In the rapidly evolving music industry, musicians must prioritize owning their audience to secure their careers and creative freedom. The dynamic nature of social media and technology means platforms that are popular today may become obsolete tomorrow. Remember Myspace, Facebook, Instagram, and now TikTok? Each of these has had its moment in the spotlight, only to be overtaken by the next big thing. To thrive amidst such change, musicians need direct control over their fanbase. Here are five compelling reasons why owning your audience is crucial. 1. Financial Stability and Independence When ..read more

Starting a record label involves both creative vision and a strong grasp of the business side of music. To help you navigate these waters, here are five essential Audiobooks that cover a range of necessary topics, from the legal aspects to marketing strategies: "All You Need to Know About the Music Business" by Donald S. Passman Widely regarded as one of the best resources for understanding the complexities of the music industry, this book by entertainment lawyer Donald S. Passman covers everything from record deals to royalties. The latest edition includes updates on digital streaming, co ..read more

Greetings, fellow music aficionados! In today's discourse, we delve into the intricate world of music accolades and pose a critical question: do they hold the weight we attribute to them? Here are five discerning insights into why the allure of music awards may not align with their true significance: Subjectivity Overshadows Substance: Within the realm of music awards, subjectivity often trumps substance. Committees and voting bodies, driven by personal inclinations, may favor certain artists over others, irrespective of the qualitative merit of their work. Navigating Politics and Bias ..read more

As an independent artist, getting your music played on the radio can be a challenge. However, with the rise of independent radio stations and online radio platforms, there are now more opportunities than ever to get your music heard. In this blog post, we'll explore five tips for independent radio playlisting that can help you increase your chances of getting airplay. 1. Do your research Before submitting your music to a radio station, it's important to do your research. Make sure the station's format fits your style of music, and take note of the types of artists and songs that are already be ..read more

The South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) is the PRO in South Africa. As an independent musician that's trying to maximise their income and improve their music business, it's important to register with SAMRO. This video shows you step-by-step how to register with SAMRO online. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gSfOdsI0vQ Don't forget to sign up to my mailing list for more information to help you improve your music business. You can also download the SAMRO online registration guide. Until next time, Skill ..read more

As a South African independent musician, you often hear about SAMRO, RISA and some times you hear about CAPASSO and SAMPRA. What are these organisations and how do they fit into your music hustle? This video explains how these entities fit into your music hustle. https://youtu.be/qAiV-Y8MUsU Don't forget to sign up for weekly updates that'll help you improve on your music business. Join the Skill FAM here. Until next time, Skill ..read more

Registering with SAMRO or any other PRO is one of the fundamental steps into collecting royalties. SAMRO collects performance royalties which are earned whenever your music is performed in public. So if you're a song-writer, beat-maker, producer or composer, you're entitled to royalties (money). In the video below, is a step-by-step video tutorial showing you why and how to register yourself and your music with SAMRO. https://youtu.be/XeiphPfpONo If the video above interests you, please do subscribe to my channel as I that I can be more consistent on my channel. If you have any questions, hit ..read more

There’s been several changes with the portals for the three CMOS (SAMRO, Capasso and SAMPRA) So decided to make a video showing how to register a song with all three CMOs. Hopefully this video will come in handy whenever you release a track. https://youtu.be/AA-pwTpFfc4 Don't forget to sign up to the Skill Fam to get weekly updates. Until next time, Skill ..read more

As musicians, getting you music used/played is how you generate money through royalties. Getting your music onto these platforms is a lot trickier than people think. This video shares 5 points about radio and tv royalties. https://youtu.be/K8l6E3LffDs Consider joining this mailing list for weekly updates to help you improve on your music hustle as an independent muso. Until next time, Skill ..read more

The term “exclusive” has been dangled in front of consumers, not just rappers, for many years. Exclusive clubs, exclusive clothing, and even exclusive releases but why has this concept lasted even for leasing beats? Ignorance…. In my opinion, there is very little dialogue over the concept of why artists should stop wanting exclusive beats and opt for non-exclusive beats. So why does it make sense for an independent artist to stop buying exclusive beats and opting for non-exclusive leases instead? IT MAKES BUSINESS SENSE! If you’re running your music hustle as a music business, you know that on ..read more