Shamiso

initiate
Does music artist management in Zimbabwe work just as much as anywhere across the globe or perhaps there are unique ways of handling the music business?
 

Scorpio

grand master
It's pretty much the same except there is this confusion where some Zim record labels present themselves as music management companies and also the stupid idea of some artists being managed by people directly connected to a record label.

That's just like an artist getting music business legal advice from a record label's entertainment attorney. It's retarded!
 

Numero Uno

grand master
It's pretty much the same except there is this confusion where some music management companies define themselves as record labels and also the stupid idea of some artists being managed by people directly connected to a record label.

That's just like an artist getting music business legal advice from a record label's entertainment attorney. It's retarded!

What do you mean when you say, "some Zim record labels present themselves as music management companies?"
 

Scorpio

grand master
What do you mean when you say, "some Zim record labels present themselves as music management companies?"

A music management contract should make a clear and valid offer to an artist so that if an artist accepts it then the lawful purpose of that contract should also be strictly terms and conditions pertaining to artist management and not record label activities.

What some Zimdancehall ghetto youths do is they sign a contract thinking it's a music management contract only, but it's actually a contract that will also transfer future rights of recorded Zimdancehall riddims over to the music company without properly compensating the Zimdancehall artist in music publishing royalties, etc.
 

Black Panther

grand master
A music management contract should make a clear and valid offer to an artist so that if an artist accepts it then the lawful purpose of that contract should also be strictly terms and conditions pertaining to artist management and not record label activities.

What some Zimdancehall ghetto youths do is they sign a contract thinking it's a music management contract only, but it's actually a contract that will also transfer future rights of recorded Zimdancehall riddims over to the music company without properly compensating the Zimdancehall artist in music publishing royalties, etc.

Let's be realistic upcoming Zimdancehall or Zim Hip Hop artists can't afford legal counsel to go through music management contracts.

This is why they simply take chances and hope for the best.

In an ideal scenario before signing an artist management agreement both parties e.g. in this context a Zimdancehall artist should have a separate attorney to outline their interests whilst the music management company or the artist's manager has their own lawyer too.

What actually happens is many artist management contracts in Zimbabwe are signed "pasi pemuti" without doing enough research on the duties that the manager will carry out.
 

Numero Uno

grand master
A music management contract should make a clear and valid offer to an artist so that if an artist accepts it then the lawful purpose of that contract should also be strictly terms and conditions pertaining to artist management and not record label activities.

What some Zimdancehall ghetto youths do is they sign a contract thinking it's a music management contract only, but it's actually a contract that will also transfer future rights of recorded Zimdancehall riddims over to the music company without properly compensating the Zimdancehall artist in music publishing royalties, etc.

What if a Zimdancehall artist sues a music management agency for making them sign a misleading contract, generally what will be the outcome?
 

Black Panther

grand master
What if a Zimdancehall artist sues a music management agency for making them sign a misleading contract, generally what will be the outcome?

Litigation is a very expensive pursuit for many Zimdancehall artists.

However, a judge will try as much as they can to uphold the terms and conditions between a music management company and the Zimdancehall artist in question.

In legal jargon, this is what you'd call judicial restraint. Where a judge enforces either a music management agreement, a music publishing contract, a 360 record contract, etc based on the terms both parties initially agreed upon.

But sometimes a judge can carry out judicial activism if he or she personally finds that the contract wasn't fair (unconscionable) to the recording artist.

So when you see recording artists suing record labels, music publishing companies, music management companies they always hope for some kind of judicial activism over judicial restraint because it will be a nightmare if the judge enforces the previous agreement.
 

Black Panther

grand master
What's the average duration of a contract in Zim?

It is two years but some Zim artists sign management contracts for about three years.

There are also certain Zim artist managers who agree on a basis of a number of albums just like how record companies sign artists for a standard deal of six albums.

The difference is that those particular Zim artist managers instead of agreeing to a contract of say six albums, they will just bring it down to two or three album cycles.
 

Shamiso

initiate
What about the other music business side of show bookings, club appearances, and live performances do management agencies in Zim handle that on behalf of the artist as well?
 

Scorpio

grand master
What about the other music business side of show bookings, club appearances, and live performances do management agencies in Zim handle that on behalf of the artist as well?

Yeah, they do but quite frankly that should be the job of the artist's booking agent.

Some Zim music artists just don't get it. They leave almost everything in the hands of the artist manager even the procurement of employment on behalf of the artist's personal needs.
 

Numero Uno

grand master
Yeah, they do but quite frankly that should be the job of the artist's booking agent.

Some Zim music artists just don't get it. They leave almost everything in the hands of the music manager even the procurement of employment on behalf of the artist's personal needs.

What's wrong with that?
 

Bla Jedza

apprentice
Can a music personal manager work with multiple artists?

Yes, a music artist manager or a music management agency can manage various artists at one go ONLY IF they have what is called a non-exclusive basis contract with artists they are supposed to manage.

But many Zimbabwean music artists don't like that because what may happen is a personal manager may end up putting more effort into one or two artists who have more clout, while they sort of like neglect other recording artists.
 

Black Panther

grand master
Can a music manager work with multiple artists?

Artist management of multiple talents is no easy task. It requires a well-organized committed individual and also a person who is fair in his or her business dealings by rendering a non-biased equal service.

So generally speaking, it is music management companies that engage in the music business of managing multiple artists. Because they have enough workforce to handle that.

A single manager can get burnt out dealing with wild personalities too.
 

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