Listening out for the business side
Zakes Bantwini is head of artists and repertoire at Sony Music Africa. He tells Margaret Harris that musicians have to realise that no one owes them anything and they need to take responsibility for their career choices
What do you do at work?
The artists and repertoire department is at the core of any record company. The role of A&R is to develop content or recording for the record company. Most of the other departments and functions of a record label are dependent on A&R, whether promotions, marketing or public relations. My job is to develop a unique artistry and sound for Sony Music Africa and to unearth South Africa’s most talented musicians.
On a day-to-day basis, I listen to music. Whether it’s listening to the new music by Sony artists already signed to the label or looking for new, independent sound, I do a great deal of listening. My job also entails creating and sourcing new sounds.
I believe my studies in music have given me a better ear. After school I studied for a diploma in jazz and popular music at the Natal Technikon (now Durban University of Technology) and then in 2012, I completed a bachelor’s degree in jazz and popular music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Most importantly, there’s also the need to have an academic approach to this business. I studied social entrepreneurship at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
I have a unique perspective in that I’m a recording artist myself and I have my own independent record label — Mayonie Productions. Which side of the music industry – working as an artist or as a producer — comes most naturally to you?
I’d have to say producing. When I’m in the studio, I’m in my element. I have to credit God with this. What did you hope people learnt at the Business of Music forum (held at Gibs a fortnight ago)?
What a lot of people don’t realise is that the music business coexists with corporate business. It doesn’t operate as an island. The CEO of a record company is as important as the CEO of a mineral company. As a business, we also look at market share and we worry about business growth in South Africa, along with our targets and budgets — and, when there’s a paradigm shift, we worry and we plan.
I really wanted the Business of Music Forum to begin the conversation around how we can regulate and package our artists in the music business as commodities and export them to other parts of Africa and the world. There are numerous disciplines required in the music business that are integral to its longevity and sustained growth.
The forum was also an ideal platform to debate the dynamics involved in moving the business from a physical market into a digital market. The opportunities, the threats and the future of music were all discussed. What are some of the skills that musicians typically lack when it comes to business?
The only thing they plan is their music and their albums. They don't use a strategic approach and carefully consider, for example, a look and feel or a five-year plan. They’re creators, so often that’s all they focus their energy on. But ultimately, it’s not just about how your music sounds; it’s about how you sell your music to the right people.
Musicians today should dedicate time to putting together a holistic music plan and they should literally approach it as one would a business plan.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to excel in the music industry. I think part of it was because I wanted to surround myself with something that is truly appreciated by many people. In the music business, you can really see
the love. The results are tangible. If you had to change careers, what would you do?
I would never change my career but possibly my approach. With the benefit of hindsight and learning from some mistakes along the way, I’d approach certain aspects of my business differently. What aspects of your job would you like to outsource?
Definitely the mixing of a song. My ears get tired and sometimes time is an issue.
When you’ve heard the same sound or track over and over again, you can’t appreciate the music for what it is at times. So I’m still searching for that guy who has a similar ear to me that can assist me with that! What qualities do you need to do your job?
An ear for music and an extraordinary passion for music. You genuinely need to love being in the music business and, importantly, you need to have time for people. What advice would you give someone just starting out in their music careers?
Nobody owes you anything. When you’ve finished a song and you think it’s dope, there are another million other people who have just finished a song. People are not there to please artists.
I think as artists we have a tendency to feel that the world owes us. My advice would be, do not blame the decisions you’ve taken on other people. If you’ve been presented with a contract that you’ve read and signed, you need to take responsibility for that, even if your priorities change down the line. Lastly, there is so much opportunity right now. You can have a career and followers because opportunities are there thanks to the power of the internet — so use it to your advantage.