The African music industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few decades. The days when African music artistes were relegated to the background in the global scheme of things are gone.
This feat was achieved through hard work and sacrifices of many of our celebrated music acts.
Today, sounds from all over Africa are enjoying global attention. While this development calls for celebration, it also represents a call to action.
Many areas of the African music industry calls for improvement, music marketing being one of such area. A recent Instagram post by Mr. Kareem, regional manager West Africa at Empire Africa points
out some flaws in the current system of marketing music in Africa. He said “ Most of us in the music business do a lot of talking rather than putting ourselves to do the real work. When it’s time to put
numbers forward off the books which is supposed to be our critical assessment report cards, we don’t have it because we hyped/influenced more to mistake that for music marketing. Brethren, to
market music isn’t the same as influencing it”. So what then is music marketing? Music marketing involves a strategic and sustained effort across
multiple channels to promote a body of work or an artiste. Hyping/influencing is only part of music marketing, music marketing involves a lot more. An effective music marking campaign requires a
multi-channel approach, with results backed by numbers.
The inability of many talented music artistes to hold their own in the music industry can be traced to marketing failures. Music is a business, and marketing is the soul of any business. Just like in any
other business, prospective end users must be aware of your product for them to patronise you. If you have a good song that nobody listens to, that song would never be a great song. Getting your
music across to the target audience is important and must be done right for the right results. Music marketing is just as important as making good music.
Therefore, stakeholders in the African music business must cultivate the culture of creatively marketing music. This will help grow the Africa industry and further fasten its status as a global
industry. Those seeking to imbibe this culture can reach out to us at The 606 Agency.
The 606 Agency is a creative marketing agency grounded in the culture of music marketing and experiential marketing, using scientific and result oriented methods. Results are achieved within
agreed timelines to the satisfaction of client. Furthermore, results of our campaigns are verifiable and Authentic. The 606 Agency will get your music to a larger audience using music marketing
methods while creating and researching for new ways to improve music marketing in Africa. It’s time for work Africa, let’s begin to market music the right way.
Nosa Richards
Creative Director/Managing
Director.
www.the606agency.ng