Faced with the problems of copyright, piracy, with social networks at their fingertips, how can artists use digital to profit from their art? These questions were discussed at the Africa Tech Summit. The African Digital Summit brought together more than 1,000 participants, including investors and entrepreneurs, on February 15 and 16, 2023 in Nairobi. Several of them come from the creative scene.
From our correspondent in Nairobi,
No sooner has she finished her speech than Jessica Colaço is accosted on all sides. The young woman has just participated in a round table on NFTs. These non-fungible tokens that serve as digital, unique and non-interchangeable certificates of authenticity. And which are sealed on the blockchain. Tech entrepreneur and musician, Jessica knows them well.
« I put two songs on NFT, to see how it would be received in Kenya. And then to try to help artists make money from their music. The copyright society here pays very poorly, while some in the art industry manage to make quite a bit of money from NFTs. »
Difficult to access NFTs
Kenyan artists regularly denounce receiving low royalties. Several organizations are however in charge of redistributing them. But they often end up with licensing problems, accused of mismanagement or embezzlement. With her first title in NFT, Jessica Colaço, she says she has earned $200 since July. She recognizes it: much remains to be done before it is really profitable.
« I wondered why there weren’t more national musicians on the NFTs and I understand, there are still challenges to be met, in particular, there is a real need for education. Most people have a hard time understanding what NFT music titles are and how to buy them. Today, to have it, you have to go through several stages, buying cryptocurrencies is quite discouraging. And then as an artist, you also have to invest your time to understand how to make money with these NFTs. »
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The creative scene in Kenya would therefore benefit from better digital supervision. In the meantime, the sector offers artists a significant platform. Willis Chimano is one of the musicians of the Kenyan group Sauti Sol.
« Digital is a space that I find interesting in the sense that, just from your phone, you can put yourself forward and access an entire network. It’s as simple as what you post on social networks and it allows you to keep some control over your image. Within the African continent, it is even more relevant, because we have one of the youngest populations in the world. And it allows the whole world to see us! Look how Afrobeat exploded! Africa has always had a lot of talent, now it is accessible to everyone. »
Several artists, especially Africans, have also seen their music popularized thanks to the social network TikTok.