I have been inundated and flooded with calls and messages from several artists, who want to know more about music business, but time has not permitted me to educate them well via telephone calls, emails or BB chats.
My strong believe is that doing a constant write-up on this subject will open our eyes a bit in this direction.
I will never lay claim to the fact that I know all that is needed to be known about music business. For the past two years, I have been studying and conducting a research into how we can make music work in Nigeria especially for gospel artistes.
I am compassionately moved when I see several gospel artistes who could not face music squarely simply because they could not make an ends meet by doing so. They lack funds to produce their music, shoot their videos or take care of their family from the income they get via music.
Many gospel artists are sitting on the fence for this reason believing that if they please the world a little, probably they will be able to make an ends meet through what they are able to realize via music. I have heard several gospel musicians who have put their hands on the plough and looked back saying, gospel music does not pay and so they have quit gospel music for secular.
I thought within myself that is there any way I can proffer a solution to this challenge? Can gospel artists in Nigeria get sponsors from blue chips companies for their concerts? Can gospel artists get sponsors from the government?
Do gospel artists actually agree that, just as we have the ministry angle of music which should not be compromised for any reason; there is also a business angle to music? Are gospel artists doing enough in creating a strong brand for their music? Do they really have the knowledge of music business?
Music Business is very wide. This is a discipline that took people several years to study in the higher institutions. As a matter of fact, there are several fields of music business where degrees are offered.
The careers in Music Business or Management include; Personal Manager or Artists’ Manager, Booking Agent or Talent Agent, Concert Promoter, Independent Radio Promoter, Entrepreneur (Music Business), Retail Sales Management, Entertainment Attorney, Business Manager, Music Supervisor (Music Licensing/Clearance), Music Business Consultant, Contractor ( or Leader).
We also have Record label business careers which include; Record Company Executive, A & R Coordinator, A &R Administrator, Director of Publicity or Public Relations Director, Publicist (or Staff Publicist or Press Agent), Assistant Publicist, Artist Relations Representative (or Artist Development Representative), Field Merchandiser ( or Merchandiser), Consumer Researcher, College Representative ( or Campus Representative).
We have Music Publishing Business Careers as well which are; Music publisher, Song Plugger or Professional Manager.
The last but not the least that I will mention here is Tour or Road work Business Careers which include; Tour Coordinator or Road Manager. Tour Publicist, Advance Person and Sound Technician.
Are gospel artists really aware of the role of these set of professionals and their contributions in the promotion of music and music business? If they are not aware, how can they engage the expertise of such professionals in promoting their music or in harnessing the business opportunities in music?
Do we even have enough people in Nigeria who are proficient in all these fields of music business? How do we build a house if we do not first of all draw the plan and construct the foundation? Definitely such house will not stand the test of time.
So what is the way forward? First of all, we need to seek for knowledge. According to the scriptures, wisdom is the principal thing so get wisdom and also above all, get understanding. The Bible says God’s people perish due to lack of knowledge. I thought the Word of God would have said the unbelievers perished due to lack of knowledge, but He referred to God’s people here.
I have been writing songs for about 30 years now. I have released three albums and I have been involved in two group albums. I worked in the Banking Industry for ten years and I spent three years out of these as a Business Development Manager.
I did my Masters’ in Business Administration in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, so I have a little understanding of how business is been run. Also been a bible student for so many years, I can say emphatically that there are lot of scriptures that back up most of the business principles that are been used in the business world nowadays.
I strongly believe that, the business experts only modify the terms. Business principles take their root from the scriptures. I discovered many of these principles and relate them to business and apply them, and they are working for me. I am however still learning at the feet of the Master and studying Music Business as well.
Many people do not know much about my first two albums, but at least some of us know a little about my latest album “Gidi Gan” which is on about 50 online stores and the videos are been aired in so many countries in the world.
God is actually the ultimate promoter; I however realize that when God does His part, we fail to do our part most of the time. Meanwhile, God has given us the ability and all the resources to play our own part.
So, whose fault if there is no positive result? Definitely it’s not God’s fault but ours.
Business experts says you have to conduct SWOT analysis, which means you have to analyze your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in the market, the scriptures says, “Judge yourself so that you will not be judged’. That talks about self appraisal.
The Business experts say, you need to promote your work, Jesus said, no one light his candle and put it under a bushel. For your business to succeed you have to do marketing. One of the way to market your product is one-on-one marketing, the bible says knock and it shall be opened unto you, seek and you shall find.
The scriptures even talk about knocking consistently and persistently. We can pick one or two similarities from the business principles and scripture principles.
It is however pathetic that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light when it comes to the application of these principles. We practically believe that once we pray to God to provide a food for us, after providing the food, God must still be the one to take the spoon and feed us. We don’t really know that we have a part to play in the process at all.
This prompted me to write on this because nothing moves until we all begin to move. Knowledge is very important, ignorance kills and puts one in a perpetual bondage. Our liberation time has come as we start some Music Business Intelligence series in Woodclef a kingdom based music company strategically positioned,
“To promote gospel music and music business, by providing musical products and services through our innovative and educative programs and ideas that are vital to society’s quality of life, in a professional and godly manner, while aspiring to be the company of choice for such products and services in Africa and beyond.”
Watch out for more of these series.
Kayode Olusoji
Performing Artist & Music Business Consultant
@Woodclef
www.woodclef.com
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