Producer Makwa has opened up about the realities of going independent, warning that creative freedom and ownership can come with a heavy workload when an artist has to manage an entire career without the right team.
There is growing pressure for musicians to take control of their careers, own their work and build independently. But according to Makwa, the reality behind that independence is far more demanding than it often appears.
The producer says artists who choose to operate without an established team can quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities involved in running a music career.
“People don’t understand the difficulty that is just running the whole thing yourself,” Makwa said.
For him, independence has meant confronting the fact that being talented in one area does not automatically mean being equipped to handle every part of the business.
As a producer, Makwa understands the creative side of music, but admits that managing administrative and business responsibilities requires a different set of skills. His experience has taught him that doing everything alone is not always the smartest approach.
Independence Doesn’t Mean Doing Everything Alone
Makwa believes one of the most important parts of being independent is developing enough self-awareness to recognise when help is needed.
While artists may want complete control over their careers, trying to handle every task themselves can ultimately become a disadvantage. From administration and business decisions to strategy and career management, there are areas where having the right people involved can make a significant difference.
For Makwa, learning this has meant reconsidering his own tendency to handle things himself and recognising the value of surrounding himself with people who can contribute where his strengths may not lie.
The Risk of Falling Behind
Makwa also highlighted another potential downside of trying to do everything alone.
An artist can spend so much time managing the different parts of their career that they lose valuable time that could have been spent creating music, building their audience or developing new opportunities.
Meanwhile, artists who may have started at the same level — or even behind them — can move ahead by putting strong teams and systems in place.
His perspective presents independence as a balancing act. Owning your career and maintaining creative control can be empowering, but ownership also brings responsibility.
Ultimately, Makwa’s message is that being independent does not necessarily mean doing everything yourself. Knowing when to ask for help and finding the right people could be just as important as maintaining control of your career.
For emerging artists, the real challenge may not be choosing between independence and a record label, but learning how to build a team that allows independence to become sustainable.
