Having set up a satellite office in Ghana last year, servicing Nigeria, Togo and Benin, Sheer Publishing recently reported the successful sale of publishing rights to two US documentaries keen to license relevant, quality content. "Our success over the past 18 years comes from a place of passion for the music," explained Sheer Publishing founder and MD David Alexander. "When we opened our first office outside of South Africa, the mission was to find, showcase and license this beautiful music to all four corners of the world. With this recent coup, the investment we continue to make is already paying dividends for all involved."
In considering the move into Africa Sheer Publishing discovered, very early on, that in places like Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso the recording industry and labels perform well in making music available, but most do not offer publishing opportunities for the many gifted writers and musicians in these and other territories. "There are loads of labels," Alexander confirmed, " but little or no focus on the publishing possibilities that exist if songs are administered and marketed well. Very few of the countries we are now actively working in have any real understanding of what publishing entails.
"This further highlighted, for us, the need to empower and educate wherever we go," he continued. "South African music is more licensable, and attaining rights is better managed because the system here is a mature one. This, in turn, makes our musical offerings more attractive to both our domestic and international market."
Domestic markets in each of the countries where Sheer Publishing is now active remain the biggest supporters and consumers of music with pan Africa following close behind. "The frontline states are our next conquest, Alexander said. "With all three, well managed and marketed, that's when volume becomes a real possibility and is truly an exciting space."
Empowerment through understanding is the mantra Sheer Publishing trumpets in each of the markets it now actively participates in. With ever-increasing mobile infiltration, the partnership opportunities, with global telecommunication companies entering these markets are compelling. Add the proliferation of smartphones on the continent, currently standing at around 7 percent, and estimated to triple by 2016 - 22,5 percent of the cellphone population will then be geared to access great content legally as the incremental roll-out happens. "Mobile is a rich space in need of quality, legal content and that's where we're leading the drive," Alexander said. "The telcos build the networks and we plug in the added-value opportunities to get more music played, and purchased, in places most writers and musician would never have considered until now.
"The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has already achieved 40 legally mobile penetration," Alexander said by way of example as to the potential to convert these and the remaining 60 percent. All who will potentially become mobile consumers as the market there matures.
As physical CD sales continue to fall throughout Africa - 19 percent down year-on-year in South Africa alone, the drive to digital for writers, musicians and their publishers, is becoming critically important - especially if they wish to remain relevant and vital in a space evolving and growing faster by the day.
With Sheer Publishing continuing to grow its African footprint, the year ahead looks set to be a great one. "We're in it for the long haul," Alexander concluded. "We've made extraordinary headway in a relatively short space of time, all of which bodes well for our future commitment to the continent as a whole."
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