Veteran Ghanaian film producer, Socrate Safo, has called for a rethink of the music industry’s heavy dependence on streaming platforms.
In a recent interview, he argued that the shift has not delivered the global exposure or financial gains that artistes were promised.
Safo claimed that Ghanaian musicians have been misled by what he called a “voodoo analysis” that online streaming would revolutionize their reach and earnings.
“The perception that streaming platforms increase musicians’ reach or make them global is a voodoo analysis. They told musicians that being on such platforms is going to bring the world to their feet,” he told Graphic Showbiz.
Safo questioned the logic behind such expectations, using India’s music industry as a counterexample. “But I want to ask, ‘Do you stream Indian songs?’ There are musicians in India who also put their songs online, but how many Ghanaians stream Indian songs? So, where from the idea that if you put your song online, you will have a wider reach?” he asked.
“Which wider reach? It is not true. It is the already-made market that is still serving consumers. Ghanaians don’t even stream Congolese or Togolese songs,” he added.
While clarifying that he does not advocate for abandoning streaming entirely, Safo believes that sidelining physical formats like CDs has cut artists off from an overlooked revenue stream, one that pirates have been exploiting instead.
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He pointed out that many musicians abandoned CD sales under the illusion that digital platforms would be more lucrative, when in reality, physical formats still hold value, especially for audiences with the purchasing power and technology to play them.
“It’s not about abandoning what we’re doing today and going back to CDs, but rather tapping into all available markets. Do you know that there is a CD market in the Northern Region, and the musicians there are cashing out big there. Musicians have left the sale of CDs to these pirates, and they are enriching themselves. Can you imagine a musician like Stonebwoy branding some of his boys to sell his CDs on the streets?”
The filmmaker further cited the price difference between CD sales and online streaming revenue. “A CD sells for GH₵30, but do you know that our musicians don’t even make that amount with over 1000 streams of their songs on the online platforms? And I quote Shatta Wale on this, he said, ‘As for the streaming di333, it’s not bringing anything because in Ghana, majority of Ghanaians use Android and with Android, people don’t pay to stream music, it is only Apple that pays good money but the rest of the platforms is free’.”
According to him, the music industry’s retreat from CD production has forced distributors to pivot to other businesses, such as mobile phone sales, because their primary source of income has vanished.
The debate has sparked varied reactions among creatives. Some support Safo’s call to diversify music distribution strategies and revive physical sales.
Artiste Wan-O is one such voice. In a recent interview, he shared that CD sales remain a major income source for him. “I can make about GH₵20,000 to GH₵30,000 from my CD sales in a month. I’ve sold over one million CDs since I started selling at the Mall 10 years ago,” he revealed.
