The Manager’s Playbook 069: Muyiwa Awoniyi - Tems, Afrobeats, Artist Management, Music Ownership, Global Strategy & Partnerships

Tems’ manager and partner Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the strategy behind building Tems into a global music star.Muyiwa shares his people-first approach to artist management, why Tems’ team prioritized ownership over quick checks, how they structured their RCA license deal, and what it takes to build an artist career that can grow beyond music.This conversation covers Afrobeats, African music, artist management, music ownership, branding, fan engagement, publishing, label infrastructure in Africa, and building a global artist ecosystem without losing the vision.A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about the business behind global music.Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap.If you’re earning publishing income, make sure you’re collecting all of it.KOSIGN, powered by Kobalt, offers direct global publishing collections and real-time royalty transparency in a flexible, artist-friendly format. It’s highly selective, but free to apply here: https://form.typeform.com/to/JNELnGw9?utm_source=xxxxx&typeform-source=bit.ly#fbclid=xxxxx&gclid=xxxxxWant your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/Watch the full episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ETIn this episode:00:00 Afrobeats Money Mistakes01:24 People-First Artist Management04:17 Ownership Over Checks06:57 Coachella With Justin Bieber & Wizkid10:59 Branding and Artist Narrative19:45 Diversifying Beyond Music24:59 Why Fans Buy Into Movements26:48 Fan Engagement in the Experience Era40:42 Afrobeats, America, and Global Crossover43:33 Why Labels Need Infrastructure in Africa44:22 Why Artist Managers Are CEOs Now50:51 Building Tems From Scratch54:11 Partnerships Over Transactions01:07:41 The Weeknd Blueprint, Equity, and Ownership01:10:20 Funding Independence01:11:36 Publishing Advances and Admin Deals01:23:56 Omah Lay Split and Deal Fix01:32:48 Artist vs. Entertainer Focus01:34:39 Faith, Purpose, and Staying Grounded