Renowned show promoter Paul Okoye, popularly known as PaulO, has triggered intense online debate following a grim assessment of the current state of the Afrobeats music industry.
In a recent social media post, the veteran promoter suggested that the genre’s growth has slowed down significantly, describing it as being in a critical state.
PaulO noted that over the past ten years, Afrobeats has been one of Africa’s biggest cultural exports, opening major doors and turning local talents into global stars. However, he raised concerns about the distribution of success within the industry. He pointed out that while there are thousands of artists making Afrobeats music today, only a small group of about ten top acts are making significant earnings from streaming, ticket sales, and music revenue.
A major point in his observation is the recent dip in live shows, which he considers the heartbeat of the industry. He mentioned that while Afrobeats festivals and concerts used to draw massive crowds from all over the world, things have cooled down this season, leaving many artists with fewer performance bookings.
His post reads
‘’For over 10 years, Afrobeats has been one of Africa’s biggest exports. It has opened doors, created global stars, boosted tourism, and taken our music to the biggest stages in the world.
But today, we need to ask ourselves one honest question.
Is Afrobeats slowing down, or are we creating a problem for ourselves?
Today, we have almost 10,000 artists making music, but only a handful (max 10)are really making money from streaming, shows, and music sales. At the same time, artist fees have gone so high that many promoters no fit book them again. Even big companies and corporate brands are beginning to struggle with these prices.
If promoters can’t afford to put on shows, and brands can’t afford to sponsor events, then where will the next generation of artists perform? How do we keep building new fans? How do we continue to push our culture across the world?
Live shows are the heartbeat of this industry. Na there the fans connect with the artists. Over the last 10 years, Afrobeats tourism brought thousands of people from around the world to festivals and concerts. But look at this summer. We are already in August. How many major Afrobeats shows have you really seen? E no be like before.
This is not about blaming artists, managers, promoters, or brands. Everybody is trying to survive. But the truth be say, the current system is becoming harder to sustain.
If we truly want Afrobeats to remain the biggest genre in the world, then everybody in the industry has to come together. We need more shows, fairer pricing, more opportunities for artists, and a business model that works for everyone, not just a few people.
Make we reason am together. It’s time to make a change so this industry can sustain itself for many years to come”
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