In what is definitely music to the ears for Kenyan artistes, Safaricom last week announced a 36% increase in the amount that they will earn for music sold through the Skiza platform. Musicians will now earn 30% on Skiza earning up from the current 22% that they earn per song.
The money will be paid through their respective Content Service Providers (CSPs) who will then pay the musicians in accordance with the contracts they have signed and in line with recent legal directives.
Artistes on the platform will also be able to keep track of their income by dialing *622# or by visiting the Skiza site. Reporting will be available on a real-time basis and will enable musicians to view their own earnings thus increasing transparency. This is a welcome shift from the previous situation where only the CSPs could access the portal.
Other than the increased transparency, artistes will also get free legal assistance from Safaricom. The telco will provide legal clinics and experts in copyright and entertainment law which will be offered in the various Skiza forums. This will empower artists when it comes to negotiating contracts with different parties. This will allow them to negotiate from an informed view.
In the past artistes have been getting a raw deal from different parties in the music industry. I believe this move by Safaricom will go a long way in righting some of these wrongs.