Nollywood’s Struggle: The Legal Battle Over Afrobeats Music Rights

• Dami Twitch, a music video director and filmmaker, emphasizes the need for Nollywood filmmakers to obtain proper clearance for using Afrobeats songs.
• The change is attributed to many Afrobeats artists signing publishing deals with international companies.
• These deals impose stricter licensing controls on the use of their music in productions.

Film director and former music video creator, Dami Twitch, has highlighted that Nollywood filmmakers must now secure appropriate permissions before incorporating Afrobeats tracks into their films.

During a recent episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, Twitch pointed out that this change is primarily because many Afrobeats musicians have signed with international publishing companies, leading to tighter regulations on music licensing.

He mentioned that this has significantly increased the cost of music licensing for Nollywood filmmakers. As a result, many producers struggle to afford the fees necessary to legally include popular Afrobeats songs unless they have substantial financial support or investment from outside sources.

Twitch also remarked that this new reality is beginning to create tension between the flourishing Afrobeats music industry and Nollywood. As both sectors experience growth, they face emerging challenges regarding collaboration and the rights to use content.

He further noted that this situation is beginning to strain the relationship between the Afrobeats music scene and Nollywood, as both industries continue to grow but face new challenges around collaboration and content usage rights.

His words…

“Nollywood producers can’t freely use Afrobeats songs in movies anymore. Some artists have already sold their music rights, so adding their songs to films becomes difficult.

“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,” he said.