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In the glamorous yet competitive world of music, where the spotlight often shines on the artists, it's easy to overlook the unsung heroes behind the scenes.
Renowned Kenyan producer Mavo on the Beat, the mastermind behind chart-toppers like 'Kalale' by Willis Raburu and 'Siskii,' by Mejja recently shared invaluable business insights for budding producers navigating the complex terrain of music production rights.
Mavo on the Beat has not only carved a niche for himself with his catchy beats but also with his astute understanding of the music business.
In a video shared on his Instagram, Mavo emphasised the importance of understanding the distinction between the ownership of songs and beats.
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"If you are a producer, if you produce for an artist, if you create the beat, the rights to the beat remain with the producer. Msanii akikulipa pesa, it doesn't mean they own the beat; they own the song, but the rights to the beat remain yours," he explained.
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Music producer Mavo on the Beat
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Delving deeper into the economics of music production, Mavo revealed his pricing strategy for mastered stems—the high-quality, final versions of audio recordings.
"Artists can buy the master stems, which would cost much higher, saying I charge between $1000-1500 (Sh208,000) for my mastered stems," Mavo stated, highlighting the value attributed to the polished, final product ready for consumption.
But Mavo doesn't stop there. He's a firm advocate for producers protecting their work through patents and copyrights. "Patent your beat or copyright it," he advises, stressing the importance of proper paperwork.
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Music producer Mavo on the Beat
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"Patent your beat or copyright it. Make sure you do your paperwork. Have split sheets, for example, if you come in to work with me, expect split sheets, 50 per cent publishing rights by my publishing company, and 4 per cent royalties. Don't let these artists use you," he advised, underlining the significance of legal safeguards in protecting a producer's intellectual property.