Richard ‘Shams’ Browne Releases Book On Music Biz

Music producer Richard ‘Shams’ Browne has shared his expertise in his new book  The Music Biz Manual: A Practical Guide For Independent Artists & Producers , available for purchase Amazon Kindle (e-book) and Amazon.com (paperback) on January 23.

“I saw a lot of our artistes and producers (were) lacking the information needed to build a solid business from their careers. And this is something I wish I had when starting out my journey in the business of music,” he said. 

Richard Browne, who is an artiste and repertoire manager at VP Records, is a member of the Browne family, several of whom have made a major impact on Jamaican music. He is well-known for other productions such as the Orgasm and Baddis Ting rhythms.

His father Glen is a respected bassist who has recorded with Burning Spear, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers and Buju Banton.

The book has been in the works for a while.

“I started it three years ago, then put it on hold for a while. Got back to it last October, completed it mid-December. I had all the basic ideas laid out just had to finish up,” Shams explained.

Shams has had a slew of number one tracks , as well as various awards. He is eyeing a Grammy, and Platinum Plaque in the United States next. He already achieved the plaque in Japan.

He is imploring emerging Jamaican producers to respect music as a business, if they want to reap sustainable rewards.

“Learn the business and treat it like a business. Creating music is the easy part. Having a solid business structure takes knowledge and effort,” he reasoned.

In the meantime, there are several projects in mind to be released strategically throughout 2026.

“One plan is to drop a throwback riddim; not telling which one yet, a couple singles …and possibly a second edition of The Music Biz Manual. The second edition will be much more detailed and in-depth,” Shams added.