Over the last two years, the Nigerian music industry has witnessed a significant shift in content distribution and promotion.
Artistes, record labels, and music promoters are flooding the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, TikTok to promote songs to reach global audience.
The app has continued to inspire creativity that is reshaping the musical landscape as well as exposing users to new sounds and talents across the continent.
The recent success story of a Nigerian fast-rising singer, Chukwuka ‘CKay’ Ekweani, who made headlines around the world with his viral song, ‘Love Nwantiti’ on TikTok, has convinced many professional entertainers and creators that the app is more than a gag but a promotional tool to express their creativity.
Even though CKay’s Love Nwantiti was originally released in 2019, the song became a global trend last year and has now hit over 15 billion streams on TikTok, becoming Africa’s most successful pop song ever.
From Joeboy to Pheelz, Rema, Asake, Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML, Simi, FAVE, Omah Lay, AV, Tem, Black Sheriff, Ruger, Yemi Alade, Ayra Starr, BNXN, Falz, BrodaShaggi, and Iyabo Ojo – more celebrities are embracing the platform to engage their fans.
“I remember 25 years ago, our traditional music has always struggled to reach a global audience, but with social media, the music has begun to break the jinx,” Showbiz impresario, Obi Asika told The Nation, on the TikTok’s impact on the music industry.
Obi, who is the founder/CEO of a defunct record label, Storm 360, predicted that in the next five years Afrobeats will be bigger.
“With these apps, in the next 4 to 5 years, Afrobeats will continue to grow beyond our imaginations. What we are really looking for now – is how we can grow domestically which is to grow live touring, sold-out shows and ticketing in better venues, better securities because the biggest opportunity for Nigeria music is still in Nigeria.”
SOURCE: THE NATION
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