Here's what top musicians get paid

Spira Tlhankane | Friday January 31, 2020 14:02

 

Artists’ booking fees are not just dependent on the calibre of the artist one wants to book, but there’s actually a lot of variation from one artist to the next in terms of their cost.

Some of these artists are crowd darlings, others are hitmakers, but in the end it all comes down to the popular ones.

No matter how similar you think artists are, their prices are probably not as similar as you would think. It is so hard to determine how much artists are getting paid for these gigs because their fees are not public information and a simple Google search cannot help in this instance.

This week, Arts & Culture has compiled some of the fees Botswana’s top musicians request if they are to perform at your event.

Beginning of the year is generally the time that things may start to slow down for artists as bookings start to dry up.

An artist’s booking fee can also depend on when you want them to appear at your event or venue.

Artists often charge more for weekend and holiday bookings, while weekday bookings are a little less expensive.

Here is some digging we did to find out how much your Botswana musicians charge per gig.

Charma Gal: Between P30k and P45k

Charma Gal is amongst the top earners on this list with a performance fee of P30k for backtrack, but the prices goes up P45K if she performs with a live band.

The Sekuta hitmaker has grown to become one of the best live performers in this country and she enjoys it more than backtrack.

With an album released as recent as last year, her prices maybe negotiable but are not likely to go down for an artist of her calibre.

Vee Mampeezy:  P30k plus

Vee Mampeezy has been a top earner for years. It is no wonder he has managed to get the title of being the most decorated musician locally. His price hasn’t changed.

Last time he pledged to donate his performance price tag to Kast’s 2017 Tlatsa Lebala event, it had not changed from P30K.

Depending on factors like venue, location and date, Vee Mampeezy’s price can go up as much as it can go down.

Franco & Afro Musica P30k plus

The legendary rhumba musician recently made headlines when he announced that he would fill up the National stadium this April.

For a man who has 17 albums under his name and performs live only, it is not a surprise that he will request any less. He is a reasonable man and he is one of those artists who are open for negotiations when it comes to performance fees.

Amantle Brown: P25k plus

Award winning songstress makes this list of high earning musicians when it comes to performances and most know the reason why.

Amantle Brown has been working so hard since her big break and her work is the evidence. Like any other artist, she has specific demands as a condition of her booking fees, so you’ll have to be prepared for those whenever you’re dealing with her agent.

MMP Family:  P25k

Local kwaito kings, MMP Family also makes this list as some of the top earners, but their fee can go down depending on the type of event they are performing at. In an event where they get what they request and let’s say they get booked every week, they can pocket P100K per month.

The Lebala Ka Nna hitmakers’s work and professionalism also makes them stay relevant and that’s how you make money in this unreliable industry.

Han C: P20k plus

For the past few years, Han C has remained one of the top artists in Botswana and his price tag is not going down, but if it has to, his fee can go down to as low as P15K depending on the event. However, P20K tends to be his starting rate before going up.  The Rejection hitmaker’s name never seems to be missing in line-ups of big music festivals locally.

Dramaboi: P20k

There was word going around that local rapper Dramaboi would not take anything less than P100K, but that would not be practicable in Botswana’s setting.

Arts & Culture has since established that the Candy hitmaker charges from P20k upwards. The motswako lyricist, however, can go down to P15k if it is a small event like a picnic. 

ATI: P20k and P30k

Local music’s intellect, ATI, is one artist who was rumoured to be charging P100k as well, but he actually charges as little as P20k per show. It is also rumoured that some promoters often manipulate him and end up paying him as little as P10k for a gig.  The Khiring Khiring Khorong Khorong hitmaker is undoubtedly one of those artists who deserve to be amongst the top earners.  His alleged struggle with drugs may be hindering his way to the peak, but surely he might become the highest paid artist despite mostly playing backtrack.

Having set prices by some of these top artists has been a good way to ensure continuity and longevity in the music business.

As much as it is impractical on the ground, this helps their clients feel obligated to pay that amount instead of negotiating down to what they want to pay.