RIKE

Happy August to all the music lovers! 🎶
May music bring you the healing, inspiration, and joy you're looking for. . 😎

It’s so simple!
1) Go to membership.rike.or.ke
2) Fill in the details. *REMEMBER, either fill in the details for a Self-Released Artist OR the details for a Record Label (Do not fill in both).
You will receive notification once this is done successfully. For any other information, email [email protected]

to RiKE's official launch.
RiKE welcomes Kenyan music producers, either self-released artists or record labels; these are music producers who own their sound recordings and are the primary investors in music.

We aim to ensure that Kenyan music producers' significant investments are properly protected across the music recording ecosystem.

To find out more about the benefits of becoming a member, visit our website, www.rike.or.ke.

Today marks the 42nd annual celebration of World Music Day, a day aimed at using music as a common language to promote music diversity and strengthen community. 🎶 🎵
And yet, we have noted with concern rightsholders displeasure over KECOBO's selection of PAVRISK, (previously known as PRISK) as the Collective Management Organisation (CMO) to administer all rightsholders within the country- an action retrogressive in promoting the Kenyan recording music industry.

Last week, IFPI SSA held the second Performance Rights Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The conference was co-hosted by the Copyright Office of Tanzania (COSOTA) and the Tanzanian Music Rights Society (TAMRISO) and supported by the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA).

The purpose of the conference was to discuss and follow up on progress with the resolutions and commitments of the Inaugural Conference held last year in Nairobi - Kenya, provide an overview of work undertaken by MLCs during the past year, promote industry good practices in the region and continue the dialogue between IFPI, MLCs, national groups and companies on how to leverage new opportunities for advancing the administration of neighbouring rights in the region to realise our full market potential.

Among those in attendance included RIKE board Chairman Eric Musyoka; MP and Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts, and Sports of Tanzania, Hon. Hamis M Mwinijuma (Mwana FA); Sean Watson, MD Sony Music Africa, Manusha Sarawan, MD, Southern & East Africa, Universal Music Group; Special Projects Lead at Warner, Laverne Thomas; IFPI Regional Director Angela Ndambuki; CEO, BXTRA Records & President at TAMRISO, Hermes Joachim (Hermy B); COO at Mavin Records, Tega Oghenejobo and many other stakeholders within the recorded music business.

RE: E-CITIZEN IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO THE EXISTING PROBLEMS IN THE COLLECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF MUSIC RIGHTS IN KENYA.

The Recording Industry of Kenya, RIKE, is the voice of the recording industry in Kenya. Registered as a not-for-profit organization under the Kenyan law, RIKE campaigns for the rights of Kenyan record producers, either record labels or self-released artists who own their sound recordings and are the primary investors in music, by ensuring that the protection of their significant investments, financial and other, are properly protected and enforced and that the protection of the overall recorded music ecosystem is enhanced across the board. RIKE is not a Collective Management Organization. We work with stakeholders to ensure that, among other things, the collective management of sound recordings aligns with global practice.

RIKE was founded by local record companies with the support of the major global companies (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group) who are also part of the founding membership which includes Sol Generation, Decimal Records, Kassanga Music, Sub Sahara Ltd, and Kalakata Music Records.

RIKE notes with great concern the announcement by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) that music royalties will be channeled through the government’s E-Citizen platform. While the E-Citizen platform may be a competent public resource mobilization portal for government services, it is neither a solution for the existing collective management deficits nor proficient for the collection and distribution of rightsholders’ royalties. E-Citizen lacks the technological know-how requisite for accurately invoicing and licensing users of sound recordings and further does not exhibit any inbuilt capacities for actual monitoring of use of recordings to facilitate accurate distribution of royalties.

Further, the Board and other proponents of E-Citizen must acknowledge and appreciate that copyright is a private right that can be managed either directly by the rightsholders or collectively through a CMO subject to mandates from the respective class of rightsholders, and that this is done within a functional regulatory framework. The work of the Government is to ensure rightsholders benefit from progressive policy, legal and regulatory environment. The seemingly ‘hostile takeover’ of collective management by Government does not align with global practice or African standards and should not even be considered as a last resort.

Since the purpose of CMOs is to license the use of recorded music (in RIKE’s case) of rightsholders for broadcast and communication to the public, and distribute the license fees back to the said rightsholders they represent (be they domestic, regional or international), due deference to particular private contracts reflecting accurate metadata of rightsholders and specific share divisions which these contracts contain, they need IT systems that enable them to do this accurately and efficiently.

Such systems include fully scalable member management, repertoire databases, agreement / contract files, matching and distribution systems. Specialized and proprietary technologies for indexing, matching, and searching, are used which are compliant with the latest data supply formats commonly found at affiliated CMOs which in turn provide for seamless data exchanges – be they the import or export of metadata and / or royalty payments for both domestic and international sound recordings.

RIKE holds the view that to address the seemingly chronic rights management problem among CMOs, there is need to hold CMOs accountable within the law and global practice, and this process must include a thorough audit of the CMOs, and prosecution of any individuals alleged to have been involved in the mismanagement of rightsholders’ funds.

We urge Honourable Aisha Jumwa, CS Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, to proactively engage with rightsholders towards establishing a culture of transparency, accountability, and good governance among the CMOs to ensure the CMOs serve the interests of rightsholders. The Government needs to support RIKE’s efforts in working with our global partners to locally facilitate the administration of International Standard Recording Code (ISRCs) to owners of sound recordings and music videos. The ISRC is the standard identifying code used to accurately track and manage sound recordings and music videos across revenue streams, including radio and TV broadcasting.

As the voice for the recording industry in Kenya, it is our responsibility to have right-holders well informed on the best global practices that will lead to their achievement of economic/financial prosperity.

By RIKE Board.

For information on RIKE’s mandate and how to become a member, please contact:

Angela Mwandanda
National Coordinator, RIKE
Email: [email protected]

❤️

Be inspired by positive thoughts as we continue to breeze through 2024.
Happy New week! 💪🏾

Registration to join the Recording Industry of Kenya, RIKE, is ongoing! Be sure to identify yourself as the correct applicant - either a registered record label or a self-released artist.
Karibuni!

We would like to wish all our members and stakeholders in the recording music industry a wonderful time of rest and reflection as we look forward to the New Year.

We celebrate RIKE board member and the ever talented Bien-Aime for debuting his solo album today! Congratulations! 🍾 🥂

Posted • My debut Album Out Worldwide 🔥🚀🌍.

Go run it and let me know your fav jam. Drop your flag while at it.


4h

If you are an owner of sound recordings, visit our website, www.rike.or.ke or contact us at [email protected] for more information concerning your music works.

A major focus area for RIKE is to advocate for the interests of our members, that all might have a legislative environment that is conducive for their recorded music business.

THEM MUSHROOMS will host an exhibition, “Them Mushrooms: A Journey of Rhythm and Impact.”

Join Kenya's legendary band as they celebrate 50 years of extraordinary music, culture, and memories. There will be a showcase of artifacts, memorabilia, and rare concert footage that takes you deep into their world.

Save the Dates: November 23rd - December 7th, 2023 Venue: Goethe-Institut Nairobi

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the official RIKE launch successful! ☀

To Sony Music Entertainment Africa, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group for your continued support. To IFPI, Angela Ndambuki & Adipo Sidang' for your guidance on the best practices for a better recording industry; to South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) for your generosity in supporting RIKE’s official inauguration; to Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA) for your valuable insights and readiness to share your experience with RIKE; to the panelists - Lee Kanyottu , Nishal Lalla , Ntsietso Mokitimi-Makhofola and Chairman Musyoka, for such a stimulating conversation on the state of the recording music industry; and to Codeanza for the efficient and effective solution provided for registering RIKE’s new members, we thank you & appreciate you all.

To our beverage sponsor Kenya Wine Agencies Limited- KWAL, Trademark Hotel for your hospitality; to partners, Anyiko Public Relations , the Digital Service Providers - Kenya Mdundo.com; to Partners Against Piracy Kenya (PAP), Kenya association of music producers (KAMP), Multichoice kenya Limited; and to all stakeholders and investors who attended the launch, thank you.

To our valued Kenyan producers who contribute to the soundtrack of our everyday living and are passionate about building a reliable mark of excellence for the local recording industry, thank you - we look forward to making an indelible mark for Kenyan record producers now and for the future. Suzanne Gachukia Sarawan Sean Watson Laverne Thomas John Andrews Katana Bien-aime Alusa Japheth Kasanga.

Record labels and self-released artists, send an email to [email protected] to receive information on how to become a member.

Role of a Record Label - IFPI Driving long-term creative and commercial success Today’s music landscape is more competitive than ever before. Every day, some 120,000 new tracks are uploaded to streaming services. So many talented artists across the globe are producing great music. Today’s technology enables everyone to c***e...

Last week, KECOBO, PAP (Partners Against Piracy), and Multichoice Intellectual Property protection held a one-day training on Enforcement of Anti-piracy.

One of the speakers was Mr. Frikkie Jonker, the Broadcasting cyber security anti-piracy director at Irdeto. He spoke to attendees about how pirates seek to benefit from their illegal activities, how it affects copyright works, and what are the best practices globally.

This week, we introduce and celebrate RIKE’s final Board member, Sean Watson.
He is the Managing Director at Sony Music Entertainment Africa, the Chairman of the Board of RISA, a board member of SAMPRA, and a member of IFPI’s SSA regional Exco.
Sean has over 30 years experience in the music industry and has previously worked with Roots Records, headed EMI Music SA and Clive Calder Productions (CCP).
Along with others, Sean worked on Brenda Fassie's historical "Memeza", which remains a best-seller in SA; he has headed the South African Music Awards, otherwise known as the SAMAs, before joining Sony Music Entertainment in 2010, where he successfully ran the FiFA World Cup music project. He also worked with the Sony World Cup project team in New York on “Waka waka” by Shakira and Freshly Ground, the best-performing anthem in the event's history.
As a firm believer in the potential of Africa, Sean opened new offices for Sony in Lagos in 2014 and signed up African artists such as Davido and Wizkid from Nigeria, Redsan from Kenya, and Alikiba and Rose Muhando from Tanzania.

This week, we recognize and celebrate one of the most prolific musicians of our time, Bienaime Alusa Baraza. He is an award-winning artist with Sauti Sol, a songwriter, an instrumentalist, and a proprietor of Sol Generation Records; he also sits on the Board of the Recording Industry of Kenya, RIKE.

His influence in today's music is undeniable, from his melodic voice to his powerful penmanship. As Sauti Sol, they have five successful albums, the last titled Midnight Train (2020). He has also been working on his solo project, collaborating with several artists locally.

In 2019, Sauti Sol launched Sol Generation Records, a record label that hones the gift of young upcoming musicians. Here, Bien specializes in developing the artist's repertoire (songwriting) and manages their digital strategy.

Bien is a thought-provoking entertainment leader who willingly shares his experience as a creative for others to learn from, offering real-life solutions for music practitioners and audiences alike.

He is an alumnus of United States International University (USIU) who studied journalism and media studies.

We welcome record labels and self-made producers countrywide to join the Recording Industry of Kenya, RIKE. Visit our website for more information.

This week, we celebrate Laverne Thomas, the Special Projects Lead at Warner Music South Africa, and a board member at RIKE.

She is a creative executive with a track record for ensuring strategic growth for the individuals and organizations she has worked with in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

She traversed a career change from law to artist management, becoming a personal and business manager to Lagos based rapper whilst managing UK based photographer .

In 2019, She served as the General Manager at Talent Exchange and Infrastructure, Africa's first financing marketplace for the creative industry. She spearheaded the company's office opening whilst developing the startups script screening platform for secure submission and assessment of 200+ scripts and established a COVID-19 Scriptwriting Fund to fund scriptwriters during the lockdown.

Laverne Thomas has also worked as a Change Management Strategist at Warner Music Africa. Initially engaged to head a talent incubator program for musicians, she went on to develop transformational operational procedures for its Nigerian label partners.

She systematized artist development and roll-out with an artist-centric approach focused on enhancing creative output and increased integration points with strategic partners.

Congratulations Chinedu Chukwuji, PhD, Angela Ndambuki, IFPI and everyone whose contribution made the launch of the Record Label Proprietors Initiative last week successful! ✨
We are encouraged by the progress, and we look forward to future collaborative efforts that grow the recording music industry.