UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP SA OPEN TO ESWATINI

Mbabane – The doors are open!

Universal Music Group (UMG) South Africa (SA) has opened up to artists in the kingdom. The music entity is the world’s leading music company and currently operates in over 60 countries. In the past two weeks, the kingdom was graced with the company’s talent recruiter, Lindelani Lee Makeba, who was here to host a series of workshops with emerging artists in the country. When reached for comment, Lee expressed that his trip was independent of the stable, but was open to any available talent willing to showcase their work to him. He further explained that even though he wasn’t sent to Eswatini by the stable, the company was open to new talent, and gave this publication a source within the stable to help us know how artists in the kingdom can reach the platform. The music stable is one of the top music companies in the world, and actually controls around 80 per cent of the American music market.

Extend

The company comes with a ton full load of perks from financials to health benefits that extend to the artist’s family. Universal Music Africa develops and operates the entire UMG catalogue across the region, alongside a domestic catalogue of more than 100 artists, including some of the continent’s most popular and influential artists under several labels, including Def Jam Africa and Motown Gospel Africa. In 2021 the company announced an exposition into finding stars in Africa; this is where the CEO, Sipho Dlamini stated that they would be rapidly expanding the artists’ music to a wider range of audiences. Dlamini is responsible for thrusting new talent and stars into the spotlight. Artists singed under UMG are out and about attracting people on popular streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Surely the streaming revolution came at the right time. The company has channels in which an artist can submit their music if they have not been recognised by the stable prior.

Accept

Demo submissions must be directed to UMG, but they are unable to accept unsolicited material. Typically, demos are recommended to one of the labels’ A&R departments by a manager, agent, producer, radio DJ or other industry professional. Working at the stable is seen as more than just a job, it’s the total package. From financial well-being and comprehensive health insurance, to an extensive assortment of employee assistance and self-care programmess. Other benefits are;
For Artist’s Health
Comprehensive medical/dental/vision
Well-being reimbursement for select personal expenses
Critical illness and hospital indemnity
Short/long-term disability
Life insurance
 For Artist’s Finances
E401 000 matching
Tuition reimbursement
Student loan assistance
Flexible spending accounts
 For Artist’s Family
Adoption and fertility benefits
Family care leave
Employee assistance counseling
Flexible PTO
Generous company holidays (Extended winter break, well-being Fridays)
Challenges have also been highlighted, hence the delay of the company reaching all African countries.They expressed that it was difficult to have a Pan African strategy as each country had its own laws, Telcos, and this derailed deals and signings. A local stable which opted to remain anonymous but had a lot to say about the matter shared.

Establish

“This is not something we can rejoice about because we will not get paid through this platform. We need to establish our own platforms and the societies in the country should speed up the process of establishing structures within the kingdom. We are not going to get paid through this way because there are structures like SAMRO (South African Music Rights Organisation) which motor their artist airplay. As a country, we don’t pay for what is played on our radio stations and artists are now in the cross fire,” shared the anonymous member of a stable.”

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