Music is a powerful tool that can be used to create social cohesion. Wherever you go in the world, it is widely understood and it definitely speaks to all when words fail. However, as we all know, music is not a naturally occurring phenomenon but a man-made product of humans. The transformation of raw voices into music albums that bring symphonies to our ears do not happen by itself either. It is in the hands of our “music scientists” that we are able to appreciate and enjoy the current melodious music we have now. And one such scientist is Mr Rafaee Mahmood, the founding director of Anadigi Sound Lab. The sound lab primarily operates as a recording studio and offers a three-step service – audio recording, music mixing and music mastering. Apart from this, the lab also offers jamming sessions, music rehearsals, video production, and social media marketing for musicians.
Back in 2014 when Rafaee first established Anadigi, all he had in the company was a small rental room and his creative mind. He worked all by himself and managed to transform the sound lab into a successful business that produces music albums and groom local artists. More importantly, he now has a workplace that fully belongs to him, and the size of the room has almost quadrupled.
The successes that he has achieved did not come easily, facing immense struggles along his entrepreneurship journey. Rafaee started off as a freelancer, producing music with clients who engaged him. However, due to the lack of connections, there was little to no opportunities to do work with established companies and artists. As a result, he decided to venture on establishing his own company and founded Anadigi, and that was just the start of his problems. The first 5 years upon establishment was a struggle for Rafaee to figure out the operations on how to run a business, as well as finding work-life balance. As a music producer who majored in landscape designer at university, he had no knowledge of running a business at all. Issues like scalability and scheduling of work with clients were a major roadblock for him.
Despite all these difficulties, Rafaee did not give up and persisted on building the company. He took up many online courses on websites like coursera using skillfuture credits, and learnt how to manage business. Google was certainly his best friend and mentor, someone that he could turn to for whatever difficulty he faced. Ultimately, his hard work paid off, achieving tangible success and a formidable team that works efficiently.
Coming from a background of a freelancer, Rafaee understands the pain and turmoils that local artist face when starting out on a career path as a musician. Hence, he hopes for Anadigi to become a major Singapore Media Hub, providing a platform for up-and-coming musicians to shine, while serving as a bridge between the artist and larger music franchises.
When inquired on the secrets to success, being the humble person he is, Rafaee attributes all his success thus far to the mistakes he made. He claims that it is simply impossible for one to predict all possible problems, as things will not always go according to plan. Instead, one should approach the journey with an open mind, embracing and learning from the mistakes made, becoming a better person as well as a better businessman. More importantly, one has to find a reason and purpose to persevere on no matter how tough the going gets. For him, the sense of fulfilment that he gets from providing a service to client is what keeps him motivated, allowing him to enjoy the work that he commits to.
“Being able to assist somebody from ideation to fruition, and eventually execution gives me a feeling of enjoyment.”
Rafaee has a few advices for youngsters who are looking to establish a music company just like him. Firstly, it is important to stay motivated and not give up. Passion for the industry is just a starting factor, but to keep oneself motivated to continue despite the challenges faced is what keeps the company running. Secondly, being open-minded to challenges, music styles, ideas are crucial. In the music industry where everything is based off personalised innovations and perceptions, music producers must not be judgmental towards client’s choice of music. Lastly and most importantly, the ability to decline is a vital skill to have. Back when he first started Anadigi, he was desperate for clients and accepted any requests that was offered to him. Looking back, it was one of his biggest mistake and he does not wish for anyone to follow in his footsteps.
Moving Forward
In the near future, Rafaee has a few plans in mind that we can look forward to. Currently, he had just established a social media marketing agency for musicians, and has intention to provide designing services to clients as well. Progressing towards his ultimate goal of making Anadigi a Singapore Media Hub, this might be a dream come true in the near future. Furthermore, he is now taking up courses related to digital marketing, and intends to expand his company digitally outwards into the global market. Anadigi, the combination of analog and digital, definitely lives up to it’s name and one can look forward to what the company have in store for the media industry.
