February 26, (THEWILL) — Nigerian music producer, Osabuohien Osaretin, popularly known as Sarz, has blamed Nigeria’s economy for why artists earn far less from music streaming compared to the United States.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Afropolitan podcast, Sarz highlighted the huge revenue gap, noting that while Nigerian artists earn up to ten times less than their US counterparts, the cost of marketing and promoting a song is nearly the same, making it difficult for local creatives to thrive.
“A million streams from the United States is maybe $3,000-$5,000. That same one million streams from Nigeria is arguably maybe $300-$500, but it will cost you the same amount to market or promote a song in Nigeria as much as it would cost you abroad”, he remarked.
Sarz explained that the main reason for the difference is economic. Subscribers in Western countries pay higher streaming fees because their economies are stronger, which results in higher payouts per stream.
He added that while Nigerians love music and listen to it widely, many cannot afford premium subscriptions, which makes streams from Nigeria less valuable.
“I mean, people are streaming music, the people that can’t stream can’t afford it. But people listen to music across the country, and if they can’t afford streaming, it just means that they don’t have the money to”, he explained.
Sarz stressed that improving the economy is key to boosting music revenue in Nigeria.
“We are waiting for the state of the country to get better so other things can start improving.
“I think we have done very well with the resources that we have and despite all the obstacles against us”, he added.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
