Have the right team

Times have changed, unlike in the past when a lot of artists wanted to sign to record labels, new artists now prefer being independent. There is nothing wrong with preferring the latter, but having a structure to handle the administrative work is important for any artist.

As many artists start to develop and grow, they should consider forming a team around them to help with those administrative and logistical aspects of their career that have evolved to become totally necessary to succeed in the music industry in this day and age.

This piece will highlight the team members every artist is supposed to have. I am aware that having a big team is costly, especially for upcoming musicians, hence some artists resort to doing everything by themselves. Again, there is nothing wrong with that but having a team that handles various aspects of your brand also demonstrates a sense of professionalism.

The first team member, an artist is supposed to have is a music manager. Your manager should be your right hand. This person should be able to understand your vision to a point where they are able to negotiate deals as well as build your brand on your behalf. When choosing one, I would advise that you select one who knows the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. This person should be the first building block in your team. This person should also be the one who has pre-existing relationships with publications, music promoters and other stakeholders in the music scene.

Another person you should have on your team is a publicist, because how are fans going to learn about your music if they never come across your name? That is where publicists come in. A publicist should have a good relationship with photographers and videographers so that they can help create promotional content on your behalf.

If you have the means to have a personal photographer, hire one. We live in a world where a lot of things are spontaneous and having someone on standby to document your events benefits your brand. Moreover, another team member that an artist is supposed to have in their circle is a mentor. A mentor may not necessarily be with you all the time or part of your entourage but it is good to have someone to go to for advice and mentoring.

In this edition, we bring different entertainment features and news stories, including what transpired at the Gazza Milli Concert, a feature on dB Audio Namibia, and more. Artists rebranding seems to be the trend in Namibia and the latest artist to rebrand is our cover star Samuele Ndodji, formerly known as Quondja. tjil got an opportunity to sit down with him and find out what motivated this decision. This and more this week. Until next time it is goodbye for now.



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