Rio Vikunga and Tumelo Ruele want to make history by putting artists first.
TUMELO Ruele is shaking things up in the music industry.
His new record label refuses to trap artists in long-term contracts.
The Afro-soul singer, together with Rio Vikunga are co-founders of Scorpion Records, and their aim is to put musicians first.
Their revolutionary business model puts creativity and fairness as top priority and not profit.
Unlike traditional labels, Scorpion Records signs individual songs instead of artists, affording musicians freedom and flexibility.
The label has also done away with a total of 360 deals that lock artists in for years.
Tumelo told Daily Sun the idea has been brewing for years, born from a passion for discovering new talent.
“This is something we’d been talking about for quite a while. When I first met Rio, we met via music, attending the same kind of shows. We noticed that we liked the same kind of music, and there’s a serious gap in terms of the sound as well as the discovery of artists,” he said.
“That’s something we’re both passionate about hearing new artists and helping them flourish. So, it’s been in the making for quite a while, up until now.”
Rio called out problems facing Mzansi artists, especially expensive studios and artists paying their own production costs.
“I think looking at the South African spectrum of our music industry, artists are taken advantage of and don’t have access to resources like radio or affordable studios. Studios can cost close to R15 000 a day to record.
“What we’re saying is, let’s absorb the cost but not for everyone. If you have talent, and we can nurture and develop it, then yes, we’ll support you. It’s about identifying the right talent and working with the right people,” he said.
The label’s contract system is its biggest selling point.
Rio said they won’t bind artists to long-term deals but work song by song.
“We don’t sign artists. We sign the music. That means if we record one song, we sign an agreement for that one song, and that’s it. We walk away immediately after that. We don’t tie you to five albums for five years or anything like that.
“This is why we’re different, and I don’t think this has been done anywhere else in the world, not just in South Africa,” he said.
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On making money, Rio said sustainability matters more than massive profits.
“In terms of the strategy, developing talent and nurturing it, we just want to be self-sustainable. It’s not about making billions. As long as we can pay our rent and cover the costs, we’re good.”
Tumelo said they’re chasing revenue beyond streaming, which pays artists poorly.
“One of the biggest things we’re doing is getting songs into sync deals — for TV dramas and films. That’s another revenue stream because, honestly, streams don’t pay,” he said.
Rio said most local artists survive through performances and brand partnerships.
“A lot of artists make their money from performances and being affiliated with certain brands. We’re also invested in charity work. So, in terms of the strategy, it’s about developing talent, nurturing it, and creating an ecosystem where artists can build sustainable careers,” he said.
Scorpion Records is more than a label, Tumelo said. It’s a complete support system.
“We ‘re a dynamic, artist-centric record label pioneering music culture by putting the artist first and ensuring sustainability and global success. What we do is combine artist development, business education, and creative incubation into one system, one ecosystem, to enable artists to build sustainable careers and not just catalogues,” he said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.snl24.com ’
