Chronicle Editor
Mkhululi Ncube, Showbiz Reporter
RHUMBA music idol, Martin The Big Boss Sibanda has adopted the pre-order strategy for his forthcoming album.
Musicians are losing out on sales to piracy, which has crippled the industry and the Big Boss is trying a new way of selling his music to counter piracy.
Since last year the Bakhuzeni hitmaker has been religiously selling the pre-order concept to fans on his social media platforms.
Under normal circumstaces, artistes produce music and then sell to fans but due to piracy music sales have drastically dropped hence the efforts to try new methods of selling the music.
In an interview from his base in South Africa, Sibanda said under the pre-order system, he will only produce music when he has reached his target sales.
He said he was aware its going to be difficult to have a buy-in from fans but hopes with time fans will appreciate the reasoning behind the new method of selling music.
“This is the only way we can survive as musicians. When we produce what we have already sold, piracy will not have a big impact as it is now,” said Sibanda.
The Big Boss said he has already started working on the album that will be sold under the new system and will feature some guitarists he has worked with before including respected bassist Obert Mvundla.
He called on fans to support the initiative by pre-ordering the music.
His manager Lucky Moyo said piracy was killing the industry, which is forcing artists to seek new ways to sell their music.
“We lose a lot when we produce as people share the songs via social media platforms like WhatsApp. What we are saying is that we will only produce when we have 10 000 or more pre-orders. That way we know piracy will not adversely affect us,” said Moyo.
He said the music will be mostly on USBs and urged fans to support musicians by rejecting pirated music. – @ themkhust
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter