Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum) leader Vita Chirwa said on Wednesday that charging a feature fee is a standard practice in today’s music industry.
He added that it often depends on an artist’s brand, demand and business approach.
His remarks follow Olios Records official statement, which informs all artists, producers and industry stakeholders that renowned Zambian musician Yo Maps will only take four feature collaborations this year.
The statement also says to ensure the highest quality and dedication to each project, the feature fee for the artist has been set at $5,500.
“Interested parties are encouraged to reach out early to secure a spot,” reads the statement.
Chirwa, whose Kalimba Band has just released an Extended Playlist (EP) titled The Past and Present, said established artists like Yo Maps have invested heavily in their careers and that setting a fee ensures that their value is recognised while attracting serious collaborations.
“However, collaborations can also be based on mutual agreements such as proceeds-sharing and friendship-based collaborations. Ultimately, it comes down to the artists involved and how they choose to structure their collaboration,” he said.
Apart from performing in Malawi, Yo Maps has in recent times collaborated with Malawian artists featuring in, among others, Eli Njuchi’s ‘Yabaya’ and Kell Kay’s ‘Bana Pwaya’.
The ‘Kondwa’ star has also worked with Driemo and Tay Grin in his ‘So Mone’ track.
Driemo said it was essential to consider individuals one collaborates with.
“While some may engage in mutually beneficial exchanges of values, numbers or market access, some may seek to exploit an artist without offering anything in return. In such cases, it is appropriate to charge for one’s services,” the ‘Popo’ maker said.
He described music as a business and that financial support was necessary to thrive and maintain a successful career, hence feature fee is part of business.
Lulu, who has just released a new song titled ‘Khalidwe’, which has seen him collaborating, for the first time, with Driemo concurred with Driemo. He said music was a big business and that there was a need to exploit ways of making generating money.
“It is a big business to feature an artist out there. It is just that it has a different meaning when it comes to Malawi because the industry is still developing. “It is not as easy as making a phone call; it involves huge sums. Yo Maps is actually fair,” the singer, guitarist, composer and producer said.
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