Bilha Ngaruiya, Country Manager of ONErpm, a global music distribution, publishing, and label services company, has achieved remarkable success in Kenya since her appointment in 2022. Under her leadership, ONErpm has facilitated approximately $100,000 (Sh13 million) in royalty payouts to Kenyan artistes every month, totaling around $1.2 million (Sh156 million) annually. This achievement surpasses half of the Sh300 million distributed by collective management organizations like MCSK, PRISK, and KAMP in a good year.
Ngaruiya's career success is notable, given that she doesn't have a college degree. Instead, she learned through apprenticeship, starting her business education at home, where her mother, an entrepreneur, taught her the ropes. Ngaruiya's early life was filled with various business ventures, from selling shoes to delivering goods. Her decision to skip college was driven by impatience with the traditional educational path and a desire to dive into the fast-moving music industry.
Ngaruiya's journey in the music industry began with an internship at Homeboyz, a music stable, and later working at Zikki Media, a music aggregation and distribution company. She honed her skills in social media, music management, and publicity through hands-on experience. Ngaruiya also learned from executives like Scooter Braun, an American investor and former talent manager, by reading about their work and adapting their strategies for the Kenyan market.
When ONErpm launched in Kenya, the team identified a significant obstacle facing African artistes: a lack of financing for music projects. Most artistes requested at least $20,000 (Sh2.6 million) for their creative work. ONErpm addressed this gap by offering artistes advances to fund their projects, recouped in instalments after release. This strategy helped recruit artistes, and ONErpm now has over 10,000 Kenyan artiste accounts and more than 25,000 across East Africa.
The company's business model, which works on commission, sets it apart from subscription-based distributors. ONErpm takes between 5 and 20 percent of an artiste's earnings, depending on the contract and services provided. This approach incentivizes the company to see artistes grow, as increased earnings lead to higher commission revenue. Ngaruiya credits timing and the entry of Spotify and Boomplay into Kenya for the growth in streaming numbers.
Despite the growth, Ngaruiya acknowledges the economic challenges facing most Kenyan musicians. Many earn only Sh20,000 to Sh50,000 a month in streaming revenue from their entire catalogue, making it difficult to reinvest in music or live decently. She emphasizes that hits are not made in studios but through marketing, and that many good songs fail to gain traction due to a lack of marketing.
Ngaruiya co-founded Premier Talent Agency, which has supported over 80 artistes and facilitated over Sh12 million in funding. She has also invested in 50 artistes using her own money and in-kind services. As the person sending invoices for royalties, Ngaruiya sees the real money coming in and is driven to onboard more artistes. Her success story serves as a testament to the power of apprenticeship and adaptability in the music industry.
Key points
- ONErpm facilitates approximately $100,000 (Sh13 million) in royalty payouts to Kenyan artistes every month.
- Ngaruiya's company has grown to have over 10,000 Kenyan artiste accounts and more than 25,000 across East Africa.
- The company's business model works on commission, taking between 5 and 20 percent of an artiste's earnings.
