Why Artiste Management is Necesary for Gospel Artiste. #Top 12 reasons why they are broke!

Big up to Mwenyehaki for making a wise decision to sign up with Ray Media. That was a genius move!

#Top 12 reasons why they are broke!

1. They TRUST Jesus & Anyone Who Uses The Name of “Jesus” to Convince Them Not to Read Their Contracts or Hire Good Representation;

2. They PRAY Daily, But Won’t READ Daily;

3. They Sing and Shout Day and Night, But Never Listen Morning or Evening;

4. They Keep Hiring A Choir Member or Deacon From Their Church to “play” Manager;

5. They Like New Shoes More Than New Money;

6. They Overprice Themselves Out of The Market and Don’t Understand the Changes in the Marketplace;

7. They Won’t Read ANY Contracts, Even the Sprint Contract, then Cry “Satan is a Liar”, When The Phone Is Shut Off;

8. They Love a High Profile Nice Big Car, vs. a Nice Low Profile Large Bank Account;

9. They’ll Listen to Their Pastor’s Advice Before They’ll Listen to Their Attorney, Manager or Accountant;

10. They Don’t Realize Jesus Wept Because He Knew A Generation would Sing and Never Get Paid Until They Read Their Contracts Like they Read the Bible and Pray Daily;

11. They Don’t Understand a Point, Publishing or Statutory Rates; and

12. Like All Artists, They Want To Be A “Star” For All The Wrong Reasons! But They Even Wrongly Feel Jesus “Called Them” To Just Sing And Not Worry or Care About Business.

By Sebastian Ngida : Endongo MusiQ 

What's the Deal: Understanding Co-Publishing & Admin Deals

Many songwriters aspire to be signed to a music publishing deal, but many do not know exactly what this means and what it entails. Publishing is a crucial aspect of your career, and it’s still at the heart of today’s ever-morphing music business, since it all starts with the song. And publishing can be quite lucrative, so it’s worth educating yourself about.
Generally speaking, there are two types of music publishing agreements these days: a co-publishing deal and a publishing administration deal.

CO-PUBLISHING DEALS
A co-publishing deal is what its name implies – you share the publishing with someone else (whether an individual or a company). You as the songwriter typically assign 50% of your publishing share over to this other entity in exchange (usually) for money. The money can come in the form of an up front advance, or a draw where you get paid in semi-annual, quarterly or even monthly installments. The term of the co-publishing agreement is usually for an initial 12-month year, with options to extend the agreement for an additional year(s). Sometimes, if you are an artist as well, the co-publishing deal might be tied to each album you do.
You take on certain obligations when you sign a deal like this:
A) You must write a minimum number of 100% songs that the signing entity considers commercially satisfactory for their purposes – and if you co-write any of the songs, then the co-written songs only count towards your minimum in the share that you end up retaining (i.e. two 50% co-writes equals one full song, three 33.33% co-writes equals one full song, etc.)
B) If you are not an artist, the agreement might also specify that you have what is referred to as a “record & release commitment.” This means that you must have a minimum number of songs recorded by any artist on a legitimate label and the songs must end up getting released and start to earn income.
If you don’t meet these two main requirements then your next option typically won’t get exercised, and you will be “stuck” in your first contract year. This is why it is important to get proper legal counsel in any deal – the cost of a lawyer can save you thousands of dollars down the road. The entity you sign this deal with takes on its own obligations. It must actively pitch to get your songs recorded by artists, or get them used in film/TV/ads as long as your recordings are of master (and not demo) quality. They also should try to set you up on co-writes with other songwriters or writer/artists. And they need to do all things administratively to register, license and protect your songs worldwide.
The money you are given in a co-publishing deal as an advance must be recouped (i.e. paid back) to the entity that is paying. In the typical 50/50 co-publishing deal, since half of all income is writer’s share and half is considered publisher’s share, you are entitled to 75 cents of every dollar earned (i.e. your full 50 cents as the writer and 25 cents as the publisher, since you assigned half of the publishing away). The entity collects your 75 cents of every dollar and sets it against the advance paid to you, and you won’t see any other income from them until your entire advance has been paid back. In the meantime, they receive the remaining 25 cents of every dollar.
So as you can see, a co-publishing deal is essentially a bank loan with 25% interest. And depending on the leverage you have going into the deal, you may very well have to give complete control of these songs in perpetuity to this publisher (even though you retain 50% of the publishing). Sometimes you can build in a reversion clause where you can get control of your 50% back or maybe even the entire 100% back, but this is a factor of your leverage and your lawyer. So make your decisions carefully and with experienced counsel.

ADMIN DEALS
In the other scenario, you do not assign any of your publishing away. You retain 100% and engage a third party as your administrator to do all things administrative relating to your songs: PRO registrations, registrations in the US Copyright Office, worldwide registrations through sub-publishers to collect your foreign income, negotiating and issuing licenses, collecting your royalties from all sources, etc. Though you retain all ownership in your songs, you do give up a percentage to get these services done for you on your behalf – that percentage is typically 10-15% for domestic income and 15-20% for foreign income.
Some administration deals involve all things administrative but no creative; depending on the admin company you are dealing with, if they have a creative department, you might also get access to the team that would pitch your songs to artists and film/TV/ads. In that case, if they secure a use for your music, you typically have to pay them a higher percentage than what I mentioned in the paragraph above. This is the company’s incentive to go out and try to generate the income for you.
Of course, you could do all this administrative and creative work yourself, but most songwriters don’t have the knowledge or inclination to take care of their catalogue worldwide. You want as much time as possible to write more songs! It should be noted that some administration deals can come with an advance if you have “pipeline income,” or impending significant activity (e.g. a big record coming out). In that case, you don’t receive any of your income until the advance is recouped (just like under the co-publishing deal). But sometimes the percentage the administrator takes will go up if they are giving you an advance – so it’s always a good idea to run the numbers.
Speaking of running the numbers: let’s assume you have a song you wrote by yourself on a record that sells one million copies in the US. That generates $91,000 in mechanical royalties (1,000,000 copies x 9.1 cents as the current mechanical rate in the US). Under a co-publishing deal, you would see $68,250 of that income as your 75%. Under an admin deal at 10% for domestic income, you would see $81,900 of that income. The difference is $13,650. That’s a big difference. So choose your deals carefully, but most importantly, go with a company that you feel will be your partner. Nothing can beat the strength of a great working relationship.
By Sebastian Ngida : Endongo Music

What is music publishing?

The business of music publishing is concerned with developing, protecting and valuing music. The business is diverse and demands a variety of skills. Music publishers play a vital role in the development of new music and in taking care of the business side, allowing composers and songwriters to concentrate on their creative work.

The role of a music publisher involves:

• Finding new and talented songwriters and composers and encouraging and supporting them as they develop their skills, whether through helping with their living expenses, providing them with the facilities they need to produce music or offering advice and guidance in writing for particular markets
• Securing commissions for new works and helping to coordinate work flow
• Registering the works of songwriters and composers with all appropriate collecting societies and agencies, eg sakata media/ publishing and Endongo MusiQ
• Producing demo recordings and, in the case of contemporary classical music, performance materials (score and parts etc);
• Producing and licensing the production of printed music
• Producing promotional materials, including sampler CDs, study scores, brochures etc
• Promoting composers and songwriters and their music to performers, broadcasters, record companies and others who use music on a commercial basis, both nationally and internationally
• Licensing the use of music, whether directly in the case of individual and special usages (eg synchronisation deals) or via the collecting society network
• Responding to new licensing opportunities that flow from technological developments
• Monitoring and tracking the use of the music they own and ensuring that proper payment is made for all licensed uses
• Making royalty payments to songwriters and composers in respect of the usage of their music
• Taking appropriate action against anyone using music without the necessary licence

Music publishing and copyright

The business of music publishing is dependent upon there being a strong copyright framework in place. The control of copyright enables a publisher to recover the investment made in songwriters and composers and to ensure that they are rewarded for their creative work. Without copyright there would be no financial incentive for writers and composers to create, or for music publishers to invest in them and their music. This would be to the detriment of composers and writers who depend upon publishers to manage the business of exploiting their musical works, thus enabling them to make a living out of their creativity.

Partnership with writers

The control of copyright enables a publisher to recover the investment made in songwriters and composers and to ensure that they are rewarded for their creative work. The relationship between a music publisher and a songwriter/composer is supported by a publishing contract setting out the rights and obligations of each to the other. Under these contracts songwriters and composers assign the copyright in their music to the music publisher in return for a commitment to promote, exploit and protect that music. The publisher agrees to pay the songwriter/composer a percentage of any income earned from such exploitation as royalties. Note that copyright can only be assigned in a written document that is signed by both parties.

The definition of a good publisher

A good publisher seeks out great music and great composers and songwriters, supports composers and songwriters in the creative process, promotes their catalogues across a variety of platforms, manages the business exploitation of the catalogues (including the registration of works and the collection and onward payment of all due royalties) and generally seeks to protect and enhance the value of their works with passion and professional commitment.
By Sebastian Ngida : Endongo Music

Personal Branding for Artists courtesy #Raytalk

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you

2) They cannot find you

3) They do not know you exist

Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:

1) go out and find the people who do like you for you

2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.

How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.

Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?

If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.

Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

 by Sebastian Ngida : Endongo Music

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.GTAeTAW5.dpuf

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.GTAeTAW5.dpuf

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.GTAeTAW5.dpuf

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.GTAeTAW5.dpuf

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.I3zUkghH.dpuf

There are 1 of 3 reasons why you are not selling your art

1) They do not like you
2) They cannot find you
3) They do not know you exist
Notice that none of the reasons above say: they have no money. If you are an artist and you are struggling to sell your art you may want to really look at some of these reasons above and see if any apply to you.

What if they do not like me?

This is actually the worst reason (it takes courage to admit it), but it can be solved. The fact that your current target audience does not like you is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you have to change who you are completely to get love. But like most relationships in life, you have 2 options:
1) go out and find the people who do like you for you
2) change yourself (re-brand) so that they can identify with you and your work.

Why brand yourself?

Whether or not you go look for a new market, you should still brand yourself. Why should any artist be interested in questions about branding and marketing?
It is a fallacy to believe that a brand is something that only Coca Cola and Pepsi should worry about. As an artist you are your own brand. Whether or not you know it or acknowledge it, you are already a brand.
How many times have you heard people go on and about Picasso only to learn that they have never heard of Cubism? They are clearly not interested in Picasso for his art but they are interested in the air they exude when they talk about Picasso. To talk about Picasso in some circles may give some people an air of intellect or sophistication.
Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write your story for you (because they will eventually) or write your own story. Be sure to tie the story of your brand to your values and ethics.

What if they cannot find me?

Most times we complain that we are not selling anything but the question we should be asking is: can people find what we are selling? Are you underground? Can they find what you are selling really easy or do they really have to search for you?
Does your website tell people in 3 foot letters where and how to find you? Are you posting up posters and handing out flyers when you exhibit or go to a fair? Is your artwork easy to buy online or at fairs? Do you have a way of keeping in touch with customers that bought your most recent work?

What if they do not know I exist?

So maybe your market likes you, some know where to find you but the other half does not know you exist. You need to start thinking about how you reach this half and let them know what makes you unique.
Are you exhibiting at galleries or performing at shows? Have you let gallery owners, performance venues etc know you exist and are looking to exhibit or perform? Do you carry around business cards?
If you are selling your art online is your bio and website easy to find? Are you on twitter or facebook? Is your website the first thing that comes up when someone searches for your name? Are you collaborating with other artists to get your name out there? Are you linking to other artists and doing guest posts?
If you can solve any of the 3 problems, you will have a viable marketing strategy and a plan to sell your art.
Vangile Makwakwa contributed to this post. She is a poet and writer with an MBA and an entrepreneurship certificate from the Simmons School of Management in Boston, MA and a finance honors degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Vangile is the founder of Speak 2B Free, a company that promotes poets and storytellers globally by providing them with the tools and resources to market themselves.

So…what is your personal brand?

- See more at: http://theabundantartist.com/personal-branding-for-artists/#sthash.I3zUkghH.dpuf

Sauti Sol: Nishike

"Nishike", third single off Sauti Sol's upcoming third album. Song written and performed by Sauti Sol. Produced by Kagwe Mungai. Video directed by Enos Olik/Bokeh Family 2014. Assistant Director: Marvine Obaga. Video Styling: Anabelle Onyango. Executive Production: Sauti Sol Entertainment. Nishike (Swahili for Touch Me).
This song has had mouths agape, jaws drop and even a possibility of Kenyan Media NOT playing it any time soon and I don't blame neither!
Well, the DOP, Enos Olik outdid himself on this. I love the way he played around with the guys exposing the masculine side, No homo, But i still feel our media isn't at this level yet!
Its clever that they decided to do an online promo for it. I bet you, if this guys were up and coming artistes, it would have worked fro them or blown in their faces!
Watch it and be the judge.

By Sebastian Ngida : Endongo MusiQ

ELANI : MILELE

Elani : Milele
I am a sucker of romance and an emotional wreak should be heart broken. I believe I have an ear for good music and I can tell a hit from a miss by just hearing the first two lines of any song! You didn't hear that from me.
Well, this is HIT that I smelled instantly. This guys are living proof that hard work, talent , right production and a fan base just enough to tell others about you is what it takes to make in the music industry!
Rumors  has it that Sauti Sol have played a major role in mentoring this group and if that's the case, i conquer 100%!

Here is Sauti Sols' new jam  nishike

Their song Milele gets anyone hooked to it instantly. From 'misemo' like 'kupuliza gunia' to awesome vocal ability, I loved it.
I sometimes envy the kinds of Enos Olik for being the first individuals to listen to awesome music just before any of us do!
Salutation to Elani!

By Sebastian Davies : Endondo MusiQ

Viola Karuri get robbed of her Red Lily Signature

Viola Karuri : Milele

VS

Renee: Never Let go: Never Let Go

Well, this is a case of desperate moves by up and coming artistes stealing other peoples signatures in the hope of making a kill out of other peoples efforts.
Well, I stand to be corrected but this is a rather straight forward case. Renee just released her new single 'Never let go go' directed by Young Wallace, an up and coming video director that has made a name for himself for exquisite works he does.
Anyways, this blog is about the Viola Karuri signature at the begging of her Milele song featuring Collins Majale, Like it meant nothing, Renee went ahead and made it her hook in her song.
It might pass as nothing but I would very much like to understand how intellectual properties in Kenya work!!
Besides that, I really think Wallace outdid himself on this and the scripting/direction was on point. One thing I never got to understand is the reason why he used an Egyptian kind of setting in his last shot with guards who are evidently with a bulge at their mid section and evidently blunt blade to seal a supposed marriage or honeymoon getaway for the couple.
by Sebastian Ngida: Endongo MusiQ

Sassy Musician Amani Wairimu Pregnant?

Well, The MTV (MAMA) Awards were held early this week and with this photo on the capital fm blog, capital.co.ke got a pal of mine asking me if Amani the sassy singer was paged. (Pregnant).
We have had nothing about her dating or in a relationship and if this is true, she must be very good at putting a lid to her personal life!
Well, I attended the event but left a bit early due to personal reasons and thus never got to see the singer myself. well, above is the photo, be the judge.

Below is what capital had to say about the Absolut sponsored event! Success to all those nominated!

ABSOLUT hosts an evening dedicated to celebrating creativity and the artistry of music as the proud partner of this year’s MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) at Sankara Nairobi.
No brand understands artistry better than ABSOLUT. It has long been at the forefront of pushing boundaries of contemporary culture through creative collaborations with artists such as Andy Warhol, Spike Jonze and most recently with the award winning Swedish House Mafia.
Wanjiru Njenga, Marketing Manager of Pernod Ricard Kenya noted “Each generation there are a handful of artists who leave a transformative mark; and the MTV Africa Music Awards most certainly celebrates those artists who are at the cutting-edge of the thriving music industry here on the African continent. So we are thrilled to be associated with these awards that celebrate artists who define and transform the musical scene of Africa.”
She further highlighted ‘it is especially exciting for us to honour and support our Kenyan nominees’:
• Sauti Sol – Best Group
• Amani ft Radio and Weasel – ‘Kiboko Changu’ (Kenya/Uganda) – Best Collaboration
• Lupita Nyong’o – Personality of the Year
Absolut’s commitment extends not just to music, but the positive power that it can bring. This year MTV MAMA introduces the Absolut “Transform Today” award which will celebrate the power of young individuals to transform the image of Africa through their creativity and vision as part of its commitment to the Kenyan music scene Absolut will be sending industry influencers Muthoni Ndonga AKA Muthoni Drummer Queen and Blinky Bill of Just a Band to share in the awards evening on June 7th in Durban, South Africa.

By Sebastian Ngida: Endongo MusiQ

MUSIC MANAGEMENT.

How Management Gets Paid

John Legend has had 'all of you' singing to his latest track like some nursery rhyme. For its all business before the music. Just thinking how does such a man, though talented, have all ladies globally singing to his single? How does he do it? Is it just pure talent or there is something else to it. Will we at some point get to see a Kenyan artiste move the world and keep it at his/ her toes? well the answer that struck me was simple, Management! I thus took myself on a journey to try and understand how this is done and the roles management plays for an artiste.
Most importantly, how do they get paid. Not being selfish but do you even know who manages he dude?

Here!!

The first two parts of this series examined two of the three essentials of artist management: passion and connection.  We now arrive at the last essential management criteria: capital. Please recall that while this series of articles is written from the perspective of providing advice to the artist looking for a manager, the information is equally applicable to those interested in a career in artist management.  The goal of the series is to provide both the artist looking for a manager, and the individual interested in management with the needed perspective to increase their odds of success.

How managers get paid

First, you need to understand a bit about how managers make their money. Typically a manager will receive a commission—usually 15 to 20 percent—of all of the income that you generate (the gross). This includes money from gigs, money paid to you from a record label as a personal advance against royalties (typically, not from money advanced by a label for you to record your record), money from merchandise, income from your music being used in movies or commercials, and any other source of income you generate as an artist. It is therefore in the best interest of the manager to leverage all of those connections I mentioned above to help you generate as much money as you can, which of course, generates more money for them. This is capitalism at its finest, and when it works, it works great for everybody.
The problem is that young or unestablished artists typically take quite a while to generate any revenue. Also, these artists typically don’t have any money of their own, so the management is left to spend their own money in order to develop the band before any money comes in. Because of this, you will occasionally see management securing other pieces of the artists’ potential income as a kind of collateral against the money and time they are putting up. Sometimes, for example, management will acquire some part of the artist’s publishing—in other words, a piece of the equity in the copyrights of the songs.  This means that when these songs begin generating mechanical, synch, or performance royalties, the manager will be paid a percentage of the money. Managers do this because they often defer their commission while spending their own money. They have no guarantee that they will ever recover their investment. This practice has largely been frowned upon (by both artists and managers), and was seen only occasionally in the past. However, I’m seeing it happen more and more, and I believe it will become even more of a common practice in the future.
As an artist, you must seriously debate whether parting with your publishing, in order to provide a sort of insurance to a manager, is the right thing to do. My opinion is that it is usually the wrong thing to do.  Whoever you assign any part of your publishing to must be able to do something with it. By this, I mean they must be able to “work” your publishing to generate awareness about you and money for you. If they cannot do this, do not assign any part of your publishing to them. Therefore, if a manager is requiring you to assign some portion of your publishing to them, you should only do this if you feel the manager is going to actively engage in working your songs.
Of course, it may not be this simple for you, especially if you don’t have a lot of options. You may feel that the prospective manager can help your career in many ways, and that it would be foolish to miss the opportunity to have him or her represent you by clinging too tightly to your publishing. You may be right.  Your publishing is valuable. Part with it with caution, and only if you’re getting something of real tangible value in return.

It's Money that Matters

Money is a significant factor in creating effective artist/manager relationships. The manager is spending money, hoping for a return on investment. Publishing is one way to hedge that bet. Of course, managers who have no money will not be able to offer you much for your publishing.
Managers who have no money have a hard time being effective. There are always expenses involved in getting a band signed: recording costs, gas for the van, fan mailings, travel, guitar strings, and so on. It all adds up. Of course, management doesn’t have to pay for any or all of these things. But remember, they can’t make any money unless the band is making money, so they usually opt to pay for these things and others so that the band has a better chance of getting signed.
Even after you get signed, management is often the fountain of money. For instance, an artist and manager may determine that they need an independent publicist because they feel the label’s publicist (if it has one) can’t do an effective job due to workload, the label’s priority scheme, or whatever. The label is not obligated to pay for this (though often they do), and so the band and management are left to decide whether or not the potential added exposure they would get from a publicist is worth the out-of-pocket expense. Many times, in a situation such as this one, the band itself is not generating enough income to pay for something like this, so the management foots the bill. Theoretically, management will be reimbursed for these costs once the band does start generating some money. If neither the band nor the management can afford to pay, it really is the band that suffers.
Good managers understand that new and developing artists are much like startup businesses. The first couple of years (or records) typically are money losers. The hope is that after the painful initial period has ended, there will be a financial reward that will recoup all the early losses and then some. This is why managers will fund an artist’s career at the early stages—and, in fact, sometimes well into an artist's career.

Summary

In my opinion, it is better to have a manager who is passionate—and not a bozo—than one who is connected or financed but lacks passion, vision, or understanding of what your goals are as an artist. You will be working very closely with this person, and you need to be able to communicate easily and effectively together. Additionally, you need to trust that they will represent your artistic vision in a way that you are comfortable with. They will be your mouthpiece in many situations. Lastly, you need to really understand what your objectives are and choose a manager who will help you get there, and then set new objectives with you and help you achieve those. Good managers aren’t easy to find, so you must look long and hard and carefully. In many ways, the manager becomes another member of the band.
By Sebastain Ngida: Endongo MusiQ