LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)-Nigerian music veteran Timaya has shared his thoughts on the changing landscape of the music industry, saying it’s now much easier for young artists to break through compared to when he rose to fame in the 2000s and early 2010s.
Speaking on a recent episode of the “Afrobeats Intelligence” podcast hosted by Joey Akan, the “Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa” attributed the shift to improved access to technology and the rise of social media platforms.
“Making music is easier for the new crop of musicians than in my time. Before, how did you want to blow? It was only one person that had all the control,” he said.
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Timaya recounted the challenges of clearing music rights back in the day, citing his recent collaboration with Flavour on “Odeshi” as an example.
“We realized Premier Music had the catalogue. We wanted to do ‘Can I Have a Dance?‘, and we had to contact Premier and pay again,” he revealed.
He contrasted that with today’s DIY approach, saying, “Now, your father or mother can buy you studio equipment. You do one bad song, register yourself, post on TikTok—and you’re made. All you need is data.”
Reflecting on how hard it used to be to get radio play, Timaya added, “Back then, just getting your song played on radio was a battle. Now you can just upload a song from your house, and you blow.”
Although he appreciates the accessibility of the new system, Timaya admitted he finds it hard to fully embrace the digital hustle.
“It’s stressful posting. Sometimes I think I don’t have to. But it’s the business—I got to,” Timaya concluded.
