Call for submissions: Free music digitisation for artists in SA

The initiative seeks 50 independent musicians who have pre-recorded, mixed and mastered their music. The project is aimed at developing and nurturing young artistic talent in the province to ensure a smooth migration into the Fourth Industrial Revolution through digitising music and workshops.

How to qualify

In order to qualify, artists should be from the following five regions: West Rand, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, Johannesburg and Tshwane.

They should have the following material in place:

• Three MP3 songs that have been recorded, mixed and mastered.
• Metadata on the following: album title, track title, name of artist, genre, songwriters and publisher information.
• Artwork for the three songs.
• A one-page biography of the artist.

According to the department, 50 musicians will be registered on all digital platforms, with 100% royalty collection to artists who will also attend an informative masterclass with industry experts.

“This initiative will be empowering the next generation of Gauteng’s musicians with tools, knowledge, network and investment to grow and thrive in the entertainment industry. Helping artists to reach their full potential musically during these hard times of COVID-19,” the department said.

Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mbali Hlophe said: "COVID-19 has been a true pandemic and has impacted the arts immensely. As a department, we seek to not only assist the sector return to normality but also provide platforms to aid it to thrive.

"Our big passion as a department lies with the development of creatives as they're the future of any industry and this initiative goes a long way in helping them get off the ground, but also supports them to successful heights, giving them market access and infrastructure that will lead to commercial value for their talent."

Interested artists should send an email to [email protected] or send a WhatsApp message on 065 747 7031.

The submission deadline is 5 March.

For more information, contact Infinite View Management’s Maphuti Perez on 076 462 3823 or via email at [email protected]. Alternatively, interested persons may contact the department’s spokesperson, Nomazwe Ntlokwana, on 083 507 8068, 011 355 2578 or email her at [email protected].