Popular Ghanaian comedian turned musician, David Oscar Dogbe, has stated that he is open to signing with a record label, but only if the deal is beneficial and backed by a functional royalty system.
Speaking in a recent interview on Talkertainment with GhanaWeb’s Elsie Lamar, David Oscar explained that the lack of a reliable royalty tracking system in Ghana makes record label deals risky for musicians.
“I don’t mind being on a record label if it’s worth it,” he said.
According to him, Ghana’s music industry does not have the necessary structures in place to ensure transparency and proper payment of royalties, making it difficult for artistes to monitor how their music is used.
“For such a venture in our part of the world, it’s always risky because we really don’t have a lot of good royalty systems that have been built in Ghana alone.
“There’s no website today for me as a Ghanaian musician to go on and check the number of times my music has been played or which platforms around the country,” he explained.
David Oscar lamented that without accurate data on music usage, it becomes nearly impossible to calculate and distribute royalties fairly.
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“I can’t track and know where my music has been played. If we don’t have that, how do you begin to work out the right royalties and pay them out?” he questioned.
He further compared Ghana’s situation to Nigeria’s, noting that despite having a much larger population, Nigeria has made significant progress in addressing such challenges.
“We are 30 million, Nigerians have cracked that thing a long time ago and they’re 140 million and counting so there’s a problem somewhere,” he shared.
David Oscar stressed that Ghana’s royalty system needs urgent attention, describing it as a major setback for artistes.
“There’s a big problem with our royalty system and it needs to be looked into,” he noted.
The musician disclosed that unless meaningful changes are made, he would rather focus on building his career independently through his own efforts.
“If something comes up like that and it’s worth my while, I will do it. From where I sit and the direction I’m on, I honestly don’t see that coming from anywhere,” he said.
David added, “I rather see it coming from my own effort and what I’m trying to do with the music and the talent God has given me.”
Watch the latest episode of Talkertainment with Elsie Lamar and David Oscar Dogbe below:
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