African music is on the rise and has been exported very well outside the continent for the past ten years. The many collaborations between African artists and the biggest stars of American and European music or even the third coronation of the Beninese Angélique Kidjo at the Grammy Awards, end up convincing people of the quality of continental productions. However, as paradoxical as it may seem, the African music industry, especially that of Francophone Africa, as a whole, is still moribund. The digitization of this industry is one possible solution to consider.
African music suffers from piracy
On November 17 and 18, Abidjan will host the 1st edition of the Salon des Industries Musicales d’Afrique Francophone (SIMA). The idea of launching this event is to deepen the reflections around the industrial development of music made in Africa and above all to facilitate actions in its favor. It comes at the right time, because the continent’s music industry has problems, particularly piracy.
Statistical data on African music are insufficient and this makes it difficult to draw up a fairly clear assessment of its situation. But one thing is clear, the piracy of musical works plagues the sector and informal management is to be pointed out. According to a UNESCO study, piracy represents more than 50% of the music produced on the continent. As a result, the local industry loses enormous financial gains and sees its illustrious actors, the great artists in particular, sign with French or English labels to be produced there.
Like all African countries with vibrant creative industries, Kenya is suffering from this “hemorrhage”. According to the pan-African organization Partners Against Piracy (PAP), piracy causes the creative industries to lose more than $794 million a year. In Côte d’Ivoire, in Abidjan, more specifically, the consumption of music via USB keys has become firmly rooted in the habits of the population. Illegal downloading points for musical works are roughly installed in several public places, such as markets.
These practices clearly do not contribute to the economic development of Africa. Digitization is a solution.
Digitization, a panacea
Digitalization has radically changed music consumption habits around the world. With a smartphone and a connection, you can listen to all possible music with just one click. Global music industry revenues due to digitalization account for 46% of all global revenues. Indeed, streaming dominates the international music market. This innovative service provides more accessible and faster music distribution. In addition, the distribution cost is lower.
The financial gain generated by the paid consumption of online music increases by an average of 39% each year. Spotify, the Swedish music streaming giant, is a leader in the sector and now claims 406 million users, including 180 million paying subscribers. It achieved a turnover of 10.9 billion dollars for the whole of 2021. Companies such as Deezer, Apple Music or Napster also contribute to this accessibility of music on the Internet.
In Africa, it is only now that the lines are moving. It is estimated that 40% of Africans use their phones to listen to music. This is not surprising when we know that the Internet penetration rate is improving over the years. In a statement from the organizers of the Exhibition of Musical Industries of Francophone Africa (SIMA)which will be held on November 17 and 18, 2022 in Abidjan, it is mentioned that an annual report by the international federation of the phonographic industry (IFPI), published on March 23, presents that the revenues generated in sub-Saharan Africa by the The music industry grew by 9.6% in 2021. The report also states that this growth was mainly generated by the explosion in music streaming revenue in the region.
However, there is still a lot of effort to be made, especially with regard to the professionalization and structuring of the sector. the SIMAdesigned and thought out by aficionados of African music, comes to provide solutions to this problem. “We have, on the one hand, an African music industry which must structure and professionalize itself and, on the other hand, a local, regional and international ecosystem which needs to understand the modes of operation of this emerging African music industry. », says Pit Baccardi, famous Franco-Cameroonian rapper and co-founder of SIMA.
During this event, whose main theme focuses on the challenges of the digitalization of the African music industry, international production houses, music distributors, social media, artists, international and African producers, professionals in the field , the general public and all private sectors will be invited to express themselves. “Mobile money, new streaming models, regulation, new modes of media consumption, concert production, management of the image of artists: the contents and formats of SIMA have been meticulously designed to meet the challenges of this industry strongly impacted by the digital »mentions Mamby Diomande, founder and general commissioner of the SIMA.
Global giants of the music market such as Universal, Sony, Spotify and Deezer are setting out to conquer Africa, but they must now deal with local players who have the advantage of having a perfect command of the field. and African consumption patterns.
