Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on Building a Company Around the Artist

Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on Building a Company Around the Artist

Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down how to build a real company around an artist. In this clip, Muyiwa explains why Tems’ long-term vision goes beyond music into business, philanthropy, investing, ownership, and company-building. He also shares how non-transactional relationships, delegation, team structure, artist development, admin deals, distribution, YouTube Foundry, and smart JV strategy helped Tems’ team build independence and long-term leverage. A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about building a sustainable music business. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] In this episode: 00:00 Tems’ North Star and Long-Term Growth 00:47 Real Relationships, Not Transactions 01:15 Weaknesses, Patience, and Team Support 02:28 Delegating Emails and Staying Focused 04:17 Inbox Systems and Daily Syncs 06:15 Vision Map and North Star Strategy 07:27 Mentorship Over Generic Industry Talk 10:21 Toronto Talent and Executive Leadership Gap 14:12 Building Global Teams and The Weeknd Model 15:50 Tems’ Admin Deal vs Publishing Deal 16:51 Funding Independence With Distribution and YouTube Foundry 18:38 Structuring JVs for Company Expansion 19:34 Why Artists Become Executives

Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on The Truth About Afrobeats Going Global

Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down the truth about Afrobeats going global and what African artists need to understand before chasing the American music market. In this clip, Muyiwa explains why artists need to build real leverage at home first, how cultural ripple effects shape global crossover, and why labels must invest in African music infrastructure instead of only extracting from the culture. He also gets into why modern managers have to think like CEOs, how to create music moments with intention, and how Tems’ team built trust, equity, and long-term strategy around her career. A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about Afrobeats, African music, global crossover, and the business behind the music. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] In this episode: 00:00 Visitor Mindset in America 00:25 Does the West Water Down Afrobeats? 01:34 Cultural Ripple Effects and Global Music 02:18 Breaking Into the U.S. Music Market 02:49 Why Labels Miss Cultural Nuance 04:07 Investing in African Music Infrastructure 05:03 Why Artist Managers Are CEOs Now 05:53 Creating Music Moments and Planning Ahead 07:00 Twitter Fans, Criticism, and Artist Strategy 08:21 Artist-Centered Management vs Business 08:52 Going All In for Artists 09:36 Building Trust, Equity, and Long-Term Leverage

Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on How to Build Beyond the Music

Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to break down how Tems’ team built a business beyond the music. In this clip, Muyiwa explains why The Leading Vibe treats expenses as investments, how they built an ecosystem around Tems, and why ownership, valuation, team culture, fan engagement, and business literacy matter for long-term success. He also talks about Tems as both artist and executive, building a female-led team culture, why fans buy into movements, developing new artist Rue, and why discipline matters more than motivation. A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and independent artists serious about building something that lasts. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] In this episode: 00:00 Investing in Tems 00:34 Building the Artist Company 01:43 Tems as Artist and Executive 02:50 Team Operations and Business Structure 04:06 Female-Led Team Culture 04:57 Why Fans Buy Into Movements 06:12 Fan Engagement in Today’s Music Industry 07:44 What Makes New Talent Stand Out 08:12 Introducing New Artist Rue 09:10 Tems Origin Story 10:52 Pressure, Responsibility, and Leadership 15:32 Discipline Over Motivation 16:17 Why Muyiwa Manages Artists

Inside the Playbook: Muyiwa Awoniyi on The Business Behind Tems

Tems’ manager Muyiwa Awoniyi joins The Manager’s Playbook to explain why real artist management starts with protecting the person before the music. In this clip, Muyiwa breaks down his people-first approach to managing Tems, why mental, spiritual, and physical well-being come before strategy, and how shared vision shapes the team’s decisions. He also gets into Tems’ RCA license deal, music ownership, master reversion, rollout strategy, Coachella with Justin Bieber and Wizkid, artist branding, authenticity, and building a sustainable company beyond the illusion of success. A must-listen for artists, managers, music executives, and anyone serious about artist development, ownership, and the business behind global music. Simply put, a conversation like this doesn't come cheap. Want your music everywhere, properly? DistroKid is a straightforward way for independent artists to distribute globally and keep momentum moving. https://distrokid.com/ Listen to the full episode here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1duk4mJxoVF7D9G5Whhjqk?si=mI5dFiQAT7uwrOUXtFLlHA Watch the Episodes On Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] In this episode: 00:00 Music as a Vehicle 00:22 People-First Artist Management 02:57 Team Alignment and Shared Vision 04:39 Music Ownership and RCA License Deal 05:33 Rollout Strategy and Surprise Drops 07:09 Coachella With Justin Bieber and Wizkid 11:10 Artist Narrative and Brand Building 14:11 Authenticity, Fame, and Artist Development 16:17 Saying No and Staying Aligned 19:55 Real Success and Long-Term Business

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=xxxxx Want 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/@managersplaybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@managersplaybook] New episodes drop Sundays @ 10am ET In this episode: 00:00 Afrobeats Money Mistakes 01:24 People-First Artist Management 04:17 Ownership Over Checks 06:57 Coachella With Justin Bieber & Wizkid 10:59 Branding and Artist Narrative 19:45 Diversifying Beyond Music 24:59 Why Fans Buy Into Movements 26:48 Fan Engagement in the Experience Era 40:42 Afrobeats, America, and Global Crossover 43:33 Why Labels Need Infrastructure in Africa 44:22 Why Artist Managers Are CEOs Now 50:51 Building Tems From Scratch 54:11 Partnerships Over Transactions 01:07:41 The Weeknd Blueprint, Equity, and Ownership 01:10:20 Funding Independence 01:11:36 Publishing Advances and Admin Deals 01:23:56 Omah Lay Split and Deal Fix 01:32:48 Artist vs. Entertainer Focus 01:34:39 Faith, Purpose, and Staying Grounded