MIAF introduces Revenue Streams for African Musicians project

A non-profit organisation committed to the development of the music sector in Africa, the MIAF is launching the pilot phase in South Africa. Over an 18-month period, the RSFAM project will collect and analyse big data on the earning trends of music professionals with a key goal to reduce the findings into definitive revenue models (based on their historical and current performance in different locations), provide industry reports, train musicians, disseminate educational content and offer digital tools for identifying new revenue models. RSFAM will also advocate for the development of relevant legislation to support the music industry.

The African music sector continues to be affected by a lack of reliable statistics and data that inform strategies and policies. As a result, many music practitioners on the continent are not able to fully monetise their works.

The pilot phase will take place in South Africa over 18 months in 2020, 2021 and 2022, after which the project will be implemented in other African markets.

The project’s focus on big data will involve rigorous examination in the form of qualitative and quantitative inquiry to identify a definitive framework of the revenue streams available to musicians in each country while offering a reliable basis for practitioners to adopt and fully maximise on existing and new income streams that are relevant to their work.

The MIAF is known for its information exchange portal www.musicinafrica.net and for engaging in various offline programmes in support of music professionals on the continent. In 2020, the foundation launched a number of offline activities aiming to offset the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African music industry – including Music In Africa Live, a pan-African initiative offering financial support to organisations and production companies seeking to create high-quality digital music content for a global audience.

“The RSFAM initiative comes at a time when African musicians are desperate for objective models and verified approaches that can assist their efforts in this highly competitive market,” MIAF director Eddie Hatitye said. “Our aim is to package the outcomes of the research into country-specific models that will complement the formulation of educational content and the development of Africa-specific digital tools and models that can be used to empower music professionals.”

For more information about the RSFAM, visit the official website.

The Music In Africa Revenue Streams for African Musicians project is supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity in the framework of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Siemens Cents4Sense programme, Goethe-Institut, the National Arts Council of South Africa and Kaya FM.