WHICH tools should musicians use to market their music?
This has become a frequently asked question in this Information Age which has a plethora of platforms for one to showcase his/her talent.
For musicians, never mind the influence of social media, the live shows remain an integral part of an artiste’s career, especially one who desires growth.
The live show is so much more than just performing — it is arguably the most important aspect of a music career.
While it is difficult for artistes who are just beginning to perform live, the effort to get that first gig is critical.
Locally, live shows have made musicians.
A host of musicians like Cephas Mashakada, Hosiah Chipanga, the late Tongai ‘Dhewa’ Moyo and Nicholas Zacharia cemented their careers while many urban groovers came to the fore during galas held to celebrate the country’s heroes and other achievements.
Sadly, the local music industry has become a brutal sphere, a dog-eat-dog sector.
Musicians must now be custodians of their art and responsible for marketing as well as growing their brands.
Gone are the days when the selling of cassettes and compact discs (CD) was sufficient to prop up an artiste.
A good example of a musician who is working hard to gain recognition is upcoming Norton-based, Ashton ‘Mbeu’ Nyahora of Mhodzi Tribe.
His band, which is barely two years old, has attracted attention as a result of the lively shows they host.
Like his stage name, the young musician has sown his seeds across the country.
Speaking to Patriot Arts, Mbeu said live shows were assisting in the growth of his career.
“Live shows are an important platform for a performing artiste. They give one the opportunity to grow his/her fan base,” said Mbeu.
The talented musician who leads in vocals also plays the acoustic guitar with gusto.
Mbeu said he had managed to hold a number of shows as a result of relationships established with both promoters and club owners.
“My management organises the shows and we have managed to establish good relationships with venue owners and promoters thus besides looking for shows, we also get invitations to perform at various venues,” he said.
Despite carrying the tag of upcoming artiste, Mbeu has shared the stage with renowned musicians who include Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah.
The musician has not only concentrated on Harare but taken his art to other cities as well; performing in places such as Beitbridge, Zvishavane, Chinhoyi, Marondera and Bulawayo.
According to Christopher Knab, an independent music business consultant, it is imperative that musicians understand performing contracts.
“The music business is very fond of contracts. In the performance arena, there are indeed contracts, but in the beginning they are more of a handshake or verbal variety than a signed contract. When an act gets more established, the artiste can rest assured a written contract will be around. This does not mean that a beginning act should not try to get something in writing,” said Knab.
“The verbal contract between a club and an artiste may simply be an agreement that the artiste will perform on a certain date, at a certain time, for an agreed length of time, with what specific other act and how much will be paid. Many venues require some kind of written confirmation of a verbal agreement made over the phone. This is to the advantage of the artiste anyway. So it is strongly recommended that you invite this kind of thing to happen (sic).
“A good habit for young acts to get into is to have a member of the band’s team count the ticket stubs collected at the door. This is a fairly common task, that assures the artiste of getting a correct count of the number of patrons who came to the show.
“One of the most important financial advantages to playing live is the opportunity for an artiste to sell his/her CDs and other merchandise at all their shows.
“Most clubs and venues, outside of big festivals and fairs, allow acts to sell their wares in the lobby, or from the stage. Only a few venues take a percentage of the sales. Whatever the case, it cannot be stressed enough how essential it is for an artiste to take advantage of this lucrative sales opportunity,” said Knab.
Mbeu said he would continue to use live shows to market his ever growing brand.
“We will continue performing and taking our brand to the people,” he said.
Another band that has benefitted from live shows is the inimitable Mokoomba.
Mokoomba, the celebrated international band composed of six members from Victoria Falls, was not known in Harare but through frequent live performances in the capital and many other international festivals, they have turned into a household name.
Mokoomba’s manager Marcus Gora is on record saying there was a growing appreciation of their music locally.
“We have a good number of people coming to our concerts who appreciate traditional music but we are always on international tours. This has limited the number of our local shows,” he said.
Another musician, Alexio Kawara, of the ‘Shaina’ fame, has upped his game by increasing the number of his live shows at home.
Clearly, live shows have become the sure thing in the cutthroat music industry which is dynamic.