DJ Jesse Neo brings Gemtracks Beats to Nigeria

DJ Jesse Neo, a 22-year-old Asian-American musician from Los Angeles, saw the freelance trend catching on to the music industry too.
This is why at the beginning of last year, he launched Gemtracks Beats, a freelance marketplace for artists to get access to the same resources and talents that have been historically only been accessible by major record labels, as reported in The Jerusalem Post.

“I know for a fact many American companies outsource their work to Africa,” the 22-year-old explained. “This is beneficial both ways because it improves Africa’s economy while helping the companies save money.”

At its current state, Gemtracks Beats has more than 10,000 members, with most clients from the United States. Freelancers, however, only make up 10% of the platform. Most clients visit the website to purchase pop beats and hip hop beats.

“Having travelled the world as a DJ and musician, there is no country that I have fallen in love with more than Nigeria,” Jesse explained. “Everything from Nollywood to its music and beautiful people has struck me with awe every single time. I feel Nigeria has so much to offer to the outside world, and I want to be the person in the forefront to make this happen.”

At the beginning of this year, Gemtracks Beats got the green light to start its operation in Nigeria so that musicians would be able to offer their songwriting and music production skills to customers in North America.

“I noticed a sudden demand for Afrobeats and even Dancehall music,” the DJ continued. “Of all the successful beats being sold on the platform were actually from African freelancers. The unfortunate part is that there is a lack of them, but I hope this will change as more Nigerians learn about the platform.”

Freelancers can set their own prices and terms and even keep the rights of what they produce so their names can be credited at release.