Meet the music business’s movers and shakers at Music Exchange 2013

Music Exchange, the two-day independent conference that gets everyone in the music industry talking, is taking place on 21 and 22 March 2013 at the Cape Town City Hall. With a sizzling-hot line-up of experts and the who’s who of the local music scene, can you afford to miss it?

The music industry is constantly evolving and to be successful, musicians need to stay ahead of the changes. A highlight on the Cape Town music calendar, Music Exchange brings the industry together to discuss, debate, collaborate and get down to the business of music. Every year it offers artists, professionals and like-minded individuals the chance to network, exchange ideas and catch up on the latest trends.

This year’s conference offers an illuminating programme of lectures, panel discussions and workshops from the various perspectives of South Africa’s most successful industry players.

Included in the line-up, among other topics, is the keynote address “South Africans who have made it large internationally”.  The multi-room discussion “The song that made us famous”, featuring 13 top musicians in various genres, is also likely to lead to some lively exchanges.

Musicians will find great value in the talks focusing on production, branding, negotiation, promotion, touring and, of course, making money from your musical creations. Yoel Kenan, for example, presents the lecture “Moves into Africa”, which examines how the incredible growth in the cellphone industry in Africa is good news for the music business.

One of the key characteristics of Music Exchange is the many networking opportunities it offers, and delegates will be able to interact freely with all the panelists and speakers during the two-day event.

“I believe that this conference has contributed in significant ways to all of us – speakers and delegates alike – who have had the privilege of attending. It left me with one of those strange feelings that I wished the entire industry was there. I look forward to this year’s conference with great anticipation,” said Nick Motsatse, the CEO of SAMRO.

Kenan, the CEO of Keevision/Africori, described it as by far the best music conference that he has attended in Africa to date.

SAMRO music bursary applications now open

SAMRO would like to remind music students to submit their bursary application forms before the deadline of 1 March 2013.

Every year, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) grants a number of music study bursaries to deserving candidates studying towards degrees and diplomas at universities across the country. A panel of adjudicators will evaluate the applications and bursaries will be awarded on merit by the SAMRO Foundation.

Over the past 30 years, more than 1 500 promising music students have received bursaries. This year, a number of bursaries at R10 000 each are available to undergraduates and postgraduates in various fields of music study.

Having taken heed of industry needs and developments, SAMRO will now also be providing funding support to third- and fourth-year students majoring in studies relating to community music, music technology and the business of music. Another addition is that of music performance and students who specialise in music performance study are eligible to apply for bursaries in this category.

“We are excited to see the increase in number and quality of applications over the years. The money invested in music bursaries is the seed we plant to grow the music luminaries and legends of tomorrow,” says André le Roux, executive general manager of the SAMRO Foundation.
 
“There’s also a growing need for research into, and understanding of, the complex business of music and the technological developments that are affecting how music is produced and consumed. We are introducing these new bursary categories to keep pace with the times and hopefully help contribute to a vibrant and progressive Southern African music industry.”

The following SAMRO music bursaries are on offer in 2013:

General Music Study: Western Art Music, Jazz/Popular Music or African Indigenous Music genres (R10 000 each), available to students in their 1st and 2nd years;

Music Education OR Community Music Study (R10 000 each), available to students majoring in one of these specialised courses in their 3rd and 4th years;

Music Technology OR Music Business (R10 000 each), available to students majoring in one of these specialised courses in their 3rd and 4th years;

Performance Study: Western Art Music, Jazz/Popular Music or African Indigenous Music genres (R10 000 each), available to students majoring in performance study in their 3rd and 4th years;

Composition Study (R10 000 each), available to students majoring in music composition in their 3rd, 4th and postgraduate years; and

Indigenous African Music Research (R10 000 each) for postgraduate research students at Honours, Masters or Doctoral level.

Applicants should be registered for a music degree or diploma at a South African university in 2013. Applications will only be accepted once students can provide proof of registration for 2013.

SAMRO music bursary application forms may be downloaded from www.samrofoundation.org.za, or phone (011) 712 8417 for more information.

Don’t forget the 1 March deadline for submissions!

Call for applications for funding 2013

The National Arts Council invites individuals and registered organisations active in arts to submit their applications for project funding.

1. The National Arts Council invites individuals and registered organisations active in theatre, dance, crafts, literature, music, multi-discipline and visual arts to submit their applications for project funding. Applications are invited for projects that will impact on the arts in the society, support transformation and redress in the arts; support growth and development in the arts; support women and people with disabilities in the arts; support artistic innovation and contribution to job creation in the arts. 

2. Post- graduate students wishing to pursue arts studies overseas are also invited to apply. 

Please note that the NAC will have only ONE funding session for project funding in 2013. 

Conditions for funding: 

- All relevant sections of the application form must be filled in completely; 

- All requested documentation must be submitted with the application form; 

- Applications must be submitted on or before 15 March 2013. 

Outcomes date: 09 June 2013 

Please note that late and incomplete applications will not be considered at all and no exceptions will be made. Application forms are available from the National Arts Council office or can be downloaded from www.nac.org.za 

For more information, contact the Arts Development Officers at the NAC office. 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLY POSTED, COURIERED AND HAND DELIVERED APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

National Arts Council, PO Box 500, Newtown, 2113 

66 Margaret Mcingana Street, Market Theatre Precinct, Newtown, 2113. 

Tel: 011 838 1383

Fax: 011 838 6363 

E-mail: info@nac.org.za

Big Brother Seeks Housemates!

The eighth edition of Africa’s biggest reality series Big Brother Africa kicks off in May and already fans of arguably the most successful television franchise ever seen on the continent are asking…who will the new housemates be? Who will find their name and their faces gracing newspapers, their profiles loaded to websites and blogs? Who will become the subject of drive time radio and who will find themselves heating up the Twitter-sphere?

At this time there is no way to know this but if you meet the entry requirements and enter between now and Valentine’s Day on 14 February, you may well be among the superstars in waiting and may find yourself flirting withfame and fortune!

This year, entry is open to the same 14 countries as the year before with the only exception being Liberia which will be replaced by Ethiopia for this year. The replacement comes as AfricaMagic and series producers Endemol SA rotate certain countries into and out of the format. The reason for this is to ensure that a wide range of countries can be included in different editions of the series.

As a result of the change, participating countries this year are: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Entry is open to persons over the age of 21, who are citizens of one of the participating countries and who either have a valid passport or will be able to obtain one by the end of March. Producers are looking for persons who are fluent in English, entertaining and passionate about the Big Brother experience. Of particular importance to the selection team are the qualities of tolerance, determination and enthusiasm. If you are open-minded, bold and adventurous, that’s even better!

Entry forms are available immediately at CLICK HERE so visit the website and complete the online submission form. Printed entry forms will also be available at MultiChoice offices in the participating countries from 1 February 2013.

As with previous editions of Big Brother Africa, the new season will have a twist…and according to M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi, who has helmed the production for the past four years, the big surprise this year is one that audiences are expected to fall in love with. “As always, we won’t say much about the new season but I can confirm that we’ve added a new element that I think will get the hearts of viewers racing. The fact that the fans truly adore the show is all the motivation we need to keep it fresh and fun!”

Her views are echoed by Endemol MD Sivan Pillay who says, “Our long-term association with M-Net is very much a partnership, a marriage of sorts. We understand what they desire for their audiences, and they trust us enough to let us develop innovative twists and surprises. So the process is quite harmonious and very exciting, as all good relationships should be. I am hopeful that this year we are creating a red-hot show that will include familiar trademarks like nominations and evictions alongside a very special new development.”

Previous editions of Big Brother Africa have boasted huge cash prizes for winners and this year the winner will walk away with USD 300 000.

More information on Big Brother Africa 8 will be made available over the next month, so stay tuned to AfricaMagic, follow the action on Twitter and Facebook and keep checking the website. Big Brother Africa 8 will be screened live 24/7 on DStv channels 197 and 198. The action begins on Sunday, 26 May and is scheduled to run for 91 days.

Young Jeezy - A Hustlerz Ambition (Documentary)

2013!

So it turns out that the Mayans got it wrong with the world ending (wiping seat from my forehead – that was a close scare) or we just got it wrong and assumed it was ending. Whatever man, but one thing for sure we all know is over… 2012.

For some it’s a relief and to some well it was just too good to end, to us well… whatever you did don’t count if you didn’t get your hustle on. 

GLASSES HIGH, TO 2013!!! On Your Grind.

How SA musicians can CASH in on their international performances

South African musicians are making waves around the world. With everyone from DJ Black Coffee to the Parlotones performing on stages in the four corners of the globe, South African talent is doing a great job of getting our tunes beyond our borders. When they do, the job of protecting their rights and collecting performing rights royalties from these performances on their behalf falls to a dedicated group of people who work behind the scenes at SAMRO.
            
Yet SAMRO says many musicians, composers and authors of musical works that are performed don’t realise they’re entitled to performing rights royalties, or don't notify SAMRO when they will be performing abroad. Which means many of our musicians and/or authors and composers of musical works could be missing out on some valuable extra income.

SAMRO is an internationally affiliated music rights collection society that manages the music rights of its members. It’s their job to see that South African musicians, composers and authors of musical works enjoy the fruits of their labour by collecting royalties on their behalf whenever their music is used publically - anywhere in the world. Membership is free and once admitted, SAMRO members receive royalties and benefits from their protected musical works for life. 

In terms of international copyright law, all authors and composers whose musical works are performed abroad enjoy ‘performing rights’. This entitles them to earn royalties collected from music usage licence fees paid by the venues in which they perform. This is over-and-above any agreement that the musician performing those musical works might have between themselves and the venue. So, even if you are paid for the performance directly by the venue, your membership with SAMRO and SAMRO’s international affiliation entitles you and the author(s) and composer(s) of the musical works you perform to royalty payments from the performance. Yet, because most composers and authors don’t notify SAMRO when this happens, they often don’t receive these royalties. 

Says Christine Reddy of SAMRO’s International Affairs department, “A lot of musicians who travel don’t know that they should notify SAMRO. Sometimes we only learn about their performances through media reports or on social media platforms. With so many new musicians going overseas, we’re worried that a lot of authors and composers of musical works are losing out on royalties they are rightfully entitled to. We run ongoing workshops to help members understand how we go about collecting royalties from societies overseas and pass them on to the music creators, but more needs to be done to spread this message.”

As SAMRO members, musicians, authors and composers only need to inform SAMRO’s International Affairs department of the dates and venues of all the performances planned, along with the contact details of the venue organisers. You should also submit a detailed set list for each performance. This gives SAMRO’s team the information they need to follow up after your event to ensure that every musical note you play is turned into currency notes in the form of royalties. 

SAMRO’s International Affairs team orchestrates everything. Contacting sister societies in other countries to check if the venues you are performing in are licensed for public performances and following up to check that appropriate performances are surveyed by the societies’ so that royalties would be forthcoming. The International Affairs team will maintain contact with the music rights society in each country to determine when your royalties will be released, and you will be advised when to expect performance royalties from SAMRO. If you have performed abroad recently, SAMRO can even retrospectively collect royalties for past performances up to a year previous. 

There’s more good news for those who have performed in the United States in the last year. These musicians have the opportunity to enjoy an additional payment as part of the ASCAP Awards program. This is not a competition or award ceremony, but a reward program for musicians who have performed in the USA. To apply, please contact the SAMRO International Affairs department before the ASCAP closing deadline of 15 January 2013. You can learn more about the ASCAP awards on www.samro.org.za.  

Christine explains, “To qualify for an ASCAP payment, SAMRO members need to contact us and provide details about each performance and provide as much supporting documentation as possible. This includes dates and times of performances, advertising material if possible, performance agreements with venues, and contact details. A number of SAMRO members have already received payouts under this scheme and we appeal to all members to come forward if they have performed in the United States between 1 October 2011 and 30 September 2012.”  

Much is being done to keep members informed, but perhaps the loudest voice could come from the musicians themselves. SAMRO has established social channels for musicians to share their story with friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter and on their website. Inviting all fans of SA Music to join the conversation and help musicians get more out of their music by raising awareness of international performance royalties.