THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA MUSIC BUSINESS.

As one of the major focuses of the global entertainment industry, music is virtually used by all the practitioners in the adjunct sectors of the music business: movie producers, radio and television producers, media managers, event and party planners, and advertisers. This relevance should assuage any concern nurse by the Nigerian music business stakeholders about what is wrong with the present state of affair.

Music from this part of the world once rules the continent's air waves alongside music from East and the Southern Africa. Those golden days made Nigerian music a force to be reckoned with before the sudden depression into chaos. Ironically, the socio-economic and political landscape too was in some sort of a coma and it would require just that 'climatic conditioning' for the Nigerian songbirds to make their music. And so, youths in their thousands seize the unfortunate scenario to air their views, discontent and hopes using music as their platform of expression. The result is what now ranks Nigerian music and musicians amongst the best of global chart busters.

One of the obvious about music business in Nigeria is the rate of stakeholder's investment in the sector. In the last 6 to 7 years alone, the growing numbers of new production studio as well as the daily increasing statistic of artistes springing up is more than what the previous years of music business in Nigeria produces. To factor in the rate of their turning out upcoming and new artistes in business terms is an indication that the sector is ripe for a harvest. Most of these studios are owed by producers and managers hoping to catch-in on the about-to-explode music marketing in the country.
A few organisations with similar interests have also joined forces with individual investor to reap this promised good time. In a way, this has soothed the stakeholder's prior yearning for investment in the sector to be able to deliver benefits. At the moment, many Nigerian artistes are already enjoying cooperate sponsorship; some having proven their worth either by recording a landmark albums sale, wining in contests or by giving outstanding performance in one of the several shows/concerts.

This investment has also aided the production of world-class quality music owing to the introduction of new innovations and techniques. When you listen and view musical videos produced in Nigeria in the recent time, you can not but appreciate the quality of dedicated hands that has worked on it. The rigours of the production processes experienced by those early musicians before the advent of modern technology are completely a thing of the past. There are state-of-the-art studios and with gifted know-how producers and managers waiting to make a superstar out of any talented individual willing to cut a career in music.

The years under study too, have seen many Nigerian artistes reaching out to winning awards and building more fans beyond the shores of the nation. Some of these artistes now boast of their own studios and are now offering better deals to assist upcoming artistes. Indeed, it can be said that Nigeria music business had transited with the turn of the millennium into a beckon wherein the stakeholders' hopes of making a good world-class music no longer exist in bubbles. Gone are the days of investment without reward. The lifestyle of music celebrities; musicians, producers, promoters, and managers are not just a dangling carrot to bait. Most of these artistes and their managers have at different forum expresses their twist of fate. Some of these artistes have stepped into stardom with just their first release or have secured international recognition based on the import of their message.

Also and more than ever, the influx is creating a proliferation of new genres. This new breed of musicians are not just making good music, theirs is with attitude. Stereotyped music boundaries in terms of message, genre, instruments, lyrics, and languages are been broken down to give way for a more flexible one. No matter what genre appeal to you, in whatever language, the Nigerian music brands in all its rhythmic essence with satiate your penchant.

Nigerian music contents abound in local and foreign movies (as soundtracks), on radio and television either as a signature tunes or making up the bulk of a programme content. Outside of the box, Nigeria music is used to create the needed ambience at shows and events all over the world. The global entertainment business owes it success to the contribution of African music and this is with a special mentioning on the role of Nigeria's music to the growth of Nollywood. Entertainment reporters in the both print and broadcast media (at home and abroad) are also are thriving writing about Nigerian music and those who produce it. The import of this overview to all stakeholders in the music business is that it makes certain the investor money is not going down the drain. More so, music lovers would also be getting their worth with the benefit of listening to any choice genre.

With these attractions in the Nigerian music industry is the threat of a large scale piracy of music albums just as we have it in other society. There have also been the rumours that the Nigerian music household is an ungovernable mad-house. With certainty and as you read, efforts on a grand scale to restore sanity on all fronts are been organize. The stakeholders; musicians and upcoming artistes, producers and label managers, music lovers as well as the government are all enlisted in this battle to stamp out the pirates. You can join this campaign by cultivating the attitude of BUYING ORIGINAL ALBUMS rather than the pirated ones.

Notwithstanding, the symbiotic interference between music and the other entertainment sectors would accelerate this recorded growth. More artistes would sign up, more studios will open, new tools would emerge, fans would grow, awards would keep coming to appreciate excellence, and because music is about life, there would always be a message and a new idea to share.

Lanre Lawal.
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BLARQUE BROTHA ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA
*Artiste Management *Entertainment Consultancy *Media/P.R. Consultancy *Events.
(+234) 1 853 9184, 0803 713 0366
blarquebrotha@gmail.com