Renowned Ghanaian music producer and entertainment pundit, Nana Poku Ashes, has bemoaned the current digital streaming system, stressing that artists made far more transparent and rewarding income during the cassette era than they do today.
Speaking in an interview with Feeling Daddy on Starr Showbiz on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, August 23, Ashes explained that in the 1990s and early 2000s, Ghanaian musicians could easily track their sales and revenue through cassette distribution.
According to him, artists would order a specific number of cassettes from manufacturers, distribute them through agreed deals, and immediately know how much they were making in real time.
“In those days, if you produced 1,000 cassettes and gave a distributor 100 copies, you knew exactly how much you were getting back. If you sold a cassette for seven cedis after deducting distribution costs, you could calculate your real money. That revenue was tangible and helped artists plan, pay for studio sessions, music videos, and even promotional budgets,” he recounted.
Ashes referenced American superstar Taylor Swift, who recently released one of her albums on cassette in addition to digital platforms. He argued that this move highlighted how valuable the cassette model remains for both nostalgic and financial reasons, as fans purchase physical copies that directly reflect in the artist’s revenue stream.
Ashes contrasted this with today’s digital streaming platforms, which he said leave artists struggling to quantify their earnings. He noted that the involvement of digital service providers (DSPs) and middlemen often eats up nearly 70 percent of revenue, leaving artists with “peanuts” despite millions of streams.
“You have to get a million clicks to make just about 35 dollars. The middlemen cut deals with platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes, but at the end of the day, the artist the end product ends up being cheated,” he lamented.
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He further stated that while global music icons such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Pharrell Williams have raised similar concerns about unfair streaming models, upcoming and independent artists in Ghana are the hardest hit, as they cannot sustain their craft without fair revenue.
“Most of our artists are going broke because they don’t see the sales. Ask them how much they made from a particular song and they won’t be able to tell you. But back then, with cassettes and CDs, you knew your worth,” he added.
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Nana Poku Ashes concluded that while streaming is now the global standard, there is an urgent need to revisit how artists are paid so they can fully benefit from their creative works.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
