EWL Discusses Music Industry, Surviving as Independent Artiste

Ferdinand  Ekechukwu

Personal branding, distribution, promotion, engagement with fans; patience and consistency have been identified as tools independent artistes require to navigate the music industry. This was part of the discussion by stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry who gathered at the Livespot Entertainment, Lekki, Lagos for this year’s Entertainment Week Lagos (EWL).   

Entertainment Week Lagos, the groundbreaking platform that unites global entertainment industry in the heart of Lagos, gathered the brightest stars and industry leaders from across Africa’s booming $62.67 million entertainment industry, according to PwC’s Media and Entertainment Outlook. 

With its second edition held from December 13 to 20, 2023, organisers attracted 15,000 attendees, reaching over 100 million people, and training more than 1,000 individuals with over 3000 workforce for the event.

The African entertainment industry is on a rapid growth trajectory, with projections indicating over 100 per cent increase in total revenue by 2026, as per PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook.  While the industry future is bright, independent artistes despite their talent continue to falter, with many droppings after years of struggling without making it to the limelight. 

 Discussing how independent artistes could breakthrough, Deji Awokoya, Dare Art Alade, Steve Stout and others advocated independent artistes must persevere and stick to their crafts in order to grow. The panel query why young artistes are in pursuit to capture the world stage instead of perfecting their craft and conquering their environment first.