Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning Afrobeats sensation, has solidified his position as a global music icon with a series of sold-out concerts and festival appearances.
Despite his global success, Burna Boy, like other Nigerian artists, has faced challenges in the touring sector both in his home country and abroad. This highlights the need for tour riders to ensure fair treatment and optimal local and international performance conditions for Nigerian musicians.
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The Power of the Tour Rider
A tour rider, often described as an artist’s performance contract addendum, is a document that outlines an artist’s specific requirements for a show. They detail everything from technical specifications for the stage, sound, and lighting to hospitality arrangements like accommodation, catering, and transportation.
Oladotun Osafile, Head of Events at Titanium Production Ventures, emphasised the importance of artists reviewing their performance contracts during a conference organised by Make Music Lagos. This ensures they understand their obligations and guarantees their needs are met throughout the tour.
Osafile also stressed the necessity of including a tour rider in performance contracts, with the touring agency or company responsible for fulfilling the artist’s requirements.
Technical and Hospitality riders: The backbone of a successful show
Tour riders typically fall into two categories: technical riders and hospitality or catering riders. Technical riders are involved in an artist’s performance setup, including stage layout, soundcheck procedures, and lighting preferences. In some cases, they also encompass security measures and backstage access protocols.
On the other hand, hospitality riders focus on the artist’s comfort and well-being during the tour. These contracts cover accommodations, dressing room amenities, transportation arrangements, and specific catering requests. By addressing these aspects in advance, hospitality riders prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone involved is well taken care of.
Burna Boy’s 45-Page Tour rider: Setting the standard
During the conference, entertainment lawyer Yemisi Faleye revealed that Burna Boy has a comprehensive 45-page tour rider that covers technical and hospitality aspects. This extensive document reflects the artist’s commitment to maintaining high standards for his performances and ensuring a seamless experience for himself and his team.
Faleye emphasised the legal importance of including a rider clause in performance agreements, making it a mandatory contract component. This underscores the significance of tour riders in safeguarding artists’ rights and interests.
Why Riders matter: ensuring fair treatment and optimal performance
As Nigerian artists increasingly venture onto the international stage, the need for education on tour riders becomes paramount. Bizzle Osikoya, co-founder of Plug Entertainment, also spoke at the event and highlighted the issue of miseducation among upcoming artists, who often miss out on essential provisions due to a lack of awareness during negotiations.
Osikoya also shed light on the financial realities of international touring, where artists might not always make significant profits. He explained that artists might be left with a fraction of their performance fees after deducting expenses for travel, accommodation, and crew.
“Artists often have to pay a landed fee, which covers expenses like accommodation, travel, and food for the entire crew.
“Sometimes you see an artist performing at Coachella and hear that they got paid $700,000, but for flight for a two-way trip to the US through private jets is $300,000, and the cost of flying the entire band and crew on a business flight is about $100,000, hotel and accommodation for a 5-star hotel for an artist with the calibre of Burna Boy for himself and his manager and close team cost another $60,000. You find out that the artist might end up with just $100,000. Additionally, taxes further reduce the artist’s earnings,” Osikoya said.
In addition to financial considerations, tour riders play a vital role in ensuring that artists receive the respect and recognition they deserve. Osafile pointed out that if the sound or lighting setup does not meet the artist’s specifications outlined in the tour rider, they have the right to walk off stage.
This was exemplified by Rema’s recent incident at the 2024 Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, US, where he exited the stage due to poor sound quality. His actions sparked a conversation about the need for African artists to receive the same level of technical support as their Western counterparts.
Burna Boy’s international success and the challenges Nigerian artists face on tour highlight tour riders’ role in the music industry. These documents guarantee fair treatment and optimal performance conditions and empower artists to advocate for their needs and maintain their artistic integrity.
Experts during the event also advised that educating artists about the importance of tour riders will be crucial in ensuring their continued success and fostering a more equitable and professional industry.
