By Deborah Nnamdi
Nigerian music producer and record executive Don Jazzy has disclosed the massive financial investment required to turn a budding talent into a star.
Speaking on the Echo Podcast, the Mavin Records founder revealed that it takes between $100,000 and $300,000 (about ₦150 million to ₦500 million) to launch a new artist under his label.
“To activate and launch a new Mavin talent? At the moment, about a minimum $100,000 or then to $100,000 to $300,000 in that bracket,” the 41-year-old music mogul, born Michael Collins Ajereh, said.
He explained that the figure represents only the starting point for an artist’s first project, stressing that success in the music industry depends on more than just money.
“It’s never just one thing,” Don Jazzy said. “You can have a great song, but if it’s not marketed properly, it won’t work. At the same time, you can spend a lot of money, but if people don’t connect with it, they don’t connect.”
According to him, Mavin has built systems designed to boost artists’ chances of breaking through, including marketing teams, PR experts, research units, and production staff. Still, he emphasized that an artist’s personal drive is non-negotiable.
“If you want it more than the artist, it doesn’t really work,” he noted. “The great ones also do the research. If you say you want to be like Michael Jackson, you have to study why Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson.”
Reflecting on his journey, Don Jazzy recalled nearly quitting the record business after the breakup of Mo’Hits Records in 2012 due to rising costs. But encouragement from friends and artists convinced him to push forward, eventually founding Mavin Records, now home to global stars like Rema and Ayra Starr.
