Award-winning Afro-pop band Sauti Sol, has partnered with investigative journalist, John Allan Namu as creative co-founders in a new platform that is set to transcend the music industry.
Shahara, is an online-based platform that enables content creators to earn revenue directly from their work, through their audience. The name is derived from the Swahili word, Mshahara, which translates to Salary.
During a press conference, Sauti Sol decried how the international-based platforms had a complicated algorithm that worked to the content creators' disadvantage.
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They noted that Shahara took a different approach in building a direct alliance between the content creator and their audience. Through this, creators can earn the lion's share of the revenue with a 60/30/10 policy.
"Our subscription model and how we intend to be paying: Globally if you look at it from a Ksh100, we do it at a 60/ 30/ 10 model whereby 60 percent of the money earned will go to the content creator, 10 percent will go to marketing the content for the content creator, which is a big difference between ourselves and other platforms. "
'The rest goes to maintaining the platform, which serves as a nominal cost that allows us to seek new partners and also finance the cost of originals with content creators from across the country and the continent," Namu detailed further.
The veteran journalist divulged further to Kenyans.co.ke that the platform will also serve host to exclusive content, masterclasses and tutorials for creators.
In a bid to distinguish itself from other platforms, Shahara will also allow writers, artists, journalists and photographers to publish their work at the online-based platform.
"Simply put it's a place where you can pay for someone's content. What makes it different from other platforms, is that we don't give a tenth percent to creators, rather they get the lion's share plus 10 percent to market their content.
"It's a solution for the Kenyan content creation scene because we don't have something that builds a field and invites as many content creators as possible," Namu intimated.
Sauti Sol's upcoming content will also be uploaded on the platform including exclusive content, behind the scenes, solo and group albums.
Bien-Aimé Baraza revealed that his project collaboration with Aaron Rimbui, Baldmen Virtual Experience, is exclusively on the platform.
A spot check on the website shows exclusive content from content creators such as documentaries done by Allan Namu, Maxine Wabosha's A Letter to my Younger Self as well as Sauti Sol's content. Online users can access the platform through the link: shaharavideos.com
