MTN Ghana has held a digital music conference in Accra, bringing together artists, music executives, rights administrators and digital platform managers to discuss revenue generation and rights management in Ghana’s music industry.
The event, held at MTN House, focused on how musicians can earn sustainable income from digital platforms amid concerns that streaming revenue alone remains insufficient for many artists.
Speaking at the conference, MTN Ghana’s Senior Manager for Digital Services and Verticals, Bless Sefenu Agordjo, said many emerging and mid-level artists struggle to generate significant income from streaming despite increased online visibility.
He said the industry needed additional revenue channels, including caller ring-back tones (CRBTs), to support musicians.
“At MTN, we do not see artists merely as content suppliers; we see them as partners,” he said.
Agordjo said MTN plans to strengthen collaboration with industry bodies including the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), producers and rights holders to improve transparency and value distribution in the sector.
Music executive and Black Avenue Music founder D-Black described CRBT as an underutilised source of revenue for artists and urged musicians to include it in their income strategies.
Founder of GH Music Publishing, Diana Hopeson, called for stronger copyright administration and better royalty systems to ensure musicians benefit fairly from digital consumption. She also advocated digital platforms that would allow users to purchase songs directly.
MUSIGA President Bessa Simons stressed the need for stronger industry unity and active participation in professional bodies to improve musicians’ welfare.
Media and entertainment executive Baba Sadiq said digital platforms provide valuable audience data that artists can use to shape marketing and business decisions.
Participants at the conference agreed that closer cooperation between telecom companies, rights organisations and music industry stakeholders would be necessary to improve monetisation and revenue sharing in Ghana’s growing digital music sector.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
