There is no money in managing artists. Make no mistake… not a single soul in Mbumba’s land is out here doing it for the passion. Spend money on artists? In 2024? LOL. We all have bills to pay. Gone are the days when artist managers used to spend crazy amounts of money for the love of the music and industry kama.
Bless their hearts. But even these legendary artist managers who used to do that back in the day are no longer in the game. They too will tell you that there is zero money in managing artists. They too will tell you that they did not get a return on investment.
As a matter of fact, one such artist manager…the legendary Suleimen Kyababa aka Sula, director and founder of OgopaButterfly Namibia narrated on the podcast version of this column how he did not get return on investment from Gal Level.
Gal freaking Level. Fill up stadiums Gal Level. Perform on international stages Gal Level. Winning international awards Gal Level. International features Gal Level. Here you come with your spaza spaza “music” and “NSK please manage me”. Kampala, please. Flattering but no. Even if I wanted to…I don’t have that kind of money and resources. NOBODY DOES! But that in itself is the problem with the Namibian music industry. There’s been a long-standing perception that artist managers should and must just spend all this money on artists without expecting anything in return. That’s not how it works. As a matter of fact, internationally, artists pay people to manage their brands. If it’s a label…the label will spend that money on you but will get a return on investment through album sales and other revenue streams. That’s just how it works.
In my time in the overall creative industry, I’ve seen artists cry foul about artist managers “stealing” their money. But is it really stealing when a manager spends thousands of dollars on you and attempts to redeem all that cash through album sales, gigs, and so on? Perhaps it’s a case of miscommunication. Either way… fact remains, artist management makes zero financial sense in Namibia. Unless of course there is a clear agreement between an artist and the manager.
An agreement that clearly outlines how money spent on an artist will be redeemed. Perhaps the agreement is that a manager runs the administrative arm and gets compensated. Either way, there has to be a clear outline of how it will work.
But also… who is out here in Namibia making that kind of money as an artist? To afford to pay a team to run its administrative demands? What label has that type of money today to be spending on an artist? To make the money back… how exactly? Or perhaps…we are doing it for the love mos. LOL.
Highly doubt it. Not in 2024 where petrol costs you an arm and a leg. Not in 2024 where school fees cost you an eye and your lungs. Not in 2024 where groceries cost you your mental health. Nobody has that type of money. No organisation has that type of money.
If you see anyone or an organisation spending that type of money, take it from a jitta that’s been around for a decade and some change…it will not last. Even if somebody or an organisation has that type of money, they will not necessarily spend it on an artist just nje. Unless perhaps you are part of the big three. Who are the big three of Namibian music?
I’ll let you munch on that for now.
Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM
Need an MC? I’m YOUR guy. Hit me up…naobebsekind@gmail.com