyeiwaa Stella Ofosu, affectionately called Mysstel in the music circles, has released the much-awaited video for her song Paradise.
“Paradise” written and produced by multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician and producer Kuami Eugene of Rock Star Made It fame has enjoyed massive rotation and airplay since its release recently.
The video directed and shot by Cassidy is a reliving of the lyrics of the song which urges ladies to give their male partners the treatment of a lifetime.
“Paradise” released under Oracle Entertainment, is a tale of two lovers who are geared for the rollercoaster journey into the future regardless of the challenges.
According to Mysstell, love is not one-sided, and it is about time ladies make their male partners feel special, adding that “this means going all out for him like he will do for you regardless.”
“You need to let them know you love them, they deserve to be taken to special places, let them see the best part of you, take them to your paradise,” she said.
Mysstel is optimistic she has something unique which will help her break into the Ghana music industry and later take the world by storm.
Watch the video below
Mysstel – Paradise (Official Video) finally out
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
People & Lifestyle
GEXIM To Celebrate Ghanaian Workers With “Workers’ Mart Tuesday Market”
May Day, which is also known as International Workers’ Day, is a public holiday celebrated on 1st May every year. It is a holiday that is recognized in many countries around the world to celebrate the achievements and contributions of workers around the world.
As part of activities to mark this year’s edition of May Day, the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) will be hosting a special edition of its popular Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Fair, Tuesday Market, on Tuesday 30th April 2024.
Dubbed as “Workers’ Mart”, the fair is scheduled to take place at the forecourt of the Africa Trade House (next to British Council in Accra) from 8AM to 8PM. It will be a platform to showcase a wide variety of top quality Made-In-Ghana products to be sold at unbeatable prices.
According to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEXIM, responsible for Banking, Ms. Rosemary Beryl Archer, the Made-In-Ghana products to be displayed are very unique, and authentic, ranging from food and ingredients, beverages, skin and beauty care products, textiles, apparel, garments, leather footwear to slippers and many others.
She added that “we at GEXIM are happy to leverage the day to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our employees and Ghanaian employees in all industries. Also, it has become more imperative in recent times to recognize the importance of labour rights and fair working conditions. The significance of Workers Day goes beyond the commemoration of past struggles, it is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the labour movement and to look towards the future to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and that fair and just working conditions are upheld”.
Ms. Archer further stated that the Bank has over the years introduced initiatives to create a diverse and inclusive workplace to ensure that all workers are treated fairly and have access to equal opportunities.
She encouraged members of the general public to make it a point to join in the celebration by attending “Workers’ Mart on Tuesday 30th April 2024 at the forecourt of the Africa Trade House (next to British Council in Accra) from 8AM to 8PM which will be climaxed with a “Worker’s Jam”.
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