Nollywood producers are increasingly running into difficulties when trying to feature Afrobeats songs in films, mainly because of how music rights are now structured and managed.
Dami Twitch, a Nigerian music video director and filmmaker known for working closely within the Afrobeats and entertainment space, explained that many artists no longer have full control over their songs after signing contracts with labels or rights holders. This makes it harder for filmmakers to secure permission directly from the artist.
“Even if the artist is my friend, they can’t give me permission to use their song freely because they have already entered a contract. That is a major challenge in the movie industry.
“The collaboration between Nollywood and Afrobeats is at a very weird place right now. A lot of producers can’t afford putting Afrobeats songs in their movies unless a big studio or investor supports them. Nigerian producers are mostly independent filmmakers so a lot of us won’t be able to afford it,” Dami Twitch said.
He added that the cost of licensing popular songs is now a major barrier for many independent Nollywood producers, limiting how easily Afrobeats music appears in films compared to earlier years.
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