Browsing: Music

The entertainment and media industry has evolved to become one of the most profitable sectors in modern economy. Across continents, entertainment and media (E&M) has levitated talents and shared cultures like no other format since the dawn of time.  

At the same time, media has connected cultures beyond language and physical barriers. Who doesn’t know Diamond Platnumz, Ali Kiba or Zuchu (except for non-Afro pop fans) in East, South and Central Africa, to mention a few? 

From e-papers to virtual reality, modern ways of communication have made information- sharing seamless, and the world has become a village, literally.  

When it comes to entertainment in Africa, Tanzania’s music industry has evolved over the past decade to become one of the most profitable creative performing arts landscapes.  

 International accolades won by Rayvanny, Diamond Platnumz, Ali Kiba, and many more prove how the genre has spilt over multiple locations worldwide, especially high-performing landscapes …

Africa is music and music in Africa. The music and entertainment industry in Africa is nearly reaching $11.5 billion while the 2019 IFPI global report point Africa combined with the Middle East recorded about 15 per cent increase in revenue (for record business)—more importantly, this ascension puts Africa as the world second highest growth market after Latin America.

The most youthful continent in the entire world has been a land of abundance in terms of musical talents, from the record hits of Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz, Davido and Cassper Nyovest, Africa has carved its mark on the global music and entertainment industry.

Consequently, this has drawn the attention of influential musicians and industry-related corporations pouring their resources towards the region—which produce countless hits and talent annually.

From Sony Music, Spotify, Deezer, Warner Music Group and now Universal Music Group (UMG) in collaboration with African music streaming service—Boomplay are landing their …

The music industry makes a significant contribution to the economy. The industry has evolved over the years. Back in the day, artists made a sizeable income from selling cassettes or CDs. With the advent of technology came music downloads. Estimates indicate that in 2001, close to 40% of music CDs sold were pirated. There was no noticeable difference between the original and pirated version, except the latter was sold at a much cheaper cost, which drove up music piracy.

Initially, record companies and artists attempted to lobby for more stringent measures on music pirates. Unfortunately, the ability to prosecute lagged far behind the rate of piracy. The stronger copyright laws also alienated the fan base. 

It appeared digitization would be the death of music until innovation caught up. The late Steve Jobs developed Apple iTunes that allowed people to pay to download music. With the development of the Torrents protocol, …

Tanzanian government has put in place measures to stop use of any Tanzanian, without paying for it.

This pledge was made by the Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Hon. Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe in a public meeting with entertainment industry stakeholders in Dar es Salaam, to discuss merging of three bodies: COSOTA (Copyright Society of Tanzania), BASATA (Arts Council of Tanzania) and the Tanzanian Film Board for better sectorial operations.

“No more using artists properties without paying, in wedding ceremonies halls or kitchen parties, all of them must contribute. How comes master of ceremonies (MC) get paid and use artists music freely” Minister said.

The statement, though it came quite rather late, but still at a convenient move to rejuvenate the lucrative sector, proving to standout amidst competitive entertainment industries form South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.

Just last year two Tanzanian prominent talents and multiple awardees music-artists Hamis …