Is Nigeria’s Music Industry Failing Its Artists?

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Olumurewa Damilola.

A strange pattern exists in Nigeria’s music industry. An artist releases a hit song that dominates the airwaves, the clubs and even our playlists. For months, the artist becomes impossible to ignore. Then suddenly, almost without explanation, the music stops coming. The artist fades from public attention and before long their once-popular song is played only during “old school” radio segments.

The question then arises: what really happens to Nigerian artists after their moment in the spotlight?

We are left curious about the whereabouts of the artists behind these songs. The likes of Seyi Shay, Lara George, Monique, Mike Abdul, Reekado Banks, Small Doctor and Peruzzi, where are they now? Where are the promised albums that never arrived? Where are the singles that could have become hits? What really happened to these artists?

The answer is simple: the Nigerian music industry “happened” to them.

Now you might ask, what exactly is happening in Nigeria’s music industry? Should that even be a question? The answer seems glaring when we consider the state of the country itself. Nothing appears to be functioning properly right now. The economy is in shambles, the security sector reports deaths almost daily, so what makes us think that the entertainment industry which includes the music industry would remain unaffected?

We see artists with promising futures enter the spotlight with the hope of breaking into the music industry with hit after hit. Unfortunately, many only manage one or two hits before vanishing. Some stay longer, perhaps five years but they eventually disappear as well. There is a saying that life is seasonal, and in Nigerian slang we say “life na turn by turn.” Yet it often seems as though these artists disappear along with their season sometimes forever.

What happens to managing artists over a long period of time? What happened to artists who should be releasing hit songs back to back? Why does it seem like there can only be three or four major superstars in the Nigerian music industry at a time? Why can’t the industry accommodate a wider range of voices, styles and vocal abilities?

The answer, quite simply, is that there is no solid structure. No proper structure was ever firmly established for the music industry in Nigeria. It is easy to point to financial instability, which is indeed a major factor. However, other issues such as inadequate knowledge of artist management, weak royalty collection systems and poor contract structures are also clear indicators of the systemic problems within Nigeria’s music industry.

Returning to the major factor which is financial instability and lack of adequate funding.  The truth is that many record label owners in Nigeria were former musicians or still active musicians who believe they have enough knowledge of the industry to start a label. The problem, however, is that many of them do not earn enough to properly manage even one artist, let alone five. They are often not financially buoyant enough to hire top-notch producers, experienced audio technicians or organise tours to promote their artists’ music.

In the music industry, we all know that whoever has the most relatable songs and the most electrifying charisma tends to sell the most. If an artist does not meet these expectations, they might as well say goodbye to the music world. Yet many record label owners still launch labels that collapse within a few years. Sadly, when these labels fail, they often go down with the artists they were supposed to support.

This is why it is important for the government to create an industry fund where institutions such as the Bank of Industry could provide low-interest loans for record labels. The government could also give grants to individual artists who want to make music independently and establish their careers on their own.

Admittedly, this may not solve every problem affecting the music industry, but it would go a long way toward strengthening the industry in Nigeria. It would also encourage and inspire upcoming musicians to remain in the industry long enough to build sustainable careers.

In addition, many individuals or musicians who establish record labels in Nigeria have little or no knowledge of how to run an efficient label. Many artists who go into the music business assume that because they have experience in the industry, they already understand how it operates.

While this assumption may be somewhat valid, it is not entirely true. A great deal of preparation goes into managing an artist. There is the legal aspect, especially drafting contracts and understanding which kinds of music sell and what captures public attention. There is much to learn and unfortunately many Nigerian record labels have not mastered these aspects. This explains why many artists break away from labels due to legal battles, contract disagreements or poor management and then fade into obscurity. Only a few manage to remain relevant.

A practical example is the legal battle between Kizz Daniel and G-Worldwide Entertainment. He faced a major dispute with the label after attempting to leave because the label restricted his collaborations and claimed he had violated contract terms.

The dispute eventually went to court and forced him to change his stage name from “Kiss Daniel” to “Kizz Daniel.” Similarly, in Wizkid’s early career, dissatisfaction with financial terms where he reportedly received only about 25% of his earnings contributed to his decision to leave the label owned by Banky W. These conflicts could have severely damaged their careers if they had not managed to bounce back.

While artists are sometimes to blame since some do not read their contracts carefully enough to understand their obligations, record labels also exploit artists’ desperation by proposing unreasonable percentage cuts from their earnings. Record labels also tend to focus their promotion on a “star artist,” which often makes other artists on the label feel overlooked or unimportant.

In fact, this has become a common issue with many Nigerian record labels. It can destroy the potential of smaller artists before they even have the opportunity to shine. This is evident in the way Mavin Records promotes artists such as Ayra Starr and Rema compared to artists like Bayanni, Ladipoe and Crayon. Situations like this discourage artistic growth, as some artists become trapped in contracts that offer them little chance of progress.

One way to address this problem is through education. From the university level, courses such as artist management, record label management and royalty distribution should be taught to students. This would prepare future professionals to better understand how the music industry operates.

There are still other problems that must be addressed, such as weak royalty collection systems and poor training structures for artists, among others. However, if these issues are corrected and the government becomes more deliberate about supporting the growth of the music industry, perhaps artists will remain in the spotlight longer. Perhaps Afrobeats will gain even greater global recognition. Perhaps the industry will produce more stars than it currently does.

Until Nigeria builds stronger structures for managing talent, the industry may continue producing hit songs  but not lasting artists.