A month ago, Jnr Brown, a Zimbabwean Hip Hop artist rewrote the rules of local music distribution through a WhatsApp and mobile money hack that was used to launch his latest hit single.
This WhatsApp workaround drew a lot of attention for the artist especially since it helped him earn more than $5,000 in one week for a single. This success has been followed up by a “distribution” of merchandise through social media and could be one of the many ways artists can earn something from their brands.
We recently had a chat with Kuda Musasiwa, Jnr Brown’s producer and the guy who coordinated the WhatsApp distribution model. In the conversation, he shared some insights on what made the WhatsApp hack work as well as his thoughts on online distribution, the impact of technology on Zimbabwean music and content, as well as the future of music technology trends for the local market.
What are your own thoughts on the way music is being disrupted by technology? Can hacks and ambitious platforms in the future beat piracy? You can share your thoughts in the section below or on social media.
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7 comments
Well, may be I am the biblical doubting Thomas but am doubting that much was made by Jnr Brown. It’s difficult to prove and he could even claim that he made $100 000 and there is no way one can verify
Different but interesting vibe and perspectives in this episode. ‘We have no excuse as a generation’, great soundbite.
Why Kuda sound like he’s high? #cannibas
OK
nah… life!! #AMEN
this writer. do you know what a hack is?
this artist asked you to send money, then sent you a song. that isnt a hack. a hack is when i used whatsapp to send documents and files using whatsapp before the feature became official.
online distribution has been around since i dont know? ’96? and its a hack now? itunes. steam. amazon. play store. to name a few.
personaly, i think the best way to beat piracy is to pirate the nizz out of your own content. you be the one burning and selling the dvds. artists should create a piracy network and run it. kinda like how batman became a crime kingpin to control crime.
This is a good podcast. Techzim we need more of these where you meet the guys in the trenches to get their side of the story. Who knew cassettes were still a thing???